Baduanjin exercise with brain stimulation for knee osteoarthritis
Tests Baduanjin exercise combined with brain stimulation in people with knee osteoarthritis.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Where
- Charlestown, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Enhancing Modulation Effects of Baduanjin Through Neuromodulation for Knee OA
- Status
- Recruiting
- Phase
- Phase 2
- People taking part
- 140 people, planned
- Started
- 5 Mar 2024
- Expected to end
- 31 Aug 2028
- Type of study
- Interventional, 4 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- BDJ
- tDCS
- sham tDCS
- exercise
- Record updated
- 17 July 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults aged 45 to 75 with knee osteoarthritis. They will do Baduanjin (BDJ, a gentle mind-body exercise) or stretching, with brain stimulation (tDCS) or a sham version.
- Age
- 45 to 75 years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Disease stage
- Osteoarthritis of the right and/or left knee for at least the past 3 months, meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria.
- Earlier treatment
- No regular BDJ, Tai Chi, Yoga, other mind-body practice, physical therapy or routine exercise in the past year. No steroid injection into the knee or reconstructive knee surgery in the prior 3 months. No hyaluronic acid injection into the knee in the previous 6 months.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Serious illness that limits taking part, such as heart or lung disease with symptoms, uncontrolled metabolic disease, or severe kidney or liver disease
- Mini-Mental Status Examination score below 24
- Cannot walk without a cane or other walking aid
- Plans surgery during the study
- Cannot have an MRI scan, or cannot read and understand English
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 13 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Volunteers 45-75 years of age
- Meet the Classification Criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for osteoarthritis of the right and/or left knee for at least the past 3 months
- Physically able to participate in the BDJ and stretching control education programs
- Willing to complete the 12-week study
- Can participate in MRI scan
- Ability to read and understand English; English can be a second language provided that the patient feels he or she can understand all the questions used in the assessment measures
Who cannot take part
- Has performed BDJ, Tai Chi, Yoga, other mind-body intervention, physical therapy, or routine exercise (running, cycling, etc.) regularly in the past year
- Has had intra-articular steroid injections or reconstructive surgery in the prior 3 months on the affected knee; any intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections in the previous 6 months
- The intent to undergo surgery during the time of involvement in the study
- Serious medical conditions limiting ability of patient to participate in the study, such as symptomatic cardiovascular disease, symptomatic pulmonary disease requiring supplemental oxygen, uncontrolled metabolic diseases, severe renal and liver disease
- Patient Mini-Mental Status Examination score below 24 [293]
- Unable to walk without a cane or other assistive device
- Plan to permanently relocate from the region during the trial period
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 45 and 75 years old?
Where in United States
- Massachusetts General HospitalCharlestown, United StatesContact: meixuan ZhuTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This study will combine brain imaging and neuromodulation tools to investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of exercises. The findings will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying mind-body exercise and facilitate the development of new pain management approaches.
The 4 groups in the trial
- BDJ + real tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
Treatment: BDJ and tDCS
- Exercise + real tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
Treatment: tDCS and exercise
- BDJ + sham tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
Treatment: BDJ and sham tDCS
- Exercise + sham tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
Treatment: sham tDCS and exercise
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Enhancing Modulation Effects of Baduanjin Through Non-invasive Neuromodulation for Knee Osteoarthritis
- Plain-language title
- Baduanjin exercise with brain stimulation for knee osteoarthritisGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT05839535, who can take part
- Record updated
- 17 July 2026