Examination of the effect of physical therapy combined with kinesiology taping on pain and muscle weakness in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract

[Purpose] Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include pain, limited range of motion, and muscle weakness. Conservative treatment for knee osteoarthritis includes exercise therapy, physical therapy, and taping therapy. Kinesiology taping has gained traction in clinical practice for knee osteoarthritis treatment owing to its therapeutic benefits. However, the effects of kinesiology taping on pain and muscle strength remain unclear, although these two factors are known to be related in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of physical therapy combined with kinesiology taping on pain and quadriceps muscle weakness in patients with knee osteoarthritis and compare it with that of placebo treatment. [Participants and Methods] The study included 31 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. We examined and compared the effects of taping between the kinesiology taping group and the placebo group with respect to knee extension muscle strength, pain, range of motion, walking speed, and quality of life after 4 weeks of physical therapy. [Results] Significant main effects of time were observed for all parameters, except the contralateral range of motion. However, significant main effects of group factors were not observed for any parameter. [Conclusion] The combination of physical therapy and kinesiology taping did not show significantly greater effectiveness than placebo treatment in alleviating pain and quadriceps weakness in patients with knee osteoarthritis.