The Effect of Tai Chi on Heal.pdf

REVIEW ARTICLE The Effect of Tai Chi on Health Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Conditions A Systematic Review Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc; Jean Paul Collet, MD, PhD; Joseph Lau, MD Objective: To conduct a systematic review of reports servational studies in this review. Benefits were re- on the physical and psychological effects of Tai Chi on ported in balance and strength, cardiovascular and res- various chronic medical conditions. piratory function, flexibility, immune system, symptoms of arthritis, muscular strength, and psychological ef- Data Sources: Search of 11 computerized English and fects. Chinese databases. Conclusions: Tai Chi appears to have physiological Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials, non- and psychosocial benefits and also appears to be safe randomized controlled studies, and observational stud- and effective in promoting balance control, flexibility, ies published in English or Chinese. and cardiovascular fitness in older patients with chronic conditions. However, limitations or biases exist in most Data Extraction: Data were extracted for the study ob- studies, and it is difficult to draw firm conclusions jective, population characteristics, study setting, type of about the benefits reported. Most indications in which Tai Chi intervention, study design, outcome assess- Tai Chi was applied lack a theoretical foundation con- ment, duration of follow-up, and key results. cerning the mechanism of benefit. Well-designed stud-