The Short Term Effects of Kinesiology Taping on Shoulder Pain and Function in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Research Objectives To investigate the short-term effects of kinesiology taping on shoulder pain and function in individuals with Ehlers-DanlosSyndrome (EDS). Design Single blinded, repeated measures design. Setting Ambulatory Care. Participants Eight female participants with EDS and bilateral shoulder pain (16 shoulders) were included in the study. Subjects mean age was 35.6 (SD=11) and an average Beighton score of 7.3/9.0. The exclusion criteria included past spinal surgery, past shoulder surgery, cervical injury within one year, and pregnancy. Interventions All subjects received a standardized Kinesiology taping protocol that involved three strips of tape placed around the shoulder and left in place for 48 hours. Main Outcome Measures Outcome measures included the current and average pain over the last 24 hours using the numeric pain rating scale (0 - 10) before taping and 48 hours later. Function was measured with the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Results All data analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 (IBM, Aramonk, NY). Paired sample T-tests revealed significant decreases in all pain ratings from pre-taping to 48 hours post taping (p Conclusions Kinesiology taping may be effective for reducing shoulder pain and improving function in patients with EDS up to 48 hours post application. Limitations of the study include a small sample size, no control or sham group, and a possible time effect that accounted for the changes in pain and function. Future studies should include a control group for comparison. Author(s) Disclosures None