ReviewCureus2025
The Effects of Qigong and Tai Chi Exercises on Chronic Low Back Pain in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07626762 (Effect of Virtual Reality-Based Posture Correction Program on Low Back Pain and Dynamic Balance in Desk Workers), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Effect of Virtual Reality-Based Posture Correction Program on Low Back Pain and Dynamic Balance in Desk Workers
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for depression and anxiety in chronic low back pain: a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Tai Chi alleviates pain on fusiform-lingual and rolandic operculum-insula circuit in older participants with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Trial
- Article
- 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
- Multimodal Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Randomized Trial of Acupuncture, Stretching, and Qigong.Cureus · 2025Article
- Improvement of psychological adjustment and pain reduction in fibromyalgia after a qigong training program.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Qigong and Tai Chi are mind-body exercises that may provide therapeutic benefits for individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP), yet their efficacy remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed their effects on pain and disability in individuals with CLBP. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating Qigong or Tai Chi for CLBP were included. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), Embase, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and the Cochrane Library up to September 2023. Pain and disability were the primary outcomes. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed independently by two reviewers using Cochrane's RoB 2 tool. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. Eight RCTs (n = 729 adults, age range 31.5-73 years, intervention duration 4-24 weeks) were included. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model, with heterogeneity quantified via I² statistics. Eight RCTs (n = 729 participants) were included. Qigong and Tai Chi significantly reduced pain intensity (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -1.07, 95%CI: -1.64 to -0.49, I² = 93%) and disability (SMD = -0.77, 95%CI: -1.39 to -0.15, I² = 93%) compared to control groups. Subgroup analyses suggested greater effect sizes against passive controls (SMD = -1.17, 95%CI: -1.91 to -0.43, I² = 90%) than against active controls (SMD = -0.98, 95%CI: -1.95 to -0.01, I² = 95%). Limitations include substantial heterogeneity among studies and imprecision in effect estimates. The certainty of evidence was rated moderate to high. Qigong and Tai Chi appear effective in reducing pain and disability in individuals with CLBP. However, substantial heterogeneity and the lack of direct comparisons with structured exercise programs necessitate further high-quality RCTs to confirm their long-term effectiveness.
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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.