Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou on upper limb function and balance in stroke survivors: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

BACKGROUND: Functional disability is the most common disorder that occurs after stroke and seriously affects the quality of life of stroke survivors. Tai Chi Yunshou (TCY), a fundamental form of Tai Chi, is a simple, convenient, and economical exercise therapy from ancient China. Some clinical trials have reported that it improves upper limb function and balance during stroke rehabilitation. Thus, we plan to conduct a systematic review to investigate the effects of TCY in stroke survivors. METHODS: This review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement. We will search English and Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials on TCY for stroke survivors from the dates when the databases were established to 1 July 2020. The English databases will include MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE (embase.com), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library). In addition, the Chinese databases will include the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, the Wanfang database, and the Chinese Dissertation Database. The primary outcomes will include upper limb function and balance function, as measured by the Fugl-Meyer assessment and Berg balance scale, respectively. Two reviewers will independently screen the studies on the basis of the inclusion criteria and extract data. Review Manager (v5.3) will be used for data synthesis, and Cochrane Collaboration's tool will be used to assess the risk of bias. A fixed effects model or a random effects model will be selected based on the level of heterogeneity. The grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation system will be used to evaluate the quality of the outcomes. RESULTS: This systematic review results will be carried out after the completion of the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol aims to guide a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effects of JCY on upper limb function and body balance in stroke survivors, which will provide evidence for post-stroke rehabilitation training. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020169549.