Global Trends in Tai Chi Research: A Bibliometric Analysis.
Tzu-Yu Huang, Wei-Li Hsieh, Kai-Yuan Cheng, Marius Brazaitis, Chen-Sin Hung, Ruei-Hong Li, Shih-Chun Kao, Ngoc Thi Bich Tran, Yu-Kai Chang
Sports (Basel, Switzerland) January 4, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/sports14010014 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTai Chi has become a widely used mind-body practice in complementary therapy, rehabilitation, and public health. An analysis of 2253 publications from 1978 to 2025 shows steady growth, concentrated in the past decade. China leads in publication output, while the United States has the highest number of citations, forming a dual-core pattern. The field is driven by a small group of authors and regional clusters, with limited visibility in mainstream medical journals. Five research themes emerged: motor function (balance and fall prevention), musculoskeletal conditions, chronic disease management, psychological health, and cognitive aging. Future progress requires greater methodological rigor, mechanistic inquiry, long-term studies, and stronger international collaboration.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Bibliometric analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,253 |
| Population | Publications with Tai Chi-related terms in the title from Scopus |
| Keywords | Taichi Traditional chinese exercises Complementary medicine Mind–body exercise Visualization |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Tai Chi research has grown steadily since 1978, with China leading in output and the United States in citations, forming a dual-core pattern, and five thematic clusters were identified. |
Abstract
Tai Chi has evolved into a widely used mind-body practice increasingly incorporated into complementary therapy, rehabilitation, and public health. This study provides an updated global bibliometric overview, with VOSviewer mapping publication performance, co-authorship networks, and keyword-based thematic clusters. Articles and reviews with Tai Chi-related terms in the title were retrieved from Scopus, with no restrictions on language or publication year. A total of 2253 publications from 1978 to 2025 were analyzed, revealing steady growth, concentrated largely in the past decade. China led the publication output, while the United States had the highest number of citations, forming a dual-core pattern. The field is largely driven by a small group of authors and regional clusters, and its visibility in mainstream medical journals remains limited. Nine software-generated keyword clusters were manually synthesized into five themes: motor function (balance and fall prevention), musculoskeletal conditions (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia), chronic disease management (cardiovascular disease, stroke, COPD), psychological health (quality of life, depression, anxiety, mindfulness), and cognitive aging (dementia, mild cognitive impairment). Future progress requires greater methodological rigor, including mechanistic inquiry, long-term study designs, and community- or population-level applications, along with stronger international collaboration and deeper integration into clinical and public health practice.