This article in the journal Physical Therapy mentions that kinesiotaping for low back pain has some low-quality evidence that it helps reduce pain and disability; however, it needs more study. ~ Dr. Broussard
Short-Term Effect of Kinesiotaping on Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Disability: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Shanshan Lin, Bo Zhu, Guozhi Huang, Chuhuai Wang, Qing Zeng, Shanshan Zhang
Physical Therapy, pzz163, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz163
Published: 07 November 2019
Abstract
Background
Low back pain (LBP) is a very common and disabling disorder in modern society. The intervention strategies for LBP include drug therapy, surgery, and physical interventions. Recently, kinesiotaping, as a simple and noninvasive treatment, has been used to treat chronic nonspecific LBP, but its effectiveness and true merit remains unclear.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to summarize the results of randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of Kinesio Taping (KT) for chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) and disability.
Data Sources
Medline, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and EmBase were searched from inception to September 1, 2018.
Study Selection
Studies were included in the review if they met the following criteria: RCTs published in English; patients (>18 years old) diagnosed with CNLBP (pain duration of > 12 weeks), with or without leg pain; KT as a single treatment or as a part of other forms of physical therapy; outcomes measured of pain intensity and disability.
Data Extraction
Three independent investigators completed data extraction. Methodological quality was appraised using the Cochrane tool for assessing the risk of bias. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) guidelines were applied to assess the confidence of the effect estimates.
Data Synthesis
Eleven RCT studies involving 785 patients were retained for the meta-analysis.
Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model. Compared with the control group，the pooled SMD of pain intensity was significantly reduced (SMD = −0.73; 95% CI = −1.12 to −0.35; GRADE: low) and of disability was improved (SMD = −0.51; 95% CI = −0.85 to −0.17; GRADE: low) in the KT group. Subgroup analyses showed that, compared with the control, the I strip of KT significantly reduced pain (SMD = −0.48; GRADE: low) but not disability (SMD = −0.26; GRADE: low). Compared with sham/placebo tape, KT provided significant pain reduction (SMD = −0.84; GRADE: low) and disability improvement (SMD = −0.56; GRADE: low). Moreover, compared with the no-tape group, the KT group also showed pain reduction (SMD = −0.74; GRADE: low) and disability improvement (SMD = −0.65; GRADE: low).
Limitations
Limitations of the review included a lack of homogeneity, different methodologies and treatment duration of KT application, and relatively small sample sizes.
Conclusions
There is low-quality evidence that KT has a beneficial role in pain reduction and disability improvement for patients with CNLBP. More high-quality studies are required to confirm the effects of KT on CNLBP.