Research update: Tai Chi may be effective in controlling pain and improving function in Osteoarthritis

A systematic review and meta analysis of the effect of Tai Chi on Osteoarthritis has concluded the results as “encouraging, and suggest that t’ai chi may be effective in controlling pain and improving physical function in patients with OA in the knee”.

The caveat is as always that due to the low level of RCT’s and risk of bias the evidence is limited, but it seems that since Tai Chi may confer significant other health benefits it could be a worthwhile exploration for patients seeking relief from this painful condition.

The researchers searched eleven databases from their inception to July 2010. Randomised controlled trials testing t’ai chi against any type of controls with OA localised in any joints were considered in the review. The meta-analysis suggested that t’ai chi has favourable effects on pain, physical function and joint stiffness.

 Full details:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22021734