ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy of five types of rehabilitation exercises, including Baduanjin, aquatic exercise, Taijiquan, somatosensory exercise and whole body vibration training for the intervention of motor function in stroke patients. MethodsWeb of Science, PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, CSJD and WanFang Data databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of rehabilitation exercise interventions for motor function in stroke patients from inception to October 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies; then, network meta-analysis was performed by using R and ADDIS software. ResultsA total of 50 RCTs involving 1 838 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that all five types of rehabilitation exercises were superior to conventional rehabilitation group in terms of balance in stroke patients (P<0.05), with the best ranking occupied by Baduanjin. In terms of lower limb strength, only the aquatic exercise was superior to conventional rehabilitation (P<0.05). In terms of walking function, somatic training and aquatic exercise were superior to conventional rehabilitation (P<0.05), with somatic exercises ranking first. ConclusionCurrent evidence shows that Baduanjin has an advantage in improving the balance, somatosensory interactive game exercise has an advantage in improving the walking capability and aquatic exercise has an advantage in improving the lower limb strength of stroke patients. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
