Kinesio Taping reduces pain and improves disability in low back pain patients: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of Kinesio Taping ® (KT) on chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP). Design Randomised controlled trial with intention-to-treat analysis. Setting University laboratory. Participants One hundred and eight women with chronic non-specific LBP underwent an evaluation pre, 3 and 10 days after intervention. Interventions After randomisation, participants were assigned to four groups: KT with tension group (KTT) applied KT ® with tension in the region of the erector spinae muscles; KT no tension group (KTNT) applied KT ® with no tension in the same region; Micropore group (MP) applied Micropore ® tape on the erector spinae muscles; and control group (CG) did not receive any intervention. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was pain sensation, measured by numerical pain rating scale. Secondary outcomes were: disability (Roland Morris Disability questionnaire), trunk range of motion (inclinometry), strength (dynamometry) and electromyographic amplitude (electromyography). Results Improved pain relief was observed for KTT group (mean difference 2.0; 95% CI 0.5 to 3.4; P  = 0.003) and KTNT group [mean difference (MD) 1.9; 95% CI 0.5 to 3.4; P  = 0.004] compared with CG at 3 days after application of the tape. For disability, there was a difference between CG and KTT group at 3 days (MD 3.5; 95% CI 0.8 to 6.1; P  = 0.004) and 10 days (MD 32; 95% CI 0.4 to 6.0; P  = 0.016). For all the other variables, there were no differences between groups. Conclusion KT with or without tension reduces pain 3 days after its application. Additionally, when applied with tension, it improves disability after 3 and 10 days in patients with LBP. Trial registration NCT02550457 ( clinicaltrials.gov ).