Table 2.
Changes in Primary and Secondary Outcomes.*
| Variable | Mean Change from Baseline (95% CI) | Between-Group Difference (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Chi Group (N = 33) | Control Group (N = 33) | Tai Chi Group vs. Control Group | P Value† | |
| FIQ score‡ | ||||
| Week 12 | −27.8 (−33.8 to −21.8) | −9.4 (−15.5 to −3.4) | −18.4 (−26.9 to −9.8) | <0.001 |
| Week 24 | −28.6 (−34.8 to −22.4) | −10.2 (−16.4 to −4.0) | −18.3 (−27.1 to −9.6) | <0.001 |
| Patient’s global assessment score§ | ||||
| Week 12 | −2.5 (−3.3 to −1.7) | −0.6 (−1.4 to 0.2) | −1.9 (−3.1 to −0.7) | 0.002 |
| Week 24 | −2.4 (−3.1 to −1.7) | −0.7 (−1.4 to 0.01) | −1.7 (−2.7 to −0.8) | 0.001 |
| Physician’s global assessment score§ | ||||
| Week 12 | −1.0 (−1.7 to −0.4) | 0.02 (−0.6 to 0.7) | −1.1 (−1.9 to −0.2) | 0.02 |
| Week 24 | −0.5 (−1.2 to 0.1) | 0.6 (0.03 to 1.2) | −1.1 (−2.0 to −0.2) | 0.02 |
| PSQI score¶ | ||||
| Week 12 | −3.6 (−4.8 to −2.4) | −0.7 (−1.9 to 0.5) | −2.9 (−4.6 to −1.2) | 0.001 |
| Week 24 | −4.2 (−5.8 to −2.7) | −1.2 (−2.7 to 0.4) | −3.0 (−5.2 to −0.9) | 0.007 |
| 6-Minute walk test (yd)|| | ||||
| Week 12 | 60.6 (37.9 to 83.3) | 16.3 (−6.4 to 38.9) | 44.4 (12.3 to 76.4) | 0.007 |
| Week 24 | 49.8 (25.9 to 73.8) | 23.2 (0.8 to 47.1) | 26.7 (−7.2 to 60.5) | 0.12 |
| Body-mass index** | ||||
| Week 12 | 0.02 (−0.4 to 0.4) | −0.2 (−0.5 to 0.2) | 0.2 (−0.3 to 0.7) | 0.47 |
| Week 24 | −0.2 (−0.7 to 0.3) | −0.3 (−0.8 to 0.2) | 0.1 (−0.6 to 0.8) | 0.76 |
| SF-36 score†† | ||||
| Physical component | ||||
| Week 12 | 8.5 (5.7 to 11.3) | 1.4 (−1.5 to 4.2) | 7.1 (3.1 to 11.1) | 0.001 |
| Week 24 | 8.4 (5.6 to 11.3) | 1.5 (−1.4 to 4.3) | 7.0 (2.9 to 11.0) | 0.001 |
| Mental component | ||||
| Week 12 | 7.7 (3.9 to 11.6) | 1.6 (−2.2 to 5.4) | 6.1 (0.7 to 11.6) | 0.03 |
| Week 24 | 8.5 (4.6 to 12.4) | 1.2 (−2.7 to 5.0) | 7.3 (1.9 to 12.8) | 0.009 |
| CES-D score‡‡ | ||||
| Week 12 | −8.1 (−10.9 to −5.3) | −2.3 (−5.1 to 0.6) | −5.9 (−9.8 to −1.9) | 0.005 |
| Week 24 | −6.5 (−9.4 to −3.6) | −2.4 (−5.3 to 0.5) | −4.1 (−8.2 to 0.1) | 0.05 |
| CPSS score§§ | ||||
| Week 12 | 1.5 (0.7 to 2.2) | 0.5 (−0.3 to 1.2) | 1.0 (−0.03 to 2.0) | 0.06 |
| Week 24 | 1.2 (0.4 to 1.9) | 0.6 (−0.2 to 1.4) | 0.6 (−0.5 to 1.6) | 0.28 |
All values are means, with the 95% confidence intervals.
P values were calculated with repeated-measures analysis of variance.
The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) assesses physical function, common symptoms, and general well-being in patients with fibromyalgia. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.
Global status was assessed separately by the study participant and the study physician with the use of a visual-analogue scale ranging from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain.
Scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality.
The 6-minute walk test measures the distance covered during the 6-minute walk (in yards) as an objective assessment of mobility. It was considered to be a proxy for physical function, with higher scores indicating improved functional conditioning. To convert yards to meters, multiply by 0.9144.
The body-mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. This value was missing for one patient in the tai chi group.
Scores on the mental and physical components of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status. Values were obtained by means of repeated-measures analysis of variance, which accounts for slight differences from values given in the text.
Scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) index range from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater dysphoria.
Scores on the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale (CPSS), which measures patients’ confidence in their ability to perform a particular behavior or task, range from 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating improved status.