# Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercise Yijinjing on Disability and Muscle Strength Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

This study tests if Yijinjing, a traditional Chinese exercise, helps reduce disability and improve back strength in people with chronic low back pain.

## Contribution

This is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of Yijinjing on disability and back extensor strength in chronic low back pain patients.

## Key findings

- Yijinjing may improve disability and back extensor strength in CLBP patients.
- The study will compare Yijinjing to functional exercises for effectiveness.
- Results will guide future trials on traditional Chinese exercises for back pain.

## Abstract

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common public health problem. Progressive loss of muscle strength leads to long-term chronic pain and disability. Yijinjing exercises, an ancient therapy dating back thousands of years, are widely used in China to treat low back pain. However, little is known about its benefits and scientific evidence for back extensor strength. This trial aimed to assess the efficacy of Yijinjing on disability and dorsal extensor strength in patients with CLBP.

We present a randomized controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of the traditional Chinese exercise Yijinjing on disability and back extensor strength in patients with CLBP.

This is a 2-arm, parallel-design, assessor-blinded, and analyst-blinded randomized controlled trial. The 106 participants with CLBP who were recruited will first receive basic traditional Chinese manual therapy to help relieve their physical discomfort. Second, they will be randomly divided into a Yijinjing group (n=53) and a control group with functional exercises (n=53) at a ratio of 1:1. The interventions for both groups will be carried out twice a week for 4 weeks. Patients in both groups will be followed up at 1 and 3 months after the intervention. The primary outcome is disability (measured by the Oswestry Disability Index). The secondary outcomes included pain intensity (assessed by the Numerical Rating Scale), data from isokinetic dynamometry, flexibility (assessed by the fingertip-to-floor test), mood (evaluated by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), and quality of life (measured by the EQ-5D-5L). All adverse effects will be assessed using the Treatment Emerging Symptoms Scale, and data will be analyzed using an intention-to-treat analysis.

The trial was funded in December 2023. The Institutional Ethics Committee of Yueyang Hospital of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, approved this study. The first patient was enrolled in February 2024, and as of August 2024, a total of 106 participants have been recruited. Data analysis has not yet begun and is expected to be published in January 2025. The protocol has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2400081105).

If this trial proves effective, it will guide the setup of a randomized controlled trial to demonstrate whether traditional Chinese exercise Yijinjing improves disability in patients with CLBP and is more effective than usual stretching exercises.

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2400081105; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=214425

DERR1-10.2196/67557