A systematic review of the effectiveness of Tai Chi on fall reduction among the elderly

Falls among the elderly is a major public health concern. There has been recent extensive research on the effects of Tai Chi in fall prevention among the elderly. As such, we undertook a systematic review to look for evidence on the effect of this intervention. There were seven randomized controlled trials, which met our objective and inclusion criteria. Our review has shown that Tai Chi has the potential to reduce falls or risk of falls among the elderly, provided that they are relatively young and non-frail. Further review is needed to look into the non-English studies, which assess the effectiveness of Tai Chi on fall reduction.
PMID: 18420290