Effects of Tai Chi on Balance and Gait in Stroke Survivors
May 24, 2018 - A Chinese study reported by Journal of rehabilitation medicine this month investigated the effects of Tai Chi on balance and gait in stroke survivors.
In this systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of Tai Chi on balance and gait in stroke survivors, 5 randomized controlled trials, with a total of 346 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. All of these studies had a high bias based on the Cochrane Collaboration recommendation, and a relatively small sample size.
In the pooled analysis, the Tai Chi group exhibited a significantly better gait ability than the control group, as evaluated with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), but no significant difference in dynamic standing balance scores was found between Tai Chi and control groups.
The study shows that Tai Chi may be beneficial for stroke survivors with respect to gait ability in the short term, but further large, long-term randomized controlled trials with standard evaluation indicators are needed to confirm this conclusion.