The effects of Tai Chi Chuan in occurrences of falls, fear of falling and balance in the elderly: a systematic review of randomized control trials

Abstract The aging process is one of the factors that influence the increasing number of falls and result in complications like fear of falling. The Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is an oriental martial art considered as light to moderate intensity exercise. The practice of TCC has positive effects on balance, occurrence of falls and fear of falling on the elderly. This study aimed to, through a systematic review, investigate the effects of TCC in risk of falls, fear of falling and balance in the elderly. Randomized controlled trials were investigated on databases Medline, Lilacs, Cochrane and PEDro. Two reviewers analyzed the quality of the studies and extract data independently. Six studies were selected, covering 816 participants. The results demonstrated a positive effect of TCC on decreasing occurrences of falls and fear of falling in sedentary community-dwelling elderly. The same effect was not observed for the postural stability.