Effects of Baduanjin on balance and walking function in stroke survivors

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to systematically assess the impacts of the Baduanjin exercise on the balance and walking ability of stroke survivors. METHODS: A search for relevant randomized controlled trials was carried out in three Chinese and English electronic databases. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials were included in this study. By analyzing the results of the eight trials, it was found that Baduanjin exercise could significantly help stroke survivors balance in later rehabilitation. Additionally, Baduanjin exercise can effectively improve the ability of daily living and cognitive function, thus improving living quality. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that Baduanjin may be a beneficial rehabilitation technique for improving balance, motor, trunk and neurological function, activities of daily living and overall living quality in stroke survivors. However, the results pertaining to improvements in walking function associated with Baduanjin remain inconclusive. Further high quality RCTs are needed to validate these findings.