Tai Chi as a falls prevention strategy in older adults compared to conventional physiotherapy exercise: A review

Abstract

Background/Aims: Falls are an increasing problem in the elderly population. Several pieces of primary and secondary research have been carried out into the effectiveness of Tai Chi as a falls prevention intervention. Benefits such as improvements in balance, dual task working, and proprioception have been reported. Nevertheless, the research remains inconclusive. There is uncertainty regarding an optimum Tai Chi style, dosage, and patient characteristics for whom Tai Chi is most suitable. This review aims to explore and discuss the current best evidence to assess the efficacy of Tai Chi as a falls prevention strategy for adults aged 65 and over. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out using CINAHL, MEDLINE and AMED, along with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, eventually yielding four papers for the review. Narrative synthesis was then carried out to identify themes to answer the research aim. Some evidence showed that although Tai Chi is effective for reducing falls in the population aged 65 and over, the body of evidence did not conclude this effect to be significant. Conclusions: There is some evidence for positive intervention effects in the pre-frail subgroup of the population; however, more research is needed to confirm this. A multidimensional falls prevention programme may prove more beneficial for falls prevention in the elderly at present—although Tai Chi could indeed be an element of this.

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