We have read with great interest the article by Liu et al, titled “Traditional Chinese Rehabilitation Exercise (TCRE) for Myofascial Pain: Current Evidence and Future Challenges”.1 We commend the authors for their comprehensive and detailed overview of the benefits of TCRE in rehabilitating elderly individuals and managing pain associated with long COVID. Their contribution to this field is invaluable.

However, it is noted that the authors primarily discuss the efficacy of TCRE in the elderly population, acknowledging it as one of the future directions for improvement. The article, however, does not highlight the effects of TCRE on younger populations. Although current research on TCRE for young adult population is limited, we still believe that including clinical studies focused on younger individuals would be beneficial. The incorporation of this element enhances the narrative’s comprehensiveness and rigor, facilitating a more profound and expansive comprehension of the discipline for readers. This pivotal understanding is instrumental in amplifying the influence of TCRE within the global arena.

A number of pivotal studies published in the field of TCRE have substantiated the advantages of TCRE for young people, thereby reinforcing the scientific rigour of the article. To illustrate, Ye et al2 conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the Baduanjin exercise on health-related physical fitness in college students. Participants in the Baduanjin training group underwent a 12-week supervised intervention, and their physical fitness indicators exhibited superior outcomes compared to those of the control group. In light of these findings, Cai et al3 conducted a comprehensive investigation into the potential efficacy of Baduanjin exercise in maintaining body composition balance and enhancing cardiovascular function in college students. Their study demonstrated that Baduanjin exercise can effectively improve central hemodynamics and cardiac autonomic activity in college students.

A recent clinical study4 also included different ethnic groups and assessed the effectiveness of the traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise in reducing menstrual symptoms during the cultural adjustment period among international students in China through a randomized controlled trial approach. The study collected data from international students from diverse countries and regions and assessed their sleep using MSQ scores. The findings demonstrated that the Baduanjin exercise could promote menstrual health, reduce stress levels, and improve sleep quality among international students. While confirming the benefits of Baduanjin exercise for young people, the study also demonstrated the effectiveness of TCRE for ethnic groups other than Asians. This contributes to the growing international recognition of TCRE and provides strong support for the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine.

In sum, these studies underscore the potential therapeutic value of TCRE in bolstering the physical health of young people, as well as its efficacy in treating different populations. As the field continues to research and develop, it becomes increasingly important to summarize the efficacy and value of TCRE in different age groups. This narrative provides a valid reference for clinical practice and future research efforts.

The incorporation of these studies conducted in younger populations into the article will reinforce the discourse on TROE and provide readers with a more comprehensive and systematic perspective on the potential applicability of TCRE in the treatment of myofascial pain and the enhancement of physical health. Although TCRE is currently employed as a complementary and alternative therapy rather than a primary treatment option, it has demonstrated considerable potential as an efficacious intervention for the management of physical pain and in prognostic rehabilitation, which portends a promising future for its continued development and application. It is imperative that the quality of research be continuously improved and that studies be refined across age groups and different populations, thereby increasing the comprehensiveness and rigor of articles. Incorporating these insights into the article will allow for a broader understanding of the uses of TCRE, promote further exploration and refinement in clinical practice, and ultimately yield more research results that are beneficial to human development.

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.

1. Liu X, Pan F, Wang Q, Wang S, Zhang J. Traditional Chinese rehabilitation exercise (TCRE) for myofascial pain: current evidence and further challenges. J Pain Res. 2024;17:2801–2810. doi:10.2147/jpr.S482424

2. Ye Y, Zhao F, Sun S, Xiong J, Zheng G. The effect of Baduanjin exercise on health-related physical fitness of college students: a randomized controlled trial. Front Public Health. 2022;10:965544. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.965544

3. Cai L, Huang J, Gao D, et al. Effects of mind-body practice on arterial stiffness, central hemodynamic parameters and cardiac autonomic function of college students. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101492. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101492

4. Alkhatib A, Alshikh Ahmad H, Zhang C, Peng W, Li X. Impact of traditional Chinese Baduanjin exercise on menstrual health among international female students studying in China: a randomized controlled trial. Front Public Health. 2024;12:1259634. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1259634