Participants’ perceptions of Kinesio tape for carpal tunnel syndrome: A qualitative study

Introduction Kinesio tape is an alternative non-surgical treatment approach for addressing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The purpose of the study was to investigate individuals’ experiences with the dorsal application of Kinesio tape for carpal tunnel syndrome management and its impact on pain and function. Method The study design was a limited phenomenological design study embedded in a randomized controlled trial. Daily symptom journals and semi-structured interviews were completed with 15 participants who were purposefully recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention group of a single blind randomized controlled trial. Kinesio tape was applied dorsally on the affected forearm, wrist, and digits for a duration of two weeks. Transcribed data were analyzed using descriptive coding, coding schemes, and frequency charts to identify emerging themes. Results Three themes emerged: Kinesio tape was positively perceived to be effective on decreasing pain, increasing self-efficacy, and improving daily functional performance on tasks previously avoided or abandoned. The most common problem identified was maintaining Kinesio tape on the hands and fingers, to which the majority of participants expressed a desire to learn application. Discussion Results of this study suggest that Kinesio tape is a positively perceived intervention for decreasing pain and increasing function for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome and warrants further consideration as an alternative conservative intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome.