SynthesisComplementary therapies in medicine2013
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Tai Chi for osteoarthritis of the knee.
Synthesis in Complementary therapies in medicine, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of aerobic exercises for knee osteoarthritis: a network meta analysis of randomized clinical trials.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercises for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Are Mind-Body Exercise Beneficial for Treating Pain, Function, and Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Old People With Chronic Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Analysis of Movement-Based Mind-Body Interventions to Guide the Implementation of Osteoarthritis Exercise Programs: A Descriptive Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Exercise for Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Tai chi for treating osteopenia and primary osteoporosis: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.Clinical interventions in aging · 2019Pooled it
- The Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercise in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PloS one · 2017Pooled it
- Health benefits of tai chi: What is the evidence?Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2016Pooled it
- An evidence map of the effect of Tai Chi on health outcomes.Systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Tai Chi for Chronic Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Scientific reports · 2016Pooled it
- Effect of tai chi versus aerobic exercise for fibromyalgia: comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2018Trial
- Responsiveness and Minimally Important Differences for 4 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Forms: Physical Function, Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety in Knee Osteoarthritis.The journal of pain · 2017Trial
- Changes in self-reported symptoms of depression and physical well-being in healthy individuals following a Taiji beginner course - Results of a randomized controlled trial.Brain and behavior · 2016Trial
- The effect of exercise on clinical pain: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis.Pain reports · 2026Article
- An unsupervised online Tai Chi program for people with knee osteoarthritis ("My Joint Tai Chi"): Study protocol for the RETREAT randomised controlled trial.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2024Article
- Development of a 12-Week Unsupervised Online Tai Chi Program for People With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR aging · 2024Article
- Optimal Tai Chi forms in knee osteoarthritis: An exploration from biomechanical rationale to pain reduction.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2024Article
- Evaluation of traditional Chinese exercise for knee osteoarthritis (KOA): an overview of systematic reviews.Systematic reviews · 2024Review
- [Concept for integrative pain treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee based on the evidence for conservative and complementary therapies].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2023Review
- Effect of Tai Chi on knee pain and muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial protocol.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis paper aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of Tai Chi for osteoarthritis of the knee.
methodsMEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycInfo and CAMBASE were screened through April 2013. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Tai Chi to control conditions were included. Two authors independently assessed risk of bias using the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group. Outcome measures included pain, physical functional, joint stiffness, quality of life, and safety. For each outcome, standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.
results5 RCTs with a total of 252 patients were included. Four studies had a low risk of bias. Analysis showed moderate overall evidence for short-term effectiveness for pain, physical function, and stiffness. Strong evidence was found for short-term improvement of the physical component of quality of life. No long-term effects were observed. Tai Chi therapy was not associated with serious adverse events.
conclusionThis systematic review found moderate evidence for short-term improvement of pain, physical function and stiffness in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee practicing Tai Chi. Assuming that Tai Chi is at least short-term effective and safe it might be preliminarily recommended as an adjuvant treatment for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. More high quality RCTs are urgently needed to confirm these results.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.