Using Tai Chi and Qigong to Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Application of Artificial Intelligence to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Abstract

Objective: To systematically summarize and evaluate the clinical evidence for Tai Chi and Qigong as therapeutic interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Methods: Fourteen English-language publications (5 completed randomized controlled trials, 3 study protocols, 3 systematic reviews/meta-analyses, 2 non-randomized interventions, and 1 case series) were identified via PubMed and individually summarized with the assistance of the artificial intelligence tool Grok (xAI). Study design, participant characteristics, intervention protocols, primary outcomes, biomarkers, proposed mechanisms, safety profile, limitations, and clinical implications were extracted and synthesized.

Results: Interventions lasting 4–16 weeks (most commonly Baduanjin Qigong, 24-style Tai Chi, PLWNT, and Wu Xing Ping Heng Gong) consistently demonstrated moderate-to-large reductions in fatigue severity (pooled SMD 0.85, 95% CI 0.64–1.07 compared with passive controls), improvements in sleep quality (SMD 0.34, 95% CI 0.10–0.57), depression (SMD 0.53, 95% CI 0.34–0.72), anxiety, health-related quality of life, and functional capacity. Beneficial biomarker changes included increased telomerase activity, elevated adiponectin, and enhanced resting-state functional connectivity in the default mode, frontoparietal, and sensorimotor networks. Effect sizes against active controls (e.g., CBT, education) were small and non-significant. Interventions were well tolerated with only minor, transient adverse events reported.

Conclusion: Current evidence, albeit predominantly from small-to-moderate-sized trials conducted in China and Hong Kong, indicates that Tai Chi and Qigong are safe, promising adjunctive therapies for CFS, producing clinically meaningful reductions in fatigue and associated symptoms together with favorable neurophysiological and biochemical changes. High-quality, multicenter RCTs with active controls, longer follow-up periods, and objective physiological outcomes are now warranted to confirm efficacy and establish optimal protocols.