Tai Chi and wellness groups both reported improvements in Gulf War Illness
A combined trial analysis reported improvements in both programs, but the abstract does not establish that Tai Chi worked better or that delivery formats were equivalent.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Veterans with Gulf War Illness and chronic pain reported improvements in several symptoms and aspects of mental health in both programs. Preliminary modeling did not detect a statistically significant influence of delivery format. The abstract does not provide the comparative results needed to establish superiority or equivalence between the programs or between remote and in-person delivery.
This abstract-based summary cannot establish the size of any benefit: between-group effect estimates and confidence intervals are absent. Results are also not separately reported for fatigue, stress or sleep disturbances, although these were listed as outcomes.
What was evaluated
Researchers combined trials comparing group Tai Chi with a wellness program. Self-report questionnaires covered illness symptoms, pain interference, fatigue and depressed mood, alongside sleep, stress, mindfulness, quality of life and other mental health measures.
What the analysis found
Both programs were associated with better symptom and mental health scores. The preliminary analysis also examined whether attending remotely or in person influenced outcomes and found no statistically significant delivery-format result.
The original publication
Tai Chi and wellness for Gulf War Illness: Combined analysis of in-person and remote randomized controlled trials.
Polizzi CP, Crow TM, Ting M et al.
J Psychiatr Res · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41774973
- Record checked
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