| Summary: | Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. In 2004, approximately 13,000 individuals in Hong Kong, China, had PD. PD greatly affects quality of life and conventional medication can produce severe side effects. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices of conduction exercise (CE) and self-acupressure (SA) may relieve PD symptoms. This paper presents a protocol for a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of CE and SA in treating PD. Methods: Patients with primary PD were recruited. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. The assessor and data analysts were blind. The treatment phase duration was 8 weeks, with 8 weekly sessions of CE and SA practice. Baseline, midpoint, and final assessments were carried out during the treatment phase. The primary outcome is scores on the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), and the secondary outcome is scores on a custom-designed questionnaire based on TCM “Deficiency of Spleen Qi” scores and scores on a non-motor PD symptoms scale. Discussion: This trial is the first rigorous study of the effectiveness of CE and SA in relieving PD symptoms. The aim is to examine the effectiveness of CE and SA in treating a disease that is difficult to treat conventionally. The data obtained will form the foundation for future related studies. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IPR-17011987, Date of registration: 14 July, 2017). Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Traditional Chinese medicine, Conduction exercise, Self-acupressure, Randomized controlled trial
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