SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1661674
This article is part of the Research TopicBiomechanics of Aging: Advances in Exercise and Intervention Strategies for Older Adult WellnessView all 16 articles
The optimal course and frequency of Tai Chi for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Provisionally accepted
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Objectives: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide and an important cause of disability. Currently, medication and surgical interventions are commonly used in clinical practice, but there are limitations such as significant side effects and high medical costs. Tai Chi, as a non-pharmacologic intervention, is recommended for its safety and few adverse effects. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the optimal course and frequency of Tai chi intervention, and there is an urgent need to optimize clinical intervention protocols. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, CNKI, Wanfang Database and VIP database were searched from establishment to August 30, 2025. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the literature and the certainty of the evidence for each outcome according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the GRADE approach. WOMAC pain, WOMAC stiffness, WOMAC physical function, VAS pain, SF-36 PCS, and SF-36 MCS. For combined outcomes, standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Review Manager 5.4.1, Stata 15.0 and GRADE profiler software were used to statistically analyze and plot the included information. Results: A total of 13 randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies (n=701) were included in this review. The results of the meta-analysis showed that Tai Chi relieved pain (WOMAC pain: SMD=-0.41, 95%CI [-0.58, -0.25], P<0.01; VAS pain: SMD=-0.33, 95% CI [-0.57, -0.10], P<0.01), reduced stiffness (SMD=-0.27, 95% CI [-0.43, -0.11], P<0.01), improved physical function (SMD=-0.52, 95% CI [-0.68, -0.36], P<0.01), and improved physical health (SMD=0.47, 95% CI [0.27, 0.67], P<0.01). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that Tai Chi is effective in improving pain, stiffness, physical function, and physical health in patients with KOA. Patients with KOA should consider their specific conditions and choose a Tai Chi training protocol that suits their needs.However, the number of large-sample studies in this review is limited, and more studies are urgently needed to confirm these results.
Keywords: Tai Chi, knee osteoarthritis, optimal course and frequency, Systematic review, Meta-analysis
Received: 08 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Deng, Zhang, Chen, Tao, Yang, 于 and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chi Zhang, zhangchid@126.com
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