Does kinesio taping plus exercise improve pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background: Kinesio taping (KT) and exercise are described for improving pain and function of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients in most studies. However, the question remains if KT plus exercise is better than only exercise treatment.Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of KT plus exercise in improving pain and knee function of KOA patients.Methods: The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Springer, web of science and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) were searched till July 2022. People diagnosed with KOA were included. The intervention was KT plus exercise, but the comparison group was intervened only with exercise. Outcome measures were the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and Timed Up and Go (TUG). Only RCTs were included. The Review Manager software (Version 5.3.5) was used to assess risk of bias, statistical heterogeneity and meta-analysis.Results: The inclusion criteria were satisfied by 642 individuals from sixteen RCTs. There was a significant difference between KT plus exercise group and only exercise group in terms of VAS score after intervention (mean difference (MD) = −0.86; 95% CI = −1.32 to −0.40; p = 0.0003). In terms of VAS at follow-up period (MD = −0.58; 95% CI = −1.41 to 0.25; p = 0.17), WOMAC score (MD = 0.28; 95% CI = −9.16 to 9.71; p = 0.95) and TUG after intervention (MD = −0.74; 95% CI = −1.72 to 0.24; p = 0.14), no significant difference was found.Conclusion: Although KT plus exercise reduced pain better than exercise, it did not enhance knee function in patients with KOA. These conclusions may change when more high-quality research is conducted.

Comparative Effects of Wearing Knee Support Brace and Kinesiotaping on Pain, Physical Activity Level and Kinesiophobia in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

“…In terms of physical activity, the study found that participants in the kinesiotaping group exhibited higher levels of activity compared to those wearing knee braces. This result corroborates the findings of Günaydin and Bayrakci Tunay (2022) and Wu et al (2022), who reported improvements in physical activity and function following kinesiotaping (33,34). However, this stands in contrast to the work of Wageck et al (2016) and Castrogiovanni et al (2016), where no significant changes were noted in physical activity levels post-kinesiotaping in knee osteoarthritis patients (35,36).…”

Acute Effect of Kinesiology Taping on Muscle Activation, Functionality and Proprioception in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Similar to prior studies on functional performance, range of motion and postural stability (Dogan et al, 2022; Wu et al, 2022; Öğüt et al, 2018); we evaluated dynamic balance and mobility using the TUG test. We observed a significant improvement in mobility scores before and after taping in both the KT group and the placebo group.…”

Effectiveness and clinical relevance of kinesio taping in musculoskeletal disorders: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and evidence mapping

“…Due to substantial controversy over the results of KT reported in the primary studies, researchers have carried out plentiful systematic reviews (SRs) with and without meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of KT. [37][38][39][40] However, the inconclusive evidence of musculoskeletal disorders was presented in the SRs as well, involving elbow, [41,42] shoulder, [43][44][45] back, [46][47][48] knee, [49][50][51] and spine. [52] Meanwhile, the majority of SRs may not examine the clinical relevance of KT.…”