Short-Term Effects of Kinesio Taping and Cross Taping Application in the Treatment of Latent Upper Trapezius Trigger Points: A Prospective, Single-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Kinesio taping (KT) may be a new treatment in patients with myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). A new method available for taping practitioners is cross taping (CT). The main objective was to determine how CT, KT, and medical adhesive tape (sham group) affect the subjective assessment of resting bioelectrical activity and pain of the upper trapezius muscle (UT) in patients with MTrPs. 105 volunteers were recruited to participate. The primary outcome was resting bioelectrical activity of UT muscle as assessed by surface electromyography (sEMG) in each group and pain intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS). Assessments were collected before and after intervention and after the 24-hours follow-up. No significant differences were observed in bioelectrical activity of UT between pre-, post-, and follow-up results. In three groups patients had significantly lower pain VAS score after the intervention (CT—p < 0.001, KT—p < 0.001, and sham—p < 0.01). The Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA showed no significant differences in almost all measurements between groups. The application of all three types of tapes does not influence the resting bioelectrical activity of UT muscle and may not lead to a reduction in muscle tone in the case of MTrPs.

The Effectiveness of Different Physical Therapy Techniques for Relieving Pain and Increasing Neck Range of Motion in Patients with Diagnosed Latent Myofascial Trigger Points

“…This is in contrast with the results of a study by Halski et al where the same taping technique was applied -in that study, there was statistically significant increase in the range of both flexion and lateral flexion after taping [23]. Such results might have been influenced by a longer tape application time -in that study, the tape was left in place for 72 hours.…”

“…Both kinesiotape and cross tape were left in place for three days, and pain intensity measurements were conducted immediately after tape removal and after 24 hours. The obtained results showed that the use of kinesiotape and cross tape statistically significantly decreased the pain [23]. Wang et al in their study analyzed the effect of taping in subjects with MTP detected in the upper trapezius muscle immediately after tape application and after 24 hours.…”

“…A study by Halski et al conducted in 2015 showed that tapes used on trigger points located in the upper trapezius muscle reduced the subjective sensation of pain. The procedure also significantly improved lateral flexion of the neck [23].…”

“…The tape was stretched to 50% of its maximum length. If the subjects started experiencing discomfort or itching, the tape was removed to avoid any skin allergy [23,28].…”

The Effect of Kinesio Taping in Reducing Myofascial Pain Syndrome on the Upper Trapezius Muscle: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The demographic distribution of the articles is presented based on the chronological order as the following: one study 20 was conducted in South Korea, one study 21 was conducted in Poland, one study 6 was conducted in Taiwan, and Three studies [22][23][24] were conducted in Turkey. All the studies included male and female subjects with total of 256 subjects who participated in the KT group and the control group without calculating the other comparative treatment participants.…”