This study was supported by a grant from the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (20HL01) and the Sichuan Province cadre health research project (2023-505).&#160;This study was supported by a grant from the Sichuan Provincial Cadre Health Department (Chuan Gan Yan 2023-505).

This study strictly adheres to the principle of ethical respect, beneficence, and justice. There were 30 subjects in each group, a total of 90 cases. This subject was approved by the ethics committee of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2021KL-040). Informed consent was obtained from patients included in this study.
1. Study subjects
<ol>
	<li>Select 3 communities in Chengdu using the convenience sampling method.</li>
	<li>Recruit patients w...

Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Manage Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Many previous studies have reported how to apply Tai Chi to treat and rehabilitate chronic diseases40,41. Although Tai Chi has shown positive effects in the treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases, truly achieving physical and mental exercise is vital to the enhanced effects of Tai Chi. This study combined Tai Chi with mindfulness training, which successfully improved the practice effectiveness of Tai Chi and indeed achieved physical and mental movement....

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a serious health concern globally, affecting millions of people worldwide1. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reveals that the prevalence of DM could increase up to 12.2% by 20452. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) accounts for about 90% of DM2. Patients with T2DM, particularly those who struggle to control their blood glucose levels, are likely to suffer from adverse complications, including macrovascular disease, microangiopathy, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)3. DPN is a prevalent microvascular complication, with at least 50% of DM patients showing DPN signs and symptoms over time4. Unfortunately, DPN is often ignored, and the actual figures of patients suffering are much higher than reported in most cases2.
Patients with poor glycemic control are prone to developing DPN with an insidious onset. The initial symptoms of DPN are often unremarkable, which makes it easy for patients to overlook the condition. When obvious symptoms and functional impairment appear, irreversible neurological damage has been caused5. DPN has a complex clinical presentation. Patients suffer from long-term metabolic disturbances and oxidative stress damage. This can result in symmetrical limb numbness, pain, or paresthesia6,7. As the disease progresses, neurological and vascular injuries are further aggravated, eventually leading to irreversible tissue damage8. The incidence of diabetic foot ulcers and amputations is associated with mortality from DPN9. In addition, as symptoms of DPN often persist, many patients experience depression, sleep disturbances, and activity limitations, leading to a decrease in overall quality of life and even disability10.
Currently, lifestyle interventions (including exercise, diet, psychotherapy, etc.) are well recognized as effective treatments for DPN patients in addition to glycemic control and pharmacotherapy11. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), &#34;valuable exercise is beneficial to all patients with DM&#34;. For example, it can improve glycolipid metabolism and insulin resistance1. Studies have shown that exercise can improve metabolic, vascular damage, and neurological function in patients with DPN12,13. However, patients with DPN are reluctant to exercise due to a lack of motility, pain, and fear of foot injury.
The diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) patients&#39; physical discomfort and limitations on daily activities, according to the Fear-Avoidance Model (FAM), can reduce their capacity for social interaction, which in turn can contribute to negative emotional reactions like anxiety and depression14. Conversely, negative emotions can affect glycemic control and increase the rate of complications15,16,17,18. Therefore, mind-body therapy is recommended for DPN, which focuses on the interaction between thoughts, emotions, bodies, and behaviors. The aim is to achieve homeostasis of the body and mind.
Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise. Tai Chi has received much attention from scholars worldwide because of its unique exercise modes and therapeutic effects on diseases. Multiple high-quality clinical trials published in international journals have confirmed the effectiveness of Tai Chi for the treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases such as Parkinson&#39;s disease19, stroke20, metabolic syndrome21, knee arthritis22, and breast cancer23. Tai Chi belongs to a class of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises that uses continuous body spiral exercise and regulated breathing to improve aerobic capacity, muscle strength, balance, and exercise capacity. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that Tai Chi can balance yin and Yang, run Qi and blood, and relax meridians24. It is a suitable form of exercise for patients with DPN. Many studies have found that Tai Chi improves insulin resistance and blood lipids, and reduces the incidence of anxiety and depression25,26. In addition, Tai Chi could improve quality of life and decrease body mass index for patients with T2DM 27.
Mindfulness training is another prominent mind-body intervention that focuses on cultivating an intentional, moment-to-moment, nonjudgmental awareness of experience28. It helps to enhance attention to the present experience, including thoughts, feelings, breathing, and body sensations. Zeidan&#39;s research found that mindfulness training could make patients more objectively evaluate discomfort and improve self-regulation29. Wielgosz&#39;s study showed that the biggest problem of exercise intervention was poor compliance, which could be solved by adding mindfulness training to exercise30. Mindfulness training combined with exercise could effectively improve patients&#39; willingness to move, increase the time and frequency of movement, and promote patients&#39; perceiving body sensations in activity.
Meanwhile, exercise combined with mindfulness training can expand patients&#39; vision and enhance their understanding of themselves. This helps the body to become more flexible, relaxed, and balanced, effectively relieving the negative experience of patients. The concept of mindfulness training is consistent with the idea of &#34;unity of form and spirit&#34; of Tai Chi. Most patients with DPN often receive misinformation from the feet provided by the brain due to impaired sensory function31. Mindfulness training can enhance the effect of movement through psychological regulation and nervous regulation32. Therefore, this study aims to verify the feasibility of mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi and explore its effect on DPN patients.

