This study investigates the effects of an adapted aikido exercise program on the health of adults with unilateral wrist and/or hand dysfunction. The un- derlying assumption is that regular practice of adapted aikido may improve physical, psychological, and quality-of-life parameters in this population com- pared with a non-exercising control group.
The primary objective is to assess the physical health benefits derived from an adapted aikido training program in people with unilateral reduction of wrist and hand functionality. Secondary objectives are to examine poten- tial benefits on mental health and to evaluate the influence of aikido practice on quality of life. Accordingly, the working hypothesis is that participation in the program will lead to significant improvements in physical, functional, and psychological variables compared with the control group. A longitudinal, controlled, single-center study with repeated measures is proposed, including 20 adult participants, 10 in the intervention group and 10 in the control group, all without prior aikido experience and not practicing other martial arts during the study. The intervention consists of an adapted aikido program with two one-hour sessions per week over approximately four months, delivered by an experienced instructor, with systematic attendance recording to monitor adherence. Primary outcomes include arm muscle mass, muscle strength (analytical dynamometry and handgrip test), active range of motion of the wrist, el- bow, and shoulder, body mass index, and cardiac function assessed via heart rate during exercise. Secondary outcomes are upper limb function (DASH), pain (VAS), sleep quality (PSQI and accelerometry), body awareness (BAQ), mindfulness (MAAS), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Scale), and positive and negative affect (PANAS). Assessments will be conducted at three time points (baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention), combining clinical history, physical measurements, heart rate recordings, and psychological and quality-of-life questionnaires. Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics, tests for normality and homoscedasticity, and repeated-measures ANCOVA with a significance level of 0.05 using R software, to determine the effect of adapted aikido on the different health indicators.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
The aikido program has been adapted for optimal practice by people with handgrip dysfunction. Several key components of the techniques have been modified to enable their performance by individuals with limited hand mo- bility.
Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM)
Murcia, Murcia, Spain
RECRUITINGArm muscle mass
Estimated from arm circumference and triceps skinfold measurements. The instruments used will be an anthropometric tape and a skinfold caliper, respectively.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Muscle strength
Analytical strength measurements will be taken for the main muscles responsible for each movement of the upper limb, as well as a handgrip test to assess overall hand grip strength. The instruments used will be a Jamar dynamometer and a hand-held dynamometer.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Active joint mobility of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder
It will be measured using a digital inclinometer, an instrument that has shown lower measurement error than the universal goniome- ter, the standard tool for assessing joint range of motion.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Body Mass Index
It will be measured by bioelectrical impedance.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Cardiac function
It will be assessed by monitoring heart rate during exercise, using a chest-strap heart rate monitor.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Upper limb function
Assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, in its validated Spanish version.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
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Wrist and hand pain
Measured using a Visual Analogue Scale
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Sleep quality
Used as an indicator of quality of life and assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and accelerometry.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Level of body awareness
Measured with the Body Awareness Questionnaire
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Mindfulness or dispositional mindfulness values
Measured using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale and used as an indicator of psychological well-being.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Anxiety level
Measured with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, an anxiety scale with good psychometric properties that has been used in previous aikido studies.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Positive and negative affect values
Measured using the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule, a test previously used in aikido interventions to assess their effect on the psychological state of practitioners.
Time frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.