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ABSTRACT Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients suffer from a long-term lung disorder that influences their physical and mental health, and living quality. Rehabilitation can improve the patients'' vital functions and living quality, but the costs involved are very high and the effects of thoracic therapy, such as upper limb exercise, are disputed. Moreover, these exercises are not culturally designed for Chinese patients, and this therapy in Taiwan was only recently introduced. Tai Chi chuan is a sport that alleviates and coordinates abdominal respiration. It not only increases oxygen intake in healthy men, but also increases maximal oxygen intake (VO2max) in heart patients in the third phase of therapy. Tai Chi chuan also has positive effects on mood swings. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of Tai Chi Chuan on dyspnea, lung function, mood and stamina in COPD patients. This study used an experimental research design and was performed at the outpatient chest department and the outpatient department of respiratory therapy, department of physical medicine and rehabilitation of a certain regional hospital. Twenty-four COPD patients were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group. Patients in the treatment group were subjected to Tai Chi Chuan exercise over a period of eight weeks, three times a week, one hour each time. Patients in the control group were subjected to conventional treatment methods. The Tai Chi Chuan exercises were based on Cheng''s Four-Style Tai Chi Chuan and taught by a Tai Chi chuan instructor. Measurement tools included lung function testing, respiratory dysfunction tables, mood phase tables and a six-minute walk to measure VO2max. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 8.0. Window Release Results showed that Tai Chi chuan improved patients dyspnea at speech and action, reduced mood swings. No significant difference was found for dyspnea at rest and in exercise, FEV1/FVC%, first second forced expiration volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC%) and Maximum Forced Expiratory Flow Rate (FEF25-75%) and Maximum Forced Expiratory Flow Rate values, exercise tolerance. In this study, patients were not restricted by time or location in performing Tai Chi Chuan. Tai Chi Chuan can be developed into an indigenous type of therapy for COPD. Medical personnel can use Tai Chi Chuan as an option for pulmonary therapy for both inpatients and outpatients. It can be included in professional training of medical personnel and in courses for physical medicine and rehabilitation.
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