Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou on upper-limb function and balance in stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Complementary therapies in clinical practice Vol. 51; p. 101741
• Main Authors: Feng, Fen, Luo, Xiao-Chao, Chen, Ya-Jie, Li, Jia-Jia, Kang, Hua, Yan, Bo-Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2023
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Humans; Postural balance; Stroke; Stroke - therapy; Stroke Rehabilitation; Survivors; Systematic review; Tai Ji; Upper Extremity; Systematic review; Stroke; Upper extremity; Postural balance; Tai Ji
• ISSN: 1744-3881; 1873-6947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101741

Physical rehabilitation plays an important role in the recovery of motor function after a stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Yunshou (TCY), a form of physical therapy, on upper-limb function and balance in stroke survivors. MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL and five Chinese databases were retrieved from inception to July 1, 2020 (updated on March 31, 2022). Randomized controlled trials of TCY versus no-treatment for stroke were included. The RoB-2 was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Upper-limb motor impairment, balance, and activities of daily living (ADLs) were measured by Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Barthel Index (BI), respectively. Data synthesis was performed using RevMan (v5.3), and expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Seven studies with 529 participants were included. Compared with no-treatment, TCY improved FMA-UE (MD = 7.31, 95% CI: 5.86–8.77, minimal clinically important difference [MCID]: 9–10), BBS (MD = 4.68, 95% CI: 0.28–9.07, MCID: 4), and BI (MD = 4.12, 95% CI: 3.28–4.96, MCID: 1.85) in stroke survivors. TCY may benefit balance and ADLs in rehabilitation after a stroke, but it may not improve upper-limb function clinically. •Tai Chi Yunshou (TCY) may have a positive effect on balance and activities of daily living in post-stroke rehabilitation.•TCY may not improve upper-limb function in stroke survivors clinically.•The improvements in balance and activities of daily living in stroke survivors may require 150 min of TCY per week for eight weeks.