Impact of Tai Chi Chuan on Adult Biomechanical Outcomes: A Comparative Evaluation of Postural and Gait Outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62464/wm77rn81Keywords:
Tai Chi Chuan; biomechanics; balance; gait; muscle strength; postural control; proprioception; older adults; systematic review; rehabilitationAbstract
Background: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) has gained increasing attention as a low-impact, multicomponent exercise with potential benefits for biomechanical health in adults. However, evidence regarding its comparative effectiveness against no intervention and other active exercise programs remains dispersed across heterogeneous studies. Objective: To evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Chuan on key biomechanical outcomes in adults, including balance, gait, muscle strength, proprioception, and neuromuscular control, compared with no intervention or active exercise comparators. Methods: A systematic synthesis of controlled studies was undertaken, focusing on adult populations exposed to Tai Chi Chuan interventions of at least four weeks’ duration. Outcomes included balance and postural control, gait parameters, muscle strength and proprioception, and joint kinematics or kinetics. Findings were synthesized narratively due to methodological heterogeneity. Results: Across included studies, Tai Chi Chuan was consistently associated with improvements in balance and postural control, with enhanced performance on validated measures such as the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, and single-leg stance. For example, clinically meaningful gains in single-leg stance time were reported (mean differences 3.44–17.07, p<0.05), and increases of approximately 5 seconds were observed in some cohorts (p=0.049). Gait-related outcomes also improved, including faster walking speed, increased stride length, and reduced dual-task cost, with reductions of 17–22% reported in dual-task walking (p<0.001). Muscle strength and proprioception outcomes showed consistent gains, reflected in improved chair-stand performance, arm curls, and grip strength (all p<0.05). Limited evidence from biomechanical studies further indicated reduced lower-extremity muscle co-contraction during gait among Tai Chi practitioners (mean difference −10.1, 95% CI −18.1 to −2.4, p<0.05). Conclusions:Tai Chi Chuan reliably improves key biomechanical outcomes in adults, particularly balance, gait performance, and muscle function. Benefits exceed those observed with no intervention and are generally comparable or superior to other active exercise programs.
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