The effectiveness of Kinesio taping and conventional physical therapy in the management of chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of Kinesio taping (KT) and conventional physical therapy (CPT) such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and supervised exercise therapy and CPT alone in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients.

Methods: This randomized clinical trial conducted between June 2019 and December 2020, who were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (KT with CPT) and the control group (CPT only). The following outcomes were measured at baseline and at the second and sixth weeks: pain using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, lumbar flexion range of motion (ROM) by the modified Schober's method, and functional disability using the Oswestry Disability Index. Treatment effects were investigated using separate 2 × 3 mixed-model analyses of variance (ANOVAs).

Results: A total of 60 male adults with CLBP were included in this study. The experimental group showed a greater decrease in pain than the control group after 2 week of intervention (mean between-group difference 1.97 (95%CI 1.64-2.29). This was maintained during a 6-week follow-up of 2.71 (95%CI 2.54-2.87). At 2 weeks, the experimental group had a significantly greater improvement in disability, by 13.45 (95%CI 11.98-14.91). This effect was significant at the 6-week follow-up of 14.10 (95%CI 13.11-15.08). Similarly, lumbar flexion ROM was significantly better at the 2-week - 2.7 (95%CI -3.15- - 2.42) and 6-week follow-ups -3.9 (95%CI - 4.42- - 3.49).

Conclusion: The study concluded that Kinesio taping with conventional physical therapy reduces pain and disability and improves lumbar flexion range of motion after 2 and 6 weeks of application.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05173948. Key Points • This is the first clinical study found the short-term clinical effectiveness of Kinesio taping and conventional physical therapy in the management of chronic low back pain. • This study found a new clinical evidence that Kinesio taping and conventional physical therapy provides better short-term outcomes in chronic low back pain. • These reports helpful for the clinicians and physical therapists to prevent and treat the symptoms and consequences of chronic low back pain in an effective manner.

Keywords: Back pain; Supervised Exercise therapy; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.