A traditional Chinese Yijinjing mind-body training program improves balance and gait in stroke survivors: A randomized controlled trial

Balance and gait impairments are prevalent after stroke, leading to increased fall risk and reduced independence. While conventional rehabilitation offers benefits, there is a need for effective adjunctive therapies. Yijinjing, a traditional mind-body exercise, may address these impairments by improving postural control and movement symmetry, but robust evidence from randomized trials is lacking. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether a Yijinjing program could improve balance and walking function in patients with stroke. Seventy stroke patients were randomly assigned to either Yijinjing group receiving Yijinjing training (30 min/session, 5 sessions/week for 5 weeks) or control group receiving stretching training of the same duration. All patients underwent hospital-based conventional rehabilitation therapy throughout the study period. The primary outcome was the change after the 5-week intervention (estimated by a GEE model) in the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Secondary outcomes included spatiotemporal gait parameters, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. The two groups were comparable in demographic characteristic and motor impairment. After 5 weeks of intervention, the Yijinjing group [11.94 (10.05 to 13.83)] demonstrated significantly greater improvement in BBS scores than the control group [6.51 (5.38 to 7.64)], with a between-group mean difference [95% Confidence Intervals (CI)]: 5.51 (3.92 to 7.10), P