The effectiveness of Kinesio taping on pain and clinical features in chronic non-specific low back pain: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Kinesio taping (KT) and sham KT on pain, lumbar range of motion (ROM) and disability in chronic non-specific low back pain. Patients and methods: This is a randomized, placebo controlled study. Sixty patients (22 males, 38 females; mean age 21.5 +/- 1.7 years, range, 19 to 25 years) with chronic low back pain were randomized into either intervention or placebo groups. Group 1 (n=30) was treated with KT and group 2 (n=30) was treated with sham taping six times by intervals of three days. Patients were evaluated according to pain, modified Schober's test value, hand-ground distance and lumbar ROM and disability at baseline and at the end of the first and sixth months of intervention. Pain was assessed by using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), while ROM was assessed by modified Schober's test value, hand-ground distance and lumbar lateral flexion ROM. Disability was assessed with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Results: Statistically significant improvements for all parameters were found for both groups after one month of intervention (p<0.05). These effects were sustained after six months of follow-up for modified Schober's test, hand-ground distance and ODI. There were statistically significant differences between the groups for all outcome measures at the first month of intervention (p<0.05). However, at sixth-month follow-up, only modified Schober's test, hand-ground distance and ODI values were significantly different between groups (p<0.05) except VAS (p>0.05). Conclusion: Kinesio taping provided significant improvements in pain, ROM and disability at short term. These positive effects were sustained for ROM and disability at long term but not for pain.