Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou on upper-limb function and balance in stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis Author: Fen Feng1, Xiao-Chao Luo2, Ya-Jie Chen1, Jia-Jia Li3, Hua Kang4, Bo-Hua Yan5 Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China. <sup>2</sup> Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center and Cochrane China Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Real World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan, Chengdu, China; Sichuan Center of Technology Innovation for Real World Data, Chengdu, China. <sup>3</sup> Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China. <sup>4</sup> Nursing School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China. <sup>5</sup> Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: yanbohua@cdutcm.edu.cn. Conference/Journal: Complement Ther Clin Pract Date published: 2023 Feb 20 Other: Volume ID: 51 , Pages: 101741 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101741. , Word Count: 197 Background and purpose: Physical rehabilitation plays an important role in the recovery of motor function after a stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Yunshou (TCY), a form of physical therapy, on upper-limb function and balance in stroke survivors. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL and five Chinese databases were retrieved from inception to July 1, 2020 (updated on March 31, 2022). Randomized controlled trials of TCY versus no-treatment for stroke were included. The RoB-2 was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Upper-limb motor impairment, balance, and activities of daily living (ADLs) were measured by Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Barthel Index (BI), respectively. Data synthesis was performed using RevMan (v5.3), and expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Seven studies with 529 participants were included. Compared with no-treatment, TCY improved FMA-UE (MD = 7.31, 95% CI: 5.86-8.77, minimal clinically important difference [MCID]: 9-10), BBS (MD = 4.68, 95% CI: 0.28-9.07, MCID: 4), and BI (MD = 4.12, 95% CI: 3.28-4.96, MCID: 1.85) in stroke survivors. Conclusion: TCY may benefit balance and ADLs in rehabilitation after a stroke, but it may not improve upper-limb function clinically. Keywords: Postural balance; Stroke; Systematic review; Tai Ji; Upper extremity. PMID: 36868000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101741