Biomaterial Database

Tai chi for rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review. 2007

M S Lee, and M H Pittler, and E Ernst

Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter, EX2 4NT, UK. myeong.lee@pms.ac.uk; drmslee@gmail.com

The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate data from controlled clinical trials testing the effectiveness of tai chi for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Systematic searches were conducted on Medline, Pubmed, AMED, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 1, the UK National Research Register and ClinicalTrials.gov, Korean medical databases, Qigong and Energy Medicine Database and Chinese databases up to January 2007. Hand-searches included conference proceedings and our own files. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. All controlled trials of tai chi for patients with RA were considered for inclusion. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score. The searches identified 45 potentially relevant studies. Two randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and three non-randomized controlled clinical trials (CCTs) met all inclusion criteria. The included RCTs reported some positive findings for tai chi on disability index, quality of life, depression and mood for RA patients. Two RCTs assessed pain outcomes and did not demonstrate effectiveness on pain reduction compared with education plus stretching exercise and usual activity control. The extent of heterogeneity in these RCTs prevented a meaningful meta-analysis. Currently there are few trials testing the effectiveness of tai chi in the management of RA. The studies that are available are of low methodological quality. Collectively this evidence is not convincing enough to suggest that tai chi is an effective treatment for RA. The value of tai chi for this indication therefore remains unproven.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010146	Pain	An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS.	Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001172	Arthritis, Rheumatoid	A chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atrophy and rarefaction of bony structures. Etiology is unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms have been implicated.	Rheumatoid Arthritis
D018849	Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about clinical trials involving one or more test treatments, at least one control treatment, specified outcome measures for evaluating the studied intervention, and a bias-free method for assigning patients to the test treatment. The treatment may be drugs, devices, or procedures studied for diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic effectiveness. Control measures include placebos, active medicines, no-treatment, dosage forms and regimens, historical comparisons, etc. When randomization using mathematical techniques, such as the use of a random numbers table, is employed to assign patients to test or control treatments, the trials are characterized as RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AS TOPIC.	Clinical Trials, Controlled as Topic
D019317	Evidence-Based Medicine	An approach of practicing medicine with the goal to improve and evaluate patient care. It requires the judicious integration of best research evidence with the patient's values to make decisions about medical care. This method is to help physicians make proper diagnosis, devise best testing plan, choose best treatment and methods of disease prevention, as well as develop guidelines for large groups of patients with the same disease. (from JAMA 296 (9), 2006)	Medicine, Evidence-Based,Evidence Based Medicine,Medicine, Evidence Based
D026302	Tai Ji	One of the MARTIAL ARTS and also a form of meditative exercise using methodically slow circular stretching movements and positions of body balance.	T'ai Chi,Tai Chi,Tai Ji Quan,Tai-ji,Taiji,Taijiquan,Tai Chi Chuan,Chi, Tai,Ji Quan, Tai,Quan, Tai Ji