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Background In December 2019, pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China. The number of cases has increased rapidly. Patients with severe disease have a poor prognosis, and there are no effective therapies for COVID-19. Only rapid advice guidelines for symptomatic supportive care have been used. A traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation (TCMR) program consisting of acupressure therapy and Liu Zi Jue Qigong can be used as a complementary therapy for COVID-19. Hence, we designed a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy and advantages of TCMR for treating patients with severe COVID-19. Methods/design This is a parallel-design, two-arm, analyst assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 128 patients with COVID-19 aged from 20 to 80 years will be recruited and assigned randomly into a guideline therapy group and a guideline therapy plus TCMR group at a 1:1 ratio. Patients in both groups will receive guideline therapy. The patients in the intervention group will perform acupressure therapy and Liu Zi Jue Qigong exercises in addition to conventional treatments twice a day and will be persistent from admission to discharge. The primary outcome will be measured with the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and the secondary outcomes will include the Activities of Daily Living Barthel Index Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale, and the Respiratory Symptoms Scale. The assessments of the clinical scales will be performed at three points (before treatment, the 7th day during hospitalization, and the discharge day). Adverse events will be noted and recorded for the safety evaluation. Discussion This trial will provide high-quality evidence of the value of TCMR, which consists of acupressure therapy and Liu Zi Jue Qigong exercises, for treating patients with severe COVID-19. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000029994. Registered on 18 February 2020

Objectives Efficacy of conventional treatment plus the complementary therapy Liu-zi-jue (a mind-body exercise) to treat patients with mild COVID-19. Trial design The study is a single-center 2 arm, randomized controlled trial with parallel-group design.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common disabling musculoskeletal disorder. Previous studies showed that Tuina manipulation and health care education were effective treatments for patients with KOA. However, there is no evidence to support the use of one intervention over the other. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Tuina manipulation and health care education for the management of pain and dysfunction in patients with KOA.Methods/Design: This study is a single-centre, two-arm, open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT). A total of 170 eligible KOA patients will be randomly assigned to the Tuina manipulation group or the health education group in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the Tuina manipulation group will receive a 30-minute 2-step treatment plan, including pain point assessment and manual therapy, which will be performed 12 times in 4 weeks. The health education group will receive 45 minutes of lecture and discussion three times a week for four weeks. The primary outcome is the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Secondary outcomes include the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The results of this study will help clarify the value of Tuina manipulation and health education as treatments for KOA and will highlight any differences in treatment outcomes.Discussion: The design and methodology of the trial is rigorous and allows the collection of valuable data to assess the efficacy of a specific Tuina regimen for the treatment of KOA. Therefore, the trial will provide a solid foundation for future clinical research on KOA and Tuina therapy.Trial registration: This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 24 February 2020 (ChiCTR2000030154), http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the analgesic effect of Tuina mainly from mechanically sensitive ion channels in peripheral myelinated nerve fibers. METHODS A total of 40 healthy and pathogen-free adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study [weight: (220.0 ± 1.4) g, Shanghai Slac Laboratory Animal Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China; license No. Shanghai ICP 05033115]. The rats were housed in cages with free access to water and food in a temperature-controlled room [(22 ± 1) °C] and 12-h/12-h light-dark cycle. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into five groups: naive, sham, chronic compression of dorsal root ganglion (CCD), Tuina (7 d) and Tuina (21 d). CCD rat model was established via unilateral DRG compression by “L” liked steel bar. Chinese Tuina treatment was accepted once per day. Behavior monitoring of paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) were tested. The expression of Piezo1 and Piezo2 in myelinated nerve fiber were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western-blotting. RESULTS There was a high expression of Piezo2 and a low expression of Piezo1 in the naive and CCD groups. In contrast, the expression of Piezo2 was down regulated and Piezo1 was increased after a period of Tuina. There was significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) between the groups. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that Tuina therapy can increase the expression of Piezo2 and decrease the expression of Piezo1 in the test rats. The different changes in the expressions of Piezo1 and Piezo2 may play an important role in alleviating CCD-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia.

Background The epidemic of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia has become a focused public health event in world. The authorities have taken prompt medical action in China, which contained strict isolation measures and potential symptomatic supportive care. Dao Yin, a traditional Chinese exercise, combines limb movements and breathing exercises. Previous researches showed that it can activate the immune system and improve the lung function and the mental state of patients. Therefore, there may be a potential effect of Dao Yin on the physical and mental health of patients with 2019-nCoV. The aim of this trail is to verify whether conventional therapy plus Dao Yin could show better effects for 2019-nCoV than conventional therapy alone.Methods/design The study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial with parallel-group design including two intervention groups: a conventional therapy group and a conventional therapy plus Dao Yin group. A total of 186 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the groups in a 1:1 ratio. The routine treatment of the two groups is performed daily according to guideline, and Dao Yin is performed once a day until the patient is out of the hospital. The primary outcome is the Length of Hospital Stay (LHS). Secondary outcomes include the vital signs, respiratory symptoms, questionnaire of mental health and the quantity of immune cells. The outcomes will be assessed at five points including the baseline, 3th, 6th, 9th day during hospitalization and the discharge day. The significance level is 5%. This study will focus on the value of a conventional therapy plus Dao Yin as the treatment for 2019-nCoV and will explore any potential connection among the outcomes.Discussion This study may evaluate the efficacy of conventional therapy plus Dao Yin for 2019-nCoV, which can contribute to provide a solid evidence of Dao Yin therapy for the nationwide emergence.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000029978 Registered on 18 February 2020.

