Table 2 Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
|---|---|
• Age 21 years or older | • Prior experience with Tai Chi or other similar types of complementary and alternative medicine in the past 6 months such as Qi Gong and yoga since these share some of the principles of Tai Chi |
• Fulfills the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 classification criteria for fibromyalgia: (1) a history of widespread musculoskeletal pain on the right and left sides of the body as well as above and below the waist for a minimum duration of 3 months, and (2) pain in 11 or more of 18 specific tender points with moderate or greater tenderness reported upon digital palpation[35] | |
• Dementia, neurological disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, metabolic disease, renal disease, liver disease, or other serious medical conditions limiting ability to participate in the Tai Chi or aerobic exercise programs, as determined by primary care physicians | |
• Fulfills the ACR 2010 diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia: | |
• Any other diagnosed medical condition known to contribute to fibromyalgia symptomatology that is not under adequate control for the study period such as thyroid disease, inflammatory arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, vasculitis and/or Sjogren’s syndrome | |
(WPI ≥7 and SS ≥5) or (WPI 3–6 and SS ≥9) and does not have a disorder that would otherwise explain the pain [36] | |
• Verbal confirmation of pregnancy or planned pregnancy within the trial period | |
• Willing to complete the 12-week or 24-week study, including once- or twice-a-week exercise sessions. | |
• Not English speaking | |
• Mini-Mental Status Examination score below 24 [38] | |
• Willing to abstain from Tai Chi or other new formalized exercise programs until completion of the study if randomized to the aerobic exercise intervention | |
• Inability to pass the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) | |
• Enrollment in any other clinical trial within the last 30 days | |
• Willing to abstain from aerobic exercise or other new formalized exercise programs until completion of the study if randomized to Tai Chi | |
• Plan to permanently relocate from the region during the trial period |