Tai chi and fatigue: research overview

Not medical advice. This page lists research about tai chi and fatigue. It does not say whether tai chi works for any person or condition. Talk to a qualified health professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition.

Studies in PubMed

42 (tagged with “Fatigue” as a major topic)

Years

2006–2026

Registered trials

12 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Types of studies

Each study is counted once, under its strongest type in this order: meta-analysis, systematic review, randomized controlled trial, clinical trial, review, observational study.

Studies, newest first

1. Biological correlates of cancer-related fatigue in older male cancer survivors. — Translational psychiatry, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
2. Codesign and implementation of a Tai Chi intervention for managing the fatigue, sleep disturbance and depression symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors in regional Australia: a feasibility study protocol. — BMJ open, 2026 · DOI
3. Effects of different mind-body exercises on quality of life and cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. — Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026 · DOISystematic Review
4. Efficacy of different non-pharmacological therapies on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients: a network meta-analysis. — Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026 · DOISystematic Review
5. Exercise interventions for health-related quality of life, fatigue, depression, and anxiety in colorectal cancer survivors: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. — Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
6. Meta-Analysis of the Use of Chinese Martial Arts Training for Alleviating Cancer-Related Fatigue in Cancer Survivors. — Cancer medicine, 2026 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
7. Mindfulness and Tai Chi for Sleep, Fatigue, and Pain in Distressed People After Cancer Treatment: A Partially Randomized Patient-Preference Comparative Effectiveness Trial. — Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
8. Predicting Potential Treatment Targets for Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Thalamic Seeding. — Brain and behavior, 2026 · DOI
9. The effect of Tai Chi exercise on physical and psychological health of college students with persistent fatigue after COVID-19 infection: A randomized controlled trial. — Public health, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
10. Beyond the basics: exploring non-conventional treatment for fatigue in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. — La Tunisie medicale, 2025 · DOIReview
11. Clinical updates in cancer-related fatigue in palliative care settings-a scoping review. — Annals of palliative medicine, 2025 · DOI
12. Comparative Efficacy of Various Exercise Types on Cancer-Related Fatigue for Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. — Cancer medicine, 2025 · DOISystematic Review
13. Impact of Tai Chi Therapy on Fatigue and Cognitive Function in Individuals With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. — JMIR research protocols, 2025 · DOI
14. Project HERO: a randomized trial of Tai Chi qigong versus intensity-matched exercise and usual care for fatigue in older male cancer survivors. — BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
15. Randomized controlled trial testing Tai Chi Easy/Qigong and Sham Qigong on breast cancer survivors' fatigue and associated symptoms. — Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
16. The effects of aerobic exercise in patients with cancer-related fatigue: A systematic review and meta-analysis. — PloS one, 2025 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
17. Effects of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts and Stretching Exercises on Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. — Perceptual and motor skills, 2024 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
18. Lifestyle and integrative oncology interventions for cancer-related fatigue and sleep disturbances. — Maturitas, 2024 · DOIReview
19. Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO-Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update. — Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2024 · DOISystematic Review
20. [Complementary and integrative medicine in cancer-related fatigue]. — Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 2024 · DOIReview
21. Development and validation of a Tai chi intervention protocol for managing the fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression symptom cluster in female breast cancer patients. — Complementary therapies in medicine, 2021 · DOI
22. Effect of Tai Chi and Resistance Training on Cancer-Related Fatigue and Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Elderly Cancer Patients. — Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 2021 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
23. Effects of traditional Chinese medicine exercise therapy on cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and sleep quality in cancer patients: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis. — Medicine, 2021 · DOI
24. Effects of Qigong, Tai Chi, acupuncture, and Tuina on cancer-related fatigue for breast cancer patients: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis. — Medicine, 2020 · DOI
25. Flexibility exercise training for adults with fibromyalgia. — The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2019 · DOISystematic Review
26. Influence of Tai Chi on Self-Efficacy, Quality of Life, and Fatigue Among Patients With Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study Brief. — Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association, 2019 · DOI
27. Influence of Tai Chi on Self-Efficacy, Quality of Life, and Fatigue Among Patients with Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy. — Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association, 2019 · DOI
28. Integrative Therapies for Cancer-Related Fatigue. — Cancer journal (Sudbury, Mass.), 2019 · DOISystematic Review
29. Ameliorative effects of Tai Chi on cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. — Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2018 · DOIMeta-AnalysisReview
30. Effects of Tai Chi Exercise on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. — Journal of pain and symptom management, 2018 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
31. Exercise and other non-pharmaceutical interventions for cancer-related fatigue in patients during or after cancer treatment: a systematic review incorporating an indirect-comparisons meta-analysis. — British journal of sports medicine, 2018 · DOISystematic Review
32. Does Tai Chi relieve fatigue? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. — PloS one, 2017 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
33. Qigong/tai chi for sleep and fatigue in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial. — Psycho-oncology, 2017 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
34. The effects of Tai Chi on physical and psychosocial function among persons with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review. — Complementary therapies in medicine, 2017 · DOISystematic Review
35. Efficacy of rehabilitation with Tai Ji Quan in an Italian cohort of patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome. — Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 2016 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
36. Qigong in cancer care: a systematic review and construct analysis of effective Qigong therapy. — Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2016 · DOISystematic Review
37. Qigong/Tai Chi Easy for fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial. — Contemporary clinical trials, 2016 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
38. Tai Chi Exercise for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. — Journal of pain and symptom management, 2016 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
39. Advancing the science of mind-body interventions: a comment on Larkey et al. — Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2015 · DOI
40. Randomized controlled trial of Qigong/Tai Chi Easy on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors. — Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2015 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial

2 more studies on PubMed

Registered clinical trials

Government health information

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarizes the evidence on tai chi.

Study list: PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), citation data only. Trials: ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: PubMed (NLM citation data, free to use (abstracts not reproduced)); ClinicalTrials.gov (Public domain (U.S. Government work)); NCCIH (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.