Table 3.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the YJJQE and STE groups*.
| Characteristic |
YJJQE group
(n = 25) |
STE group
(n = 25) |
P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 55.76 ± 8.37 | 53.40 ± 10.66 | 0.38 |
| Height, cm | 163 ± 6.84 | 166 ± 7.14 | 0.82 |
| Body mass, kg | 62.8 ± 10.49 | 64 ± 10.48 | 0.69 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 23.5 ± 3.23 | 22.9 ± 2.98 | 0.51 |
| Males/Females (n) | 4/21 | 9/16 | 0.107 |
| Exercise compliance (number of completions, n) | 76.56 ± 4.79 | 75.28 ± 5.43 | 0.382 |
| Manual labor/non-manual labor (n) | |||
| Current pain medication use, n (%)& | 17 (68%) | 18 (72%) | 0.556 |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | 14 (56%) | 17 (72%) | 0.239 |
| Topical anti-inflammatory drugs | 14 (56%) | 15 (64%) | 0.733 |
| Adverse events | 6 (24%) | 12 (48%) | 0.04 |
*
Indicated values are the mean ± SD and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant difference. &: at any time; Adverse events were defined as any treatment-related problem that lasted for 3 days. YJJQE, Yijinjing Qigong Exercise; ST, Stretching Training Exercise.