Health benefits of tai chi: What is the evidence?

Patricia Huston; Bruce McFarlane

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Figure 1.
PubMed tai chi article citations by year: January 1974 to October 2015.

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Table 1.

Key features of tai chi

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION
Mindfulness	Awareness of the current moment is cultivated during tai chi by focusing on the body’s position, movements, and sensations
Imagery	Images are used as a learning strategy (eg, one of the moves is called wave hands like clouds)
Structural alignment	Movements are biomechanically efficient, calling for the least amount of effort
Flexibility and relaxation	Circular and flowing motions provide dynamic stretching and help to shift the body and mind into a state of deeper relaxation
Strength and balance	Placing weight on one foot at a time in a slightly flexed position leads to greater strength in the lower extremities and improved balance
Natural breathing	Rhythmic breathing with movement appears to improve gas exchange and promote calmness
Social support	Positive interactions within a community give a sense of belonging and support
Integration of body, mind, and spirit	Tai chi creates a practical framework for living a more holistic life

Adapted from Wayne.³

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Table 2.

Tai chi research: Summary of evidence from 120 systematic reviews and recent clinical trials; there is very little evidence for italicized conditions.

EXCELLENT EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT	GOOD EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT	FAIR EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT WITH MIXED RESULTS	PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT	EVIDENCE OF NO DIRECT BENEFIT
SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
Preventing falls^6–19 14 systematic reviews Osteoarthritis^25–38 10 systematic reviews Parkinson disease^39–53 8 systematic reviews COPD rehabilitation^54–59 6 systematic reviews Improving cognitive capacity^62–68 5 systematic reviews	Depression^69–77 8 systematic reviews Cardiac rehabilitation^78–88 6 systematic reviews Stroke rehabilitation^89–95 5 systematic reviews Cognitive impairment and dementia^65,98 2 systematic reviews	Quality of life for cancer patients^100–107 7 systematic reviews Fibromyalgia^108–114 4 systematic reviews Hypertension^117–121 4 systematic reviews Osteoporosis^122–126 3 systematic reviews	Stroke prevention¹²⁷ 1 systematic review Anxiety^69,129 2 systematic reviews Low back pain^130–133 1 systematic review Postoperative arm mobility in breast cancer patients¹³⁴ 1 systematic review Multiple sclerosis^135–138 Schizophrenia^139,140 PTSD^141,142 Attention deficit disorder^143,144 After brain and spinal cord injury^146,147	Diabetes (eg, HbA_1c)^149–153 4 systematic reviews Rheumatoid arthritis^154–157 3 systematic reviews Chronic heart failure^158–160 2 systematic reviews
GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS BENEFITS
Balance,^161–173 10 systematic reviews Aerobic capacity^{159,174–178} 5 systematic reviews	Strength^{159,178–182} 2 systematic reviews	Well-being^69,183–185 4 systematic reviews Sleep^186–191 2 systematic reviews	Flexibility^{163,173,178,182} 1 systematic review Immune capacity¹⁹² Kidney function^121,193,194	NA