Largest review of its kind confirms benefits of tai chi and other Chinese exercises
Analysis finds ‘high certainty evidence’ of their effectiveness for the 1.7bn people worldwide with musculoskeletal conditions
TL;DR
- Traditional Chinese exercises, including tai chi and qigong, significantly benefit people with musculoskeletal disorders.
- These exercises improve physical function, pain levels, mental health, sleep quality, and bone mineral density.
- High-certainty evidence supports their effectiveness, particularly for conditions like knee osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
- Optimal results are achieved with practice exceeding six months, at least three times weekly, totaling 150 minutes per week.
- The findings suggest these exercises should be integrated into global clinical guidelines and rehabilitation programs as a safe, accessible, and cost-effective strategy.
- Promoting these exercises can be a strategic component of public health initiatives for healthy aging and chronic disease prevention.