Tai Chi Therapy Research: A Narrative Review

This narrative review on tai chi therapy studies that were published during the years 2020 to 2023 includes 54 papers. The publications of this period are primarily systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. These are focused on tai chi reducing depression, substance use, sleep problems and symptoms of diseases including diabetes, knee osteoarthritis, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, the majority of the research has been on tai chi reducing cognitive dysfunction in older adults rather than balance which had been the focus of earlier tai chi research, although some recent research has reported improved balance in older adults with Parkinson's. Other publications document the trends of increasing tai chi use and tai chi research. Underlying mechanism research suggests that tai chi is associated with increased connectivity of different brain regions and brain volume as well as decreased brain-derived neurotropic and inflammation factors. Methodological limitations continue to relate to the variability of the studies on different styles, frequencies and durations of tai chi practice in meta-analyses.