Kinesio Taping for Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction in Spinal Cord Injury

NCT07705984 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: E-60116787-020-887485
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Neurogenic bowel dysfunction is a common complication of spinal cord injury and may cause constipation, difficulty with defecation, prolonged bowel care, incomplete evacuation, fecal incontinence, and reduced quality of life. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Kinesio Taping added to a routine bowel management program in adults with spinal cord injury and upper motor neuron-type neurogenic bowel dysfunction. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The control group will receive a routine bowel management program, while the intervention group will receive Kinesio Taping in addition to the routine bowel management program. Kinesio Taping will be applied to the lower abdominal and lumbosacral regions three times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome will be defecation frequency recorded using a 7-day bowel diary. Secondary outcomes will include stool consistency, defecation duration, perceived constipation severity, neurogenic bowel dysfunction severity, and health-related quality of life. Assessments will be performed before and after the 4-week intervention.

Conditions

Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction; Spinal Cord Injury

Keywords

Kinesio Taping; Neurogenic Bowel; Constipation; Bowel Management; Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Defecation Frequency

  Defecation frequency will be recorded using a 7-day bowel diary and expressed as the total number of defecations during a 7-day period. Higher values indicate more frequent bowel movements.

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Change in Bristol Stool Form Scale Score

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

• Change in Perceived Constipation Severity

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

• Change in Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

• Change in Short Form-36 Health Survey Scores

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

• Change in Defecation Duration

  Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention

Study Arms (2)

Routine Bowel Management Program

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this arm will receive an individualized routine bowel management program based on their clinical condition for 4 weeks. The program may include scheduled bowel care, dietary and fluid recommendations, appropriate positioning, physical activity, abdominal massage, rectal evacuation techniques, suppositories, enemas, and oral or rectal laxatives when clinically indicated. Participants will be instructed not to change their usual dietary habits during the study period.

Behavioral: Routine Bowel Management Program

Kinesio Taping Plus Routine Bowel Management Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will receive Kinesio Taping in addition to the routine bowel management program for 4 weeks. Kinesio Taping will be applied to the lower abdominal and lumbosacral regions three times per week by the same experienced physician. The tape will remain in place for 2 days and will be removed before the next treatment session. A star-shaped correction technique will be applied to the lumbosacral region with 25%-50% tension, and an I-shaped correction technique will be applied to the lower abdominal region between the right and left anterior superior iliac spines. No tension will be applied to the ends of the tape

Other: Kinesio Taping; Behavioral: Routine Bowel Management Program

Interventions

Kinesio Taping OTHER

Kinesio Taping will be applied to the lower abdominal and lumbosacral regions three times per week for 4 weeks. The tape will remain in place for 2 days and will be removed before the next treatment session. A star-shaped correction technique will be applied to the lumbosacral region with 25%-50% tension. An I-shaped correction technique will be applied to the lower abdominal region between the right and left anterior superior iliac spines. No tension will be applied to the ends of the tape.

Kinesio Taping Plus Routine Bowel Management Program

Routine Bowel Management Program BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive an individualized routine bowel management program based on their clinical condition for 4 weeks. The program may include scheduled bowel care, dietary and fluid recommendations, appropriate positioning, physical activity, abdominal massage, rectal evacuation techniques, suppositories, enemas, and oral or rectal laxatives when clinically indicated. Participants will be instructed not to change their usual dietary habits during the study period.

Kinesio Taping Plus Routine Bowel Management Program; Routine Bowel Management Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 18 years or older with traumatic or nontraumatic spinal cord injury
• Neurological level of injury at T12 or above
• Upper motor neuron-type neurogenic bowel dysfunction
• Duration of spinal cord injury longer than 6 months
• Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Age younger than 18 years
• Neurological level of injury below T12
• Gastrointestinal disease diagnosed before the spinal cord injury, including irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease
• History of conservative treatment for neurogenic bowel dysfunction within the previous 6 months
• Colostomy or history of bowel surgery
• Neurological disease other than spinal cord injury that may cause gastrointestinal or anal sphincter dysfunction
• Cognitive impairment that may interfere with participation in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pamukkale University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Pamukkale University Hospital

Denizli, Denizli, 20160, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Dandinoglu T, Kaya E. Kinesio Taping in spinal cord injury rehabilitation: A scoping review. J Spinal Cord Med. 2026 Feb 12:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2026.2626116. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 41677377 RESULT

• Karaaslan Y, Karakus A, Koc DO, Bayrakli A, Celenay ST. Effectiveