Kinesio taping may reduce pain intensity immediately following treatment and in the short term in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, and may improve function or disability immediately following treatment, but the evidence is very uncertain and benefits are not sustained.
New meta-analyses showed that kinesio taping reduced pain intensity immediately following treatment (Hedges g −0.69) and in the short term (−0.57). Immediate improvements in function or disability were also observed (−0.54), although these findings were uncertain and benefits were trivial when compared with active interventions such as exercise.
These effect sizes may meet the predefined threshold for a moderate, clinically important difference. However, most effects were classified as having only possible or probable clinical relevance and were not clinically relevant in the medium term. Kinesio taping showed little to no effect on pain in the medium term and did not improve function or disability in the short or medium term.
In an overview of systematic reviews and evidence mapping, researchers analyzed 128 systematic reviews, including 73 published reviews and 55 registered protocols, encompassing 310 randomized controlled trials and 15,812 patients with 29 musculoskeletal conditions.
Most reviews focused on lower extremity conditions (45%) and pain outcomes (89%). Methodological quality was frequently limited, with 78% of reviews rated as critically low quality and 58% considered low risk of bias.
Secondary Outcomes and Subgroups
Kinesio taping showed little to no meaningful effect on muscle strength, range of motion, or disease-specific symptoms at any follow-up. Effects on quality of life were unclear due to limited data.
Subgroup analyses suggested variability by condition and comparator. Small short-term effects were observed in conditions such as lateral elbow tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and chronic low back pain, but findings remained inconsistent and uncertain.
Adverse Events
Adverse events were infrequently reported. Among trials that documented them, the most common were skin irritation (40%) and pruritus (30%). The number needed to harm was 173 for skin irritation and 356 for pruritus.
Clinical Relevance and Limitations
Although some immediate and short-term effects may reach thresholds for clinical importance, most outcomes were rated as very low certainty, with inconsistent clinical relevance across analyses. Sensitivity analyses showed that up to 48% of outcomes changed when restricted to lower-risk studies, highlighting instability in the evidence base.
The researchers also noted substantial heterogeneity in taping techniques, comparator interventions, and patient populations, as well as overlap among systematic reviews and incomplete reporting of adverse events. They emphasized that kinesio taping should be applied cautiously in clinical practice, with shared decision-making that considers patient preferences, alternative interventions, and potential adverse events.
“Current evidence is very uncertain regarding the clinical effects of KT on [musculoskeletal disorders],” wrote lead study author Qingcong Mo of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Southern Medical University in China, and colleagues.
The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shenzhen Medical Research Fund, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, Guangdong Medical Research Foundation, and the National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program. The researchers reported no competing interests.
Source: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine