Table 1. Characteristics of included studies.
| First authors, year, country | Primary report | Sample size, mean age (year), | Duration weeks | Follow-up weeks | Main pain outcome assessments | Experimental group intervention* | Control group intervention* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartman, USA24 | Lower extremity OA | 35 68 | 12 | — | ASE pain; AIMS pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (60 min/24 sessions) | Routine care plus physical therapy |
| Song, Korea28 | Knee OA | 72 63 | 12 | — | WOMAC pain | Sun-styleTai Chi (20-30 min/36 sessions) | Waiting list |
| Adler, 2007, USA20 | Hip or knee OA | 14 NR | 10 | — | WOMAC pain | Wu-style Tai Chi (60 min/10 sessions) | Bingo (More than 8 sessions) |
| Brismée, USA21 | Knee OA | 41 70 ± 9.2 | 12 | 6 | VAS pain; WOMAC pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (40 min/36 sessions) | Attention control (40 min/18 sessions) |
| Fransen, USA23 | Hip or knee OA | 152 70 | 12 | 12 | WOMAC pain | Sun-style Tai Chi (60 min/24 sessions) | Hydrotherapy (60 min/24 sessions) Waiting list |
| Irwin, USA25 | Varicella Zoster | 112 70 | 16 | — | SF-36 (Bodily pain) | Tai Chi (40 min/48 sessions) | Health education (40 min/48 sessions) |
| Song, China33 | Low back pain | 68 42 | 24 | — | VAS pain | Tai Chi plus physical therapy (60 min/144 sessions) | Physical therapy |
| Song, China32 | Osteoarthritis | 40 62.67 ± 11.2 | 24 | — | VAS pain | Tai Chi plus routine treatment (60 min/144 sessions) | Routine treatment |
| Wang, USA29 | Rheumatoid arthritis | 20 50 | 12 | 12 | VAS pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (60 min/24 sessions) | Attention control (60 min/24 sessions) |
| Lee, Korea27 | Knee OA | 44 69.1 ± 5.4 | 8 | — | WOMAC pain | Tai Chi (60 min/16 sessions) | Waiting list |
| Wang, USA11 | Knee OA | 40 65 | 12 | 36 | WOMAC pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (60 min/24 sessions) | Attention control (60 min/24 sessions) |
| Chyu, USA22 | Osteoarthritis | 61 72 | 24 | — | SF-36 (Bodily pain) | Yang-style Tai Chi (60 min/72 sessions) | Not any exercise intervention |
| Wang, USA12 | Fibromyalgia | 66 50 | 12 | 12 | VAS pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (60 min/24 sessions) | Wellness education and stretching |
| Hall, Australia9 | Low back pain | 160 44.4 ± 13.2 | 10 | — | NRS pain | Tai Chi plus health care (40 min/18 sessions) | Waiting list plus health care |
| Jones, USA26 | Fibromyalgia | 10 54 | 12 | — | NRS pain | Yang-style Tai Chi (90 min/24 sessions) | Education (90 min/24 sessions) |
| Qing, China31 | Low back pain | 157 NR | 28 | 24 | VAS pain | Tai Chi plus physical therapy (60 min/168 sessions) | Physical therapy |
| Tsai, USA10 | Knee OA | 55 78.91 ± 7.55 | 20 | — | WOMAC pain | Sun-style Tai Chi (20-40 min/60 sessions) | Attention control (20-40 min/60 sessions) |
| Kim, Korea30 | Stroke | 22 54 | 6 | — | SF-36 (Bodily pain) | Tai Chi (60 min/12 sessions) | Physical therapy (60 min/12 sessions) |
Abbreviations: OA, osteoarthritis; ASE, Arthritis self-efficacy; AIMS, Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; VAS, visual analog scale; SF-36, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey; NRS, Numerical Rating Scale; NR: No Reported.
*Intervention/dose: number of intervention time/number of sessions.