Efficacy and safety of kinesiology tape for hemiplegic shoulder pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of kinesiology tape in treating hemiplegic shoulder pain. METHODS: Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, six other English databases and three Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, Wan Fang) were searched for randomized controlled trials published prior to December 13, 2020 in English or Chinese on the use of kinesiology tape for hemiplegic shoulder pain. RESULTS: Fourteen randomized controlled trials (679 patients) of good PEDro quality (6.43 +/- 1.09) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results for pain (SMD -0.92, 95% CI -1.10 to -0.74, P < 0.001, 10 RCTs, 539 patients), range of motion (SMD 2.27, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.32, P < 0.001, 7 studies, 320 patients), the acromion humeral distance (SMD -0.62, 95% CI -0.88 to -0.37, P < 0.001, 7 RCTs, 246 patients) and the FMA-UE score (SMD 0.66, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.91, P < 0.001, 5 RCTs, 263 patients) suggested that therapeutic kinesiology tape relieved pain, increased ROM, shortened the acromion humeral distance and improved upper extremity motor function to a greater extent than the sham or blank control conditions. The pooled results for individual activity (SMD 0.42, 95% CI -0.22 to 1.07, P = 0.199, 5 RCTs, 199 patients) and quality of life (SMD 0.308, 95% CI -0.288 to 0.903, P = 0.311, 1 RCT, 44 patients) showed that the kinesiology tape group was not significantly different from the sham or blank control group. Publication bias was not observed. No adverse events were reported in any of the included studies. CONCLUSION: KT relieved pain and improved the ROM, DAH and FMA-UE score in patients with HSP to a greater extent than did the sham KT or blank control conditions. The effects on independence in activities of daily living and quality of life and whether this method is superior to active treatment in patients with HSP were not verified. More rigorous, reasonably designed RCTs with large sample sizes are still needed in the future.