Remote Tai Chi for treating knee pain in osteoarthritis

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This pragmatic randomized trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of remote Tai Chi in alleviating knee pain for adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive remote Tai Chi sessions twice a week for 12 weeks in addition to routine care or continue with routine care alone. The study will assess improvements in knee-related pain, pain interference, and health-related quality of life over a 12-month period. The trial will involve 480 diverse patients across four healthcare systems in different geographic regions.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults aged 50 years or older with clinician diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis
* Active patient within a participating healthcare system
* A score of 40 (visual analog version) or greater on at least 1 item of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale (range of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater pain).
* Ability to provide informed consent
* Access to a telehealth-capable device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone
* Ability to complete study procedures remotely in English
* If randomized to the Tai Chi group, willing to comply with the Tai Chi program (twice-a-week remote sessions for 12 weeks)
* If randomized to the Routine Care group, willing to abstain from Tai Chi programs until completion of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current participation in Tai Chi practice
* Serious medical conditions (e.g., dementia, significant neurological deficits or neurodegenerative disorder, active cancer treatment, psychosis, sensory deficits) limiting the participant's ability to participate in the Tai Chi safely, as determined by the principal investigators
* Prior total knee replacement or planned total knee replacement during the study period
* Inability to ambulate independently or rise from a chair without assistance
* Reports severe depression defined by a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score of 29 or more.
* Reports suicidal ideations defined by a score on BDI-II item of 2 or 3 ('I would like to kill myself' or 'I would kill myself if I had the chance').
* Concurrent participation in another interventional trial within 30 days before enrollment

Where it's running

• Tufts Medical Center
  Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc — Tufts Medical Center
• Study coordinator: Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc
• Email: Chenchen.Wang@tuftsmedicine.org
• Phone: 617-636-3251

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.