Effect of Tai Chi on Pain and Cognitive Function in Elderly Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background The incidence of chronic neck pain (CNP) in the elderly is increasing. CNP in the elderly not only affects the physical function of patients, the quality of life, and work but also increases the direct medical cost and indirect social costs. The recent treatment trends of CNP, such as home self-exercise, focused specific training, and research into the underlying neural mechanisms of pain and cognitive improvement in patients with CNP, suggest that Tai Chi may be beneficial for pain and cognitive function in elderly patients with CNP. Method and Methods We will search 8 databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP database, and Wanfang database. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Tai Chi in the treatment of elderly CNP will be included. The search time is from the establishment of the database to May 31, 2023. In this study, data extraction and methodological quality evaluation will be carried out for the included literature, and statistical analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.4 software. The quality of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system approach(GRADE). Discussion This review will search and collect RCTs related to Tai Chi for the prevention and treatment of elderly CNP, and aims to systematically evaluate the evidence of the effects of Tai Chi on pain and cognitive function in elderly patients with CNP. The results of this review are expected to provide more accurate and effective guidance for the prevention and treatment of elderly patients with CNP, and also provide evidence-based medicine references for the formulation of exercise prescriptions. Systematic Review Registration OSF registration number [DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YTZPX].