Efficacy of Baduanjin Exercise in COVID-19 Contraction Patients With Idiopathic Chronic Fatigue

Overview

Post-COVID recovery is associated with reduced functional fitness/capacity, low quality of life, and physical disabilities in those who survived after contracting the disease. The unpleasant symptoms of chronic post-viral/post-COVID syndrome (chronic fatigue perception, variant nonspecific myalgia, bad mood or depression, and insomnia or sleep disturbances) usually magnify the symptoms of already existing previously diagnosed concurrent untreatable chronic disorders , including the idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF).(Leszczak et al., 2024) Baduanjin exercise training (BET) is one of the Chinese traditional Health-Qigong exercises that not only integrate slow coordinating postures/positions, breathing techniques, musculoskeletal stretching movements/positions, and meditative mind but also plays a strong role concerning health benefits (e.g. musculoskeletal pain-reducing, sleep disturbance-enhancing effects, and fatigue-reducing effects) (Zou et al., 2018).

Detailed description

forty idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (n=20)

1. Study group (20 patients) this group will be supervised daily, except Fridays, during the 60-minute session of 12-week BET) or waitlist group 2. Control group (20 patients)

Interventions

• Other Baduanjin exercise training (BET)
  Baduanjin Exercise Training (BET) is a traditional Chinese exercise focused on improving physical health, flexibility, balance, and mental well-being. It involves a 10-minute warm-up, a 40-minute core session practicing eight distinct postures, and a 10-minute cool-down. The postures, based on the Baduanjin form, target different body parts and promote strength, flexibility, and circulation. The exercises are synchronized with deep breathing to enhance relaxation and stress reduction. BET is esp

Primary outcome measures

• Pulmonary function: By Spirometry Device: [Time frame: By Spirometry Device: forced vital capacity will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured after twelve weeks again]

Secondary outcome measures (10)

• Pulmonary function: By Spirometry Device: [Time frame: By Spirometry Device forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured after twelve weeks again]
• Measuring functional capacity: By Six-minute walk test (6MWT) [Time frame: Measuring functional capacity: By Six-minute walk test (6MWT)::will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Modified Borg dyspnea scale (MBDS) [Time frame: Modified Borg dyspnea scale (MBDS) will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Strength of lower limb muscles By a thirty-second sit-to-stand test [Time frame: thirty-second sit-to-stand test will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Endurance of upper limb muscles: by the maximal repetitions of push-ups (MRPU). [Time frame: the maximal repetitions of push-ups (MRPU). will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Cardiorespiratory fitness:by the index of Ruffier test (IRT). [Time frame: Cardiorespiratory fitness:by the index of Ruffier test (IRT). will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Quality of life: by the short form 36 questionnaire (SF) [Time frame: Quality of life: by the short form 36 questionnaire (SF) will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• sleep quality by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI): [Time frame: sleep quality by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI):will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): [Time frame: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI):will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]
• fatigue assessment by Buzhongyiqi-Tang questionnaire (BZTQ): [Time frame: Buzhongyiqi-Tang questionnaire (BZTQ)::will be measured at baseline, and it will be measured again after twelve weeks]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• • 40 patients will be recruited in the study.

• age ≥ 18 to ≤ 50 years old
• achieved three diagnostic items/criteria of ICF will be included in this BET trial: Fatigue lasting over 6 months, which significantly limits daily activities, reducing the person's usual activity level by more than 50%, as confirmed by a doctor.

At least three of the following symptoms:

Generalized muscle weakness Difficulty sleeping Frequent headaches A painful throat Muscle tenderness throughout the body Migratory joint pain Swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits Fatigue lasting more than a day after typical activities

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with a history of medical or complementary treatments for ICF disorder in the 6 months before contracting COVID or after recovery.
• Individuals who have engaged in therapeutic exercise, pharmacological treatments, or complementary therapies for post-COVID symptoms within the last six months prior to enrollment.
• ICF patients regularly using antidepressants or antipsychotics were excluded.
• Those who take sleeping pills regularly were also excluded.
• Patients with autoimmune diseases, malignant conditions, anemia, endocrine disorders, systemic diseases, or osteoarthritis affecting the cervical spine, lumbar region, or limbs were excluded.
• Individuals with abnormal results in laboratory tests, including neurological, neurophysiological, cardiological, liver/kidney function tests, or urine/stool analyses (as determined by a physician) were excluded.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

Egypt · 1 center

• Cairo University — Cairo

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06829940 · P.T.REC/012/005517

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