The Physical and Psychological Effects of Kinesiotaping in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

As no other investigators have holistically addressed kinesiotaping (KT) effects on physical and psychological measures in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Our aim in the present study was to investigate the effects of KT application on pain, flexibility, function, back awareness, fear-avoidance, anxiety, and depression in patients with CLBP. We conducted a single-blind, randomized controlled trial with 52 patients with CLBP who were randomized to either or an electrotherapy (ET) group (n = 26) or a KT + ET group (n = 26). The ET group received only conventional electrophysical interventions for two weeks, while the KT + ET group received kinesiotaping plus the electro-physical interventions. At baseline, after the second week (post-treatment), and at an eighth-week follow-up, participants were given the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for self-reported pain, the Fremantle Low Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ), the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTST), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), the Modified Schober Test (mST), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). The KT + ET group showed greater improvement than the ET group on the VAS, TUG, FTST, FreBAQ, and FABQ and was significantly improved at both the second and eighth weeks (p < .05). The subjective function (RMDQ) score of the KT group was better at the eighth week (p < .05). There was no significant difference between the groups on the mST, HADS-D, and HADS-A (p > .05). However, both the KT + ET and ET groups showed significant improvement on the HADS-D and HAD-S-A (p < .05). These results show that the KT application provided additional benefits relative to ET alone in participants’ perceived pain, and their objective and subjective functioning, low back awareness, and fear avoidance.