Case-control study on regular Ba Duan Jin practice for patients with chronic neck pain

PurposeTo observe the long-term effects of regular Ba Duan Jin exercises for patients with chronic neck pain.MethodsParticipants with chronic neck pain were instructed to perform ≥30 min/d of Ba Duan Jin exercises (n = 36) or assigned to a control group (n = 36) for six months. Data from a visual analogue scale, Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire, and the 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) were collected before, and three and six months after intervention began.ResultsParticipants undergoing Ba Duan Jin exercises achieved significantly greater improvement than the controls in visual analogue scale, Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire and SF-36 health transition scores (all p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in SF-36 physical or mental component summaries.ConclusionRegular Ba Duan Jin practice reduces suffering and pain, and increases health satisfaction in individuals with chronic neck pain.