Efficacy of Baduanjin Qigong Exercise Program on Fatigue and Postural Imbalance Following Lower Limb Burn Injury

Patients at group A: patients will receive Baduanjin Qigong exercise plus selected exercise. the subjects practiced Baduanjin exercise 3 times or above each week, 30- 60 minutes each time for 8 weeks. The subjects were required to complete the program in the fixed site and in a collective manner, with special personnel recording the attendance and providing guidance. The whole set of Baduanjin exercise consists of 9 postures: (1) ready position, (2) holding the hands high with palms up to regulate the internal organs, (3) posing like an archer shooting on left and right sides, (4) holding one arm aloft to regulate the functions of the spleen and stomach, (5) looking backwards to prevent sickness and strain, (6) swinging the head and lowering the body to relieve stress, (7) moving the hands down the back and legs and touching the feet to strengthen the kidneys, (8) thrusting the fists and making the eyes glare to enhance strength, and (9) raising and lowering the heels to cure diseases .

Selected Exercise Program: Patients will receive

• balance exercises 3 sessions a week for 8 weeks in the form of balance exercises and resisted exercises. Balance Exercises Each session of balance exercises is composed of three phases, including warm-up, balance training and cool down. The warm-up phase involved gentle stretching for calf, hamstring, quadriceps, iliopsoas muscles, as well as anterior, posterior and lateral step-ups for 5-10 minutes. The active phase was performed on a balance training mat of high-elasticity for 20 minutes. It included heel and toe raises, one-legged stance for each extremity, shifting weight anteriorly, posteriorly, laterally and diagonally. turning head to the right and then to the left with maintaining the feet together, walking in slow motion, step-ups, narrow walking, backward walking, sideward walking, stepping over obstacles, passing balls arranged on the training mat in a circle, and throwing and catching a ball on the training mat. The program ended with 5-10 minutes of cool down. During the cool-down phase, patients performed deep breathing exercises and static exercises for back extensor in a recumbent position.
• Resisted Exercises were given according to the standardized Oxford technique of progressive resistance exercises for hip flexors and extensor, knee extensors and flexors, and ankle dorsiflexors. The exercises' intensity was progressed as the following; week one: 50-60% of three repetition maximum (3RM), from 2nd -6th weeks: 70- 75% of 3RM and for 7th -8th weeks: 80-85% 3RM for 4- 10 repetitions ,3 sessions a week for 8 weeks.