A Chinese study reported by the journal Aging clinical and experimental research in March 2024 compares the effects of four types of Tai Chi exercises on preventing falls in older adults to find an optimal solution.
The research team searched 12 databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and so on, from their inception to January 13, 2023. Randomized controlled trials incorporating different types of Tai Chi for preventing falls in older adults were included. The outcome measures were the incidence of falls and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted.
Seventeen trials were eligible, including 3470 participants and four types of Tai Chi. They were 24-form simplified Tai Chi (24-form), Yang style Tai Chi (Yang style), Sun style Tai Chi (Sun style) and Tai Chi exercise program (TCEP).
In paired meta-analysis, for incidence of falls, 24-form was more efficient than the control group. For BBS outcome, 24-form was better than the control group. In the NMA, the results of incidence of falls were as follows: 24-form > Yang style > Sun style > control > TCEP. The rank probability of BBS was as follows: 24-form > TCEP > Yang style > control.
The results mean that among the four types of Tai Chi studied, the 24-form simplified Tai Chi has shown better efficacy than other types.
