Traditional Chinese exercises, such as tai chi, offer wide ranging benefits for people with musculoskeletal disorders.
These include improving physical function, pain, mental health, sleep quality and bone mineral density, according to an overarching review of pooled data analyses of systematic reviews published online on Aug 24 (2026) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The review drew on 92 data syntheses from 1,744 randomised controlled clinical trials.
It found “high certainty evidence” for the effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise, such as tai chi, qigong, baduanjin, wuqinxi and yijinjing, for a range of health outcomes for people with musculoskeletal disorders.
These included improving movement in knee osteoarthritis, mental health associated with neck pain and knee osteoarthritis, and sleep quality associated with fibromyalgia.
Tai chi, in particular, significantly eased chronic musculoskeletal pain and stiffness in several conditions, while increasing bone mineral density in participants with osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Maximum benefits were achieved when people did these exercises for longer than six months, at least three times a week, clocking up a total of at least 150 minutes a week.
“This comprehensive [umbrella review] provides a definitive, high-level evidence synthesis supporting [traditional Chinese exercises] as effective interventions for a range of musculoskeletal conditions,” conclude the researchers from Liaoning, China.
“[These] exercises represent a safe, accessible and cost-effective strategy that can complement conventional therapies, reduce pharmacological reliance and empower patients in self- management,” they add.
