What does research say about Tai Chi

Tai Chi has been around for a long time and has gained popularity. 

It is a gentle form of movement and often incorporates mindfulness into the movement. 

It naturally becomes an interesting possible option for people living with persistent pain that are looking for gentle movement options. 

But how effective is this intervention for people living with musculoskeletal pain? 

A recent study was conducted by Chen and colleagues that researched all available studies in this area. 

How was the study conducted? 

• It researched a large number of databases 

• It only included randomized control trials (higher quality of studies) 

• It included people who had persistent pain (pain longer then 3 months). 

• It assessed the quality of each included study. 

It found that 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies looked at a wide range of pain conditions including Fibromyalgia, lower back pain, osteoarthritis, and others. 

What were the studies findings? 

• Overall Tai Chi appears to be more effective in reducing pain intensity and physical function compared to control (no Tai Chi - but receiving normal treatment). The result is considered moderate to large (statistically). 
  

• When you look at the range of responses versus just the averages. You can see what we see with all treatments for pain; a wide range of responses, with some not improving to some people improving more then the average. 
  

• So all combined, Tai Chi can for some people help their pain and physical function however, the results are relatively modest in terms of a real world effect. 

Importantly, Tai Chi is considered safe, with the only side effects recorded being slight discomfort. Compared to many pain treatments, this is very good. 

As with all studies, no study is perfect, the following need to be considered when interpreting these results: 

• The assessment on bias resulted that overall there were ‘some concerns’ in nearly all involved studies. 
  

• The review involved many different outcome measures and combined them without separating them. This can make it challenging to draw conclusions. 

Take-aways and what this may mean for you! 

• Tai Chi is generally considered safe overall. 

• Tai Chi can be a good option if you are looking to start to incorporate movement into your life. 

• Tai Chi may help with your pain, but it varies person to person

Written by

Samuel Bulten

Exercise Physiologist | Masters in Medicine (Pain Management)

Director, Adapt Movement

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. These blogs are written by Sam Bulten and represent his opinions and insights and are based on his experience and interpretation of the research. As Sam is a human, these opinions and insights are not absolute truths.