Traditional Chinese exercises, especially Tai Chi, improve physical function, pain, mental health, sleep quality, and bone mineral density in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
This umbrella review of 92 meta-analyses (1744 RCTs) found high-certainty evidence that traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) significantly improve physical function in knee osteoarthritis, mental health in knee osteoarthritis and neck pain, and sleep quality in fibromyalgia. Tai Chi significantly alleviated chronic MSD-related pain and stiffness and increased bone mineral density in osteopenia/osteoporosis. Longer duration, higher frequency, and moderate-to-high weekly volume were associated with greater clinical gains.
Evidence Score
Study Evidence
Study 1. Efficacy and evidence certainty of traditional Chinese exercises for musculoskeletal disorders: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.
observationalChen WX, Li YZ, Kang LD, Jiang XF, Chen YH, Yang D, Wang Y, Zhao YG, Liu FH, Liu JX, Xing WY, Zheng WR, Qin Y, Li Y, Chen XY, Li DR, Xu YL, Yang R, Feng ZF, Wang L, Gong TT, Lu M, Wu QJ · British journal of sports medicine (2026)
Result:
Mechanism Graph
Limitations
- ⚠Umbrella review relies on the quality of included meta-analyses; despite high methodological quality of 70.7%, evidence certainty varied (only 4.2% high-certainty associations)
- ⚠Heterogeneity in TCE modalities and exercise prescriptions may limit generalizability
- ⚠Publication bias and small-study effects not addressed in abstract
Frequently Asked Questions
What are traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) and which are most studied?▼
TCEs include Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Qigong, Wuqinxi, and Daoyin. Tai Chi was the most studied (41.5% of meta-analyses), followed by mixed/unspecified TCEs (37.3%).
Which musculoskeletal disorders benefit most from TCEs?▼
High-certainty evidence supports TCEs for knee osteoarthritis (physical function, mental health), neck pain (mental health), fibromyalgia (sleep quality), and osteopenia/osteoporosis (bone mineral density).
How long and how often should TCEs be practiced for best results?▼
Subgroup analyses suggest that longer duration, higher frequency, and moderate-to-high weekly volume are associated with greater clinical gains, especially for knee osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
Are TCEs effective for pain relief?▼
Yes, Tai Chi significantly alleviated chronic MSD-related pain and stiffness, though the evidence certainty for pain outcomes varied across conditions.
Products
Affiliate links coming soon. We only recommend products that match the doses and forms used in the cited research.
References
- 1.Chen WX, Li YZ, Kang LD, Jiang XF, Chen YH, Yang D, Wang Y, Zhao YG, Liu FH, Liu JX, Xing WY, Zheng WR, Qin Y, Li Y, Chen XY, Li DR, Xu YL, Yang R, Feng ZF, Wang L, Gong TT, Lu M, Wu QJ. "Efficacy and evidence certainty of traditional Chinese exercises for musculoskeletal disorders: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.." British journal of sports medicine, 2026. PMID: 42608034 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2026-111792