Objective To determine the effects of Taijiquan practice on knee proprioception in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing Taijiquan with a control condition (wellness education) in patients with knee OA. The patients participated in either a 60-min Taijiquan session three times weekly or a 60-min weekly educational session, for 24 consecutive weeks. The primary outcomes were changes in knee proprioception. Secondary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results After 24 weeks, compared with the control group, the Taijiquan group demonstrated better improvements in the joint position sense in knee flexion (left: −2.12°; right: −2.02°), and knee extension (left: −2.22°; right: −1.54°). In addition, the Taijiquan group showed significantly greater improvements in the WOMAC scores (P Conclusion A 24-week Taijiquan practice resulted in a significant improvement in knee proprioception in patients with knee OA. The present findings add increasing evidence regarding the clinical benefits of Taijiquan as a therapeutic modality for patients to improve the reflex protection of knee joints against potentially harmful forces.

Background Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a common and disabling musculoskeletal disorder in developing and developed countries. Previous studies have shown that tuina and traditional Chinese massage are effective treatments for patients with CNP. However, there is little evidence to support the use of one intervention over the other. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of tuina and traditional Chinese massage in the treatment of pain and disability in patients with CNP. Methods/design This is a multicenter, assessor- and analyst-blinded, randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: a tuina group and a traditional Chinese massage group. A total of 356 eligible CNP patients will be randomly assigned to the groups in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention in the tuina group includes both structural and relaxation massage, while the traditional Chinese massage group will receive relaxation massage only. The interventions for both groups will last for 15 min and will be carried out three times a week for a period of 4 weeks. The primary outcome will be changes in the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will be measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The data will be analyzed at the baseline, at the end of the intervention, and during the 3 months of follow-up by repeated measures analysis of variance. The significance level is 5%. The safety of tuina and traditional Chinese massage will be evaluated after each treatment session. The results of this trial will help clarify the value of tuina and traditional Chinese massage as treatments for CNP and will highlight any differences in the efficacy of the treatments. Discussion The purpose of this trial is to determine whether tuina is more effective than traditional Chinese massage in adults with CNP. This trial will, therefore, contribute to providing a solid foundation for clinical treatment of CNP, as well as future research in massage therapy. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-17013763. Registered 8 December 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-3096-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective Chinese massage (Tui Na) is one of the most popular Traditional Chinese Medicine remedies for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Several studies have subjectively evaluated the effect of Chinese massage on knee OA through self-assessment questionnaires; however, very few studies have objectively assessed the effect by measuring knee muscle strength. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Chinese massage in improving knee extensor and flexor muscle strength in patients with knee OA. Methods Thirty patients with knee OA received Chinese massage therapy three times per week for 2 weeks. Patients completed pre- and post-treatment Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain questionnaires, and pre- and post-treatment knee muscle strength was evaluated using the Biodex Multi-Joint System 3. Isokinetic muscle strength measurements were performed at 60 degrees/s and 180 degrees/s. The peak torque (PT), peak torque/body weight (PT/BW), total work (TW), average power (AP), hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q), and range of motion (ROM) values were recorded separately for flexors and extensors. Results Chinese massage therapy significantly improved knee pain as assessed by the VAS in patients with knee OA (P < 0.05). Post-treatment values were significantly greater than pre-treatment values in the extensor muscles for PT (right P = 0.013, left P = 0.001), PT/BW (right P = 0.008, left P = 0.001) and TW (right P = 0.036, left P = 0.004) at 60 degrees/s. The AP increased significantly after treatment in the flexor muscles in the right knee (P = 0.009) and the extensor muscles in the left knee (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in pre- and post-treatment ROM and H/Q at 60 degrees/s and 180 degrees/s. Conclusion Chinese massage therapy decreased pain and may improve extensor muscle strength in patients with knee OA, but does not appear to improve ROM.

Previous clinical trials have suggested that the Chinese Tuina massage may exert transient analgesic effects. However, further investigation regarding the underlying mechanism has been hindered by the lack of a suitable animal model of pain. The present study established a rat model of hind leg pain by injecting 5.8% hypertonic saline solution (HSS) into the left gastrocnemius muscle. The effects of various Tuina massages on the pain thresholds of the rats were then measured. In addition, the effects of ipsilateral and contralateral Tuina massages on C-fiber-evoked field potentials following electrical stimulation of the left sciatic nerve were determined. Alterations in the gastrocnemius muscle tissues following various Tuina applications were investigated using hematoxylin and eosin, and desmin staining, as well as malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase assays. Heavy hand pressure transiently reduced the pain sensitivity of both posterior limbs, despite HSS only being injected into the left hind leg. Tuina massage treatments that lasted for 15 min were associated with the best results and an absence of local tissue changes. The results of electrical sciatic nerve stimulation demonstrated that ipsilateral and contralateral Tuina massage may decrease the level of peripheral nociceptive C-fiber activity. In the present study, the Chinese Tuina massage exerted analgesic effects in a rat model of pain, which did not involve tissue damage, following a 15 min massage. Therefore, the rat model of pain used in the present study may provide a novel approach for investigating the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Tuina massage.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese massage therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) by measuring lower-limb gait parameters. We recruited 20 women with knee OA, who then underwent Chinese massage therapy three times per week for 2 weeks. The patients underwent gait evaluation using a six-camera infrared motion analysis system. They completed Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaires before and after treatment. We calculated the forward speed, step width, step length, total support time percentage, initial double support time percentage, and single support time percentage. We also measured the angles at the knee, hip, and ankle during the stance phase of walking. The results showed statistically significant mean differences in knee pain relief, alleviation of stiffness, and physical function enhancement after therapy (P < 0.05). The patients gained significantly faster gait speed, greater step width, and increased total support time percentage after the Chinese massage therapy (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the range of motion or initial contact angles of the knee, hip, or ankle during the stance phase of walking. We concluded that Chinese massage is a beneficial complementary treatment and an alternative therapy choice for patients with knee OA for short-term pain relief. Chinese massage may improve walking ability for these patients.