The Impact of Tai Chi on Physical and Mental Well-being in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Author: Dan Wu1, Yanan Liu2, Zhongshu Xue3, Shiliang Han4, Ming Zhou3
Affiliation:
1 Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Zibo Central Hospital, Gongqingtuanxi Road, Zhangdian District, Zibo, 255036, Shandong, China.
2 Operating Room, Zibo Maternal and Child Health Hospital.
3 Department of Joint and Sports Medicine, Zibo Central Hospital, Gongqingtuanxi Road, Zhangdian District, Zibo, 255036, Shandong, China.
4 Department of Orthopaedics, Zibo Central Hospital, Gongqingtuanxi Road, Zhangdian District, Zibo, 255036, Shandong, China.
Conference/Journal: Am J Phys Med Rehabil
Date published: 2025 May 8
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002762. , Word Count: 206
Objective:
The aim is to examine the potential impact of Tai Chi on the enhancement of both physical and mental well-being in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.
Design:
In this study, a search was conducted across the databases of PubMed, Cochrane library, and EMBASE. The keywords "Tai Chi" and "knee osteoarthritis" were employed.
Results:
Seventeen randomized controlled trials comprising 980 participants were included. The results indicated that Tai Chi was significantly associated with improvements in various measures, including the WOMAC pain score (WMD -1.87), WOMAC stiffness score (WMD -0.62), WOMAC physical function score (WMD -10.33), SF-36 PCS score (WMD 3.17) , and SF-36 MCS score (WMD 2.31). Furthermore, Tai Chi exercise demonstrated superior performance in the timed up and go test (TUG), while no significant difference was observed in the 6-minute walk test (WMD 10.43). No serious adverse events were reported.
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that Tai Chi may have a significant effect on reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving physical function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis, as measured by the WOMAC scale. Furthermore, Tai Chi shows promise in enhancing both the physical and mental aspects of quality of life, as well as improving performance in the TUG test.
Keywords: SF-36; Tai Chi; WOMAC; knee osteoarthritis.
PMID: 40396636 DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002762
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