The effect of kinesio taping on pain, strength and disability of neck in myofascial pain syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Tenderness, pain, muscle weakness, and limited range of motion (ROM) are symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome, which leads to restrictions on physical, occupational and social activities and ultimately reduction of productivity and quality of life. Different methods of rehabilitation are used to improve the symptoms of these patients. One of the new methods is the use of kinesio tape. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of kinesio tape on neck pain and disability and also muscle strength in myofascial pain syndrome. Methods: In this single-blind randomized clinical trial, from June to November 2017 in Imam Hossein Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, thirty individuals (male and female) with Myofascial pain syndrome were divided into two groups (treatment and control), randomly by lottery. In treatment group, the kinesio tape with appropriate tension was applied directly over pain place and on upper trapezius muscle; and control group received placebo kinesio tape (kinesio taping without tension). In this study, before and three days after application of kinesio taping, numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), neck disability index (NDI) and manual muscle testing (MMT) were used to assess pain, disability and strength, respectively. Results: To compare the effect of treatment, the mean of variables were compared with independent sample t-test before and after treatment. Pain and strength of upper trapezius were significantly different in both groups (P< 0.05), but in neck disability there was not significantly difference (P< 0.05). Then, for a closer examination, the paired t-test were used to compare the mean of disability before and after the treatment and result showed a significantly different in the treatment group and was not significantly different in the control group. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, kinesio tape can reduce neck pain, increase the strength of upper trapezius, and ultimately reduce the disability of neck in myofascial pain syndrome. Therefore, this method can be used in rehabilitation clinics to improve the symptoms of patients with myofascial pain syndrome.