SynthesisMedicine2019
Effect of Tai Chi alone or as additional therapy on low back pain: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06599645 (Impact of Combined Core Stability Training, Blood Flow Restriction, and Tai Chi on Muscle Physiology and Functional Characteristics Among Adults With Low Back Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 26 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Impact of Combined Core Stability Training, Blood Flow Restriction, and Tai Chi on Muscle Physiology and Functional Characteristics Among Adults With Low Back Pain
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the mechanism of action of Tai Chi on cardiovascular disease: evidence map of aerobic and mind-body exercise pathways.Scientific reports · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating the effectiveness of six exercise interventions for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Exercise prescription for improving chronic low back pain in adults: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Determining the safety and effectiveness of Tai Chi: a critical overview of 210 systematic reviews of controlled clinical trials.Systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- A systematic review of chiropractic care for fall prevention: rationale, state of the evidence, and recommendations for future research.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Summarizing the effects of different exercise types in chronic low back pain - a systematic review of systematic reviews.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Optimal modes of mind-body exercise for treating chronic non-specific low back pain: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of Tai Chi on muscle strength, physical endurance, postural balance and flexibility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Mind-Body Therapies From Traditional Chinese Medicine: Evidence Map.Frontiers in public health · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Comparison the effect of Otago and chair squat exercises on the fear of falling and the quality of life of the older adults, a clinical trial study.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Trial
- Trial
- The effect of exercise on clinical pain: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis.Pain reports · 2026Article
- Effect of Tai Chi on the pain intensity or disability of patients with chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Review
- Therapeutic exercise following lumbar spine surgery: a narrative review.North American Spine Society journal · 2025Article
- The effect of traditional Chinese exercises on low Back pain and disability in middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Review
- The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health-Part II: Evidence Gaps and Opportunities for Future Research and Implementation.Journal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2025Review
- The Science of Tai Chi andJournal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2025Review
- Combined chiropractic care and Tai Chi for chronic neck pain: A protocol for a pilot randomized trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2025Article
- Multimodal non-invasive non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain: mechanisms and progress.BMC medicine · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis is the first systematic review evaluating and statistically synthesis the current studies regarding the effects of Tai Chi on pain and disability in patients with low back pain (LBP).
methodsSeven electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and VIP information from inception to early March 2019 were searched. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale was used to assess quality of all included randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The pooled effect size (weight mean difference, WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to determine the effect of Tai Chi on pain and disability among LBP patients based on random effects model.
resultsThe aggregated results of the meta-analysis suggested that Tai Chi significantly decreased pain (WMD = -1.27, 95%CI -1.50 to -1.04, P < .00001, I = 74%) and improve function disability, Oswestry disability index (ODI) subitems: pain intensity (WMD = -1.70, 95% CI -2.63 to -0.76, P = .0004, I = 89%); personal care (WMD = -1.93, 95% CI -2.86 to -1.00, P < .0001, I = 90%); lifting (WMD = -1.69, 95% CI -2.22 to -1.15, P < .0001, I = 66%); walking (WMD = -2.05, 95% CI -3.05 to -1.06, P < .0001, I = 88%); standing (WMD = -1.70, 95% CI -2.51 to -0.89, P < .0001, I = 84%); sleeping (WMD = -2.98, 95% CI -3.73 to -2.22, P < .00001, I = 80%); social life (WMD = -2.06, 95% CI -2.77 to -1.35, P < 0.00001, I = 80%) and traveling (WMD = -2.20, 95% CI -3.21 to -1.19, P < .0001, I = 90%), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score (WMD = 7.22, 95% CI 5.59-8.86, P < .00001, I = 0%), Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) physical functioning (WMD = 3.30, 95% CI 1.92-4.68, P < .00001), and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) (WMD = -2.19, 95% CI -2.56 to -1.82, P < .00001).
conclusionWe drew a cautious conclusion that Tai Chi alone or as additional therapy with routine physical therapy may decrease pain and improve function disability for patients with LBP. Further trials are needed to be conducted with our suggestions mentioned in the systematic review.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.