WA
Studies by Others
Knowledge of the benefits of ancient Eastern practices has increased exponentially over the past twenty
years. No longer simply testimonial, benefits have now been documented scientifically in the areas of pain
relief, anxiety, sleep, immune function, balance and fall prevention, and focus and cognition. We believe
that stronger findings yet will be shown as investigators strive to refine their research by deepening their
knowledge of traditional practices.
(Note: Some of the studies cited here are randomized, controlled trials which are the gold standard of
scientific research. Such research is costly, however, and requires significant funding to carry out; many
research teams do not have that kind of support. We include in our references some non randomized controlled
studies because they were systematic and well-thought out and their findings are suggestive of future
directions in research.)
A 12-week study found that the degree of knee pain relief—whether with prescribed physical therapy or
with Tai Chi—was related to consistent participation. Individuals reported a general 20% reduction in
knee pain after 2 weeks and 50% reduction after 4 to 5 weeks of attendance.
Lee A, Harvey W., Price L, et al. Dose-response effects of tai chi and physical therapy exercise
interventions in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. PMR. 2018;10:712-723.
Tai Chi appeared to promote greater relief from symptoms of fibromyalgia than aerobic exercise, the most
commonly recommended non-drug intervention. The longer the duration of the Tai Chi practice, the greater
the improvement. In addition to improved physical performance, Tai Chi participants showed positive
holistic changes including improved emotional state, better sleep and more sense of personal control.
Wang C, Schmid C, Fieldinget al. Effect of tai chi versus aerobic exercise for fibromyalgia:
comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial. BMJ. 2018.
Individuals with chronic heart failure showed improvement in functional capacity, sense of physical
control and in quality of life, including improved mental outlook and a decrease in negative emotions.
Yeh GY, McCarthy EP, Wayne PM, Stevenson LW, Wood MJ, Forman D, et al. Tai chi exercise in patients
with chronic heart failure: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171:750–7.
Pmid:21518942
As compared with stretching and resistance training, Parkinson's patients who practiced Tai Chi showed
improvement in balance, stability, stride length and functional reach.
Li F, Harmer P, Fitzgerald K, et al. Tai chi and postural stability in patients with Parkinson’s
disease. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(6):511-519. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1107911
An analysis across multiple studies. For older and at-risk adults Tai Chi appears to reduce the number
and severity of falls.
Lomas-Vega, R., Obrero-Gaitán, E., Molina-Ortega, F. J., & Del-Pino-Casado, R. (2017). Tai Chi
for risk of falls. A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,65(9), 2037–2043.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15008
Older adults with moderately poor to poor sleep improved sleep quality during and after a course of Tai
Chi style training.
Irwin MR, Olmstead R, Motivala SJ. Improving sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep
complaints: A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih. Sleep. 2008;31:1001–1008.
Patients with coronary heart disease often fail to participate in necessary rehabilitation. This study
found that patients were able to participate in Tai Chi exercise reliably across time. In addition
subjects showed improvement in weight and quality of life measures. The benefits in this physical
activity were more pronounced for those more intensely engaged (3 times per week versus 2) and for
longer duration.
Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher, MD, PhD; Peter M. Wayne, PhD; Shira Dunsiger, PhD; Julie Krol, MS;
Christopher Breault, BS; Beth C. Bock, PhD; Wen-Chih Wu, MD, MPH; Gloria Y. Yeh, MD, MPH Tai Chi Is
a Promising Exercise Option for Patients With Coronary
Heart Disease Declining Cardiac Rehabilitation