Concepts and Application of Tai Ji in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review

Author: Hamad Alkharji1, Quan Fu Gan2, Chai Nien Foo3
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Quality and Accreditation Department, Al-Hamra Tower, Ministry of Health, Kuwait, Kuwait. <sup>2</sup> Department of Pre-Clinical Science, M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Kajang, Malaysia. <sup>3</sup> Department of Population Medicine, M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Kajang, Malaysia.
Conference/Journal: Iran J Public Health
Date published: 2022 Nov 1
Other: Volume ID: 51 , Issue ID: 11 , Pages: 2449-2457 , Special Notes: doi: 10.18502/ijph.v51i11.11162. , Word Count: 197


Stroke remains a leading cause of adult disability, and it decreases the health-related quality of life due to functional disability and poor functional recovery in stroke. Tai Ji has been recently introduced to overcome disabilities. This review aims to explain the effects of Tai Ji on functional recovery in stroke patients, linking it to current approaches, concepts and therapies such as Bobath and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques. A compilation of recent literature on Tai Ji's use in stroke rehabilitation from Google scholar and PubMed Central (2018 to 2022). The benefits of Tai Ji in stroke functional recovery were studied and explained based on its similarity in concepts to current conventional stroke rehabilitation approaches. There were few randomized controlled trials on Tai Ji in functional recovery among stroke patients. However, all literature identified Tai Ji as beneficial in stroke rehabilitation. However, there was no literature on explaining the Tai Ji movement based on current conventional stroke rehabilitation approaches. Tai Ji carries similar theories to the current neurorehabilitation approach. Tai Ji can be modified and incorporated into stroke rehabilitation programs based on patients' needs to produce promising outcomes.

Keywords: Review; Stroke rehabilitation; Tai Ji.

PMID: 36561259 PMCID: PMC9745417 DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v51i11.11162