Immediate Effects of Kinesio Tape and Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain and Proprioception in Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of single-session Kinesio Tape (KT) and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) interventions on pain and proprioception in patients with chronic neck pain (CNP).

Methods: Forty patients with CNP aged 21 to 44 years were included in this study. The participants were divided into 2 groups as the IASTM and KT groups. The participants in the KT group took part in one session of KT application to the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles, while those in the IASTM group took part in one session of IASTM application to the same muscles. The pain levels of the participants during activity were recorded using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and their cervical region proprioception levels were assessed using the Cervical Range of Motion device. Pain severity and proprioception were assessed before and after the interventions.

Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the pretreatment pain and proprioception values of the 2 groups ( > .05). After the treatments, there was a significant improvement in proprioception in both groups ( ≤ .001). Similarly, there was a significant improvement in VAS values in both groups after the treatments ( ≤ .001). The VAS and proprioception values of the 2 groups were not significantly different in the post-treatment measurements ( > .05).

Conclusion: It was concluded that the IASTM and KT interventions had an immediate effect on pain and proprioception in the participants who had CNP, while neither intervention was superior to the other.