A bibliometric analysis of studies addressing rehabilitation in martial arts

Abstract

Purpose. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the identification and structured interpretation of thematic clusters that characterize the contemporary research landscape of rehabilitation in martial arts. To conduct an analytical review of publications devoted to the problem of rehabilitation in martial arts using the VOSviewer software tool in the PubMed database.

Material & Methods. To create the study sample as of December 31, 2025, a bibliometric analysis of data from the PubMed database was performed. The search was conducted using the key phrase “rehabilitation in martial arts”. Publications from 2001 to 2025 were analyzed. VOSviewer version 1.6.19 was used, applying keyword analysis and direct citation analysis with the construction of bibliometric maps, cluster density visualization, and citation weights.

Results. Using VOSviewer 1.6.19, a total of 1111 publications were identified. All publications were written in English. A substantial increase in the number of publications was observed in each five-year period, which can be explained by the growing interest in and popularization of research on rehabilitation in martial arts. Overall, 4713 researchers from 2943 organizations studied rehabilitation issues across various martial arts disciplines. The publication activity of 1049 authors with a link strength greater than zero was analyzed. These authors were grouped into 41 clusters, characterized by 5333 links with a total link strength of 6836. The most productive authors were Tsang W. (25 publications), Wayne P. (23), Li F. (21), Tao J. (19), Chen L. (17), Huang J. (15), Yen G. (14), Franchini E. (13), and Wang C. (13). For network visualization, 371 elements (keywords) were selected and grouped into 9 clusters. The network included 14701 links with a total strength of 67,750. The most prominent research topics were centered around the keywords “humans”, “male”, “martial arts”, “adult”, “female”, “aged”, “tai ji”, “exercise”, “treatment outcome” and “quality of life”. Overlay visualization demonstrated a clear evolution of scientific research: from general assessment of functional status and risk prevention (early stage), through the implementation of specialized rehabilitation methods (transitional stage), to individualized physical rehabilitation programs with an emphasis on motor activity control and exercise tolerance (modern stage).

Conclusions. Using the VOSviewer software, a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the PubMed database was conducted, revealing a steady increase in scientific interest in rehabilitation in martial arts, as evidenced by a significant growth in the number of publications over the analyzed period. A high level of international scientific cooperation was identified, reflected in the wide range of authors, institutions, and interdisciplinary links. The analysis of bibliometric maps made it possible to identify nine key thematic clusters encompassing sports, clinical, psychosocial, and preventive aspects of rehabilitation. The leading research directions focus on recovery from sports injuries, improvement of the functional state of the musculoskeletal system, quality of life, and mental health. Overlay visualization confirmed the evolution of scientific approaches – from basic functional and clinical studies to contemporary individualized physical rehabilitation programs with load control. The obtained results confirm the need for further research aimed at integrating rehabilitation measures directly into the structure of the training process, as well as at developing scientifically grounded models of long-term athletic recovery.