Efficacy of Kinesio Taping Compared to Other Treatment Modalities in Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Kinesio taping is widely used in musculoskeletal conditions. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of kinesio taping in musculoskeletal disorders compared to other interventions. Twelve electronic databases were used for systemic search and data relevant to pain and disability were extracted. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018087606). Meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of kinesio taping to other modalities of musculoskeletal disorders. As a result, 36 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. Kinesio taping was found to provide an improvement of both pain and disability when applied to any region of the body. In the first five days of application, kinesio taping significantly reduced the pain in all body regions (SMD = -0.63, 95%CI: -0.87, -0.39). This was also noted after four-to-six weeks of application (SMD = -0.76, 95%CI: -1.07, -0.45). When kinesio taping was used for disability in low back pain patients, it significantly reduced the disability within five days of application (SMD = -0.70, 95%CI: -1.29, -0.11). Finally, kinesio taping has shown an improvement of the disability in all body regions after four-to-six weeks of application (SMD = -0.59, 95%CI: -0.96, -0.22). Our findings support kinesio taping as an adjuvant to other treatments for musculoskeletal disorders. Abbreviations KT = Kinesio taping; MSK = musculoskeletal; SD = standard deviation; CR = conventional rehabilitation; NDI = Neck Disability Index; NPS = Numerical Pain Scale; CTM = Cervical Thrust Manipulation; PIR = Post-isometric muscle relaxation; NPRS Numerical Pain Rating Scale; OA = osteoarthritis; ROM = Range of motion; VAS = visual analogue scale; VAS-W = visual analogue scale-worst pain; VAS-U = visual analogue scale-usual pain; VAS-R = visual analogue scale-resting pain; VAS-A = visual analogue scale-activity pain; VAS-N = visual analogue scale-night pain; NPDS = Neck Pain Disability Scale; QA = Quality assessment.

Effectiveness of Kinesio Taping in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of Kinesio Taping (KT) in patients with nonspecific low back pain.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

KT is widely used in patients with low back pain.

METHODS

We conducted searches on PubMed, EMBASE, PEDro, SciELO, and LILACS up to February 26, 2018. We included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults with chronic nonspecific low back pain that compared KT to no intervention or placebo as well as RCTs that compared KT combined with exercise against exercise alone. The methodological quality and statistical reporting of the eligible trials were measured by the 11-item PEDro scale. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE classification. We considered pain intensity and disability as the primary outcomes. Whenever possible, the data were pooled through meta-analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 11 RCTs for this systematic review (pooled n = 743). Two clinical trials (pooled n = 100) compared KT to no intervention at the short-term follow-up. Four studies compared KT to placebo (pooled n = 287) at short-term follow-up and two trials (pooled n = 100) compared KT to placebo at intermediate-term follow-up. Five trials (pooled n = 296) compared KT combined with exercises or electrotherapy to exercises or spinal manipulation alone. No statistically significant difference was found for most comparisons.

CONCLUSION

Very low to moderate quality evidence shows that KT was no better than any other intervention for most the outcomes assessed in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. We found no evidence to support the use of KT in clinical practice for patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

1.

Kinesiotaping as one of the methods of treatment of low back pain syndrome

About 80 % of adults feel pain in their backs at a definite moment of life. That’s also the most frequent reason why people lose their efficiency. It’s also the key factor due to which workable people miss their working days. Recently, the frequency of sickness rate of low back pain syndrome is getting higher and higher. For examples, according to the data of the organization, which aims at analyzing pathological conditions and diseases, which cause death or looseness of efficiency, in 1990 in the USA, low back pain syndrome took the sixth place, but in 2010 back pain went up to the third place, giving the way only to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). So, we can imagine how common, widespread and serious for modern world became the problem of back pain. That’s why, only now doctors throughout the world are starting to form their separate individual researches into one qualitative and useful list of recommendations to begin an effective fight with this serious medical and social problem. Kinesiotaping (“kinesio” – movement + “tape”) – is an effective treatment and rehabilitation method of muscle and joints injuries with the help of special elastic tapes – namely kinesio tapes. The article focuses on the method of kinesiotaping and the ways of its usage for treating low back pain syndrome. The research also highlights the history of appearance and development of kinesiotaping as a method of treatment, physiological features of kinesio tape and ways of its usage in everyday medical practice. Besides analyzing recent researches in this field we provide descriptions of three clinical cases from our own medical practice which proves the effectiveness of kinesiotaping in the complex treatment of low back pain syndrome. After deep analysis of the patients’ condition we can state that due to kinesiotaping which is used together with other physiotherapeutic methods and exercises, they recover quickly than those who do not undergo kinesiotaping procedures.