The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health-Part II: Evidence Gaps and Opportunities for Future Research and Implementation.

Abstract

Background: The emerging paradigm of whole person health shares many core principles with traditional complementary and integrative health frameworks, including Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ). Methods: In the fall of 2023, the Harvard Medical School Osher Center for Integrative Health hosted the inaugural international conference on The Science of Tai Chi & Qigong for Whole Person Health: Advancing the Integration of Mind-Body Practices into Contemporary Healthcare at Harvard Medical School. A two-part white paper was written to summarize key conference topics, findings, and issues. Results and Discussion: Part II presented here summarizes evidence gaps and future research opportunities, including: understudied clinical conditions and populations, impact of long-term TCQ training, understanding the impact of specific TCQ styles, training regimens, dosage, and contextual effects; implementation, cost-effectiveness, and medical utilization research; individual data meta-analysis, and teaching competencies, credentialing, and licensure. Part I of this white paper discusses the rationale for the conference, synthesizes the state of evidence for TCQ as rehabilitative and preventive tools for a range of clinical conditions, and summarizes the translational research informing therapeutic mechanisms associated with TCQ training.