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effects of mindfulness training combined with tai chi in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most prevalent chronic complications of diabetes. One of its crucial therapy approaches is mind-body exercise. Recently, various exercise modalities, including stepping, resistance, aerobics, balance, and whole-body vibration, were investigated to construct the most suitable form of exercise for patients with DPN. The purpose of this study is to describe a standard protocol for mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi. The convenience sampling method was used to select 90 patients with DPN who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from three communities. The three communities were randomly divided into the control group (CG), the Tai Chi group (TCG), and the mindfulness training combined with the Tai Chi group (MTCG). The CG was given routine health education guidance once a month, a total of three times. Based on the CG, the TCG practiced Tai Chi three times; the MTCG received mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi exercise a week for a total of 12 weeks. Before the intervention and 12 weeks after the intervention, the clinical symptoms, neurological function, attention awareness level, pain, and quality of life of the subjects were evaluated by Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Visual analog scale (VAS), Diabetes Specificity Quality of life Scale (DSQL) and tumor necrosis factor-&#945;. Overall, the addition of mindfulness training to Tai Chi effectively enhances the exercise effects of Tai Chi. Therefore, mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi is worthy of promotion and application.

Author Spotlight: Integrating Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Achieve an Effective Mind-Body Exercise 

Effects of Mindfulness Training Combined with Tai Chi in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Our research focused on the Chinese traditional sports Tai Chi. We are exploring the possibility and the effectiveness of mindfully training combined with Tai Chi as the mind-body exercise for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Ensuring that subjects complete three intensive training sessions per week is an important challenge in this study.Our research show that Tai Chi can be well-integrated with mindfulness training. Our outline the steps to integrate mindfulness training with Tai Chi. It will pave the way for the future development of Tai Chi, making this traditional sports more engaging and beneficial for practitioner.In the future, we will focus on the application of mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi in other chronic diseases. We will also make efforts to promote mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi.

In this study, 7 individuals failed to complete the trial. All necessary data were gathered from 83 individuals who completed the trial. There were 38 women and 45 men. The age ranged from 44 to 75 years old, with an average age of (60.57 + 8.76). DM might last anywhere between 4 and 22 years, with an average of 14.10 + 4.85 years. DPN lasted anywhere from one and fifteen years, with a mean of 5.76 + 2.78 years. The general data of the three groups did not differ significantly (p&#62;0.05).
Af...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Integrating Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Achieve an Effective Mind-Body Exercise at JoVE.com

When studying exercise for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), achieving mind-body exercise is essential. This study proposes a protocol for mindfulness training combined with Tai Chi to achieve mind-body exercise.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most prevalent chronic complications of diabetes. One of its crucial therapy approaches is mind-body ...