Tai chi vs. wellness classes: which alters gut bugs in arthritis?
NCT ID NCT05186714
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This completed study compared 12 weeks of Tai Chi to wellness education in 72 adults aged 55+ with knee osteoarthritis. Researchers looked at changes in gut bacteria and joint symptoms. The goal was to gather early data for a future larger trial, not to prove any treatment works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Tai Chi and wellness education
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help design larger studies to see if mind-body practices like Tai Chi improve osteoarthritis through changes in gut bacteria.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early exploratory study with only 72 participants. It is not designed to prove treatment effectiveness, only to gather preliminary data.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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72 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Finished
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Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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55 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 55 years * Fulfills the American College of Rheumatology Criteria for symptomatic OA * Baseline (Month 0) WOMAC pain subscale score ≥ 40 Exclusion Criteria: * Dementia, neurological disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, liver disease, or other serious medical conditions limiting ability to participate in the programs. * Factors known or likely to impact the intestinal microbiota or known to be associated with microbial translocation: antibiotic or probiotic use within the previous 4 weeks, gastrointestinal morbidity (irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, history of gastrointestinal cancer or surgical resection, or acute, severe gastrointestinal symptoms requiring medical attention), opportunistic infection, and evidence of hepatitis B or C virus infection
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Tufts Medical Center, Rheumatology
Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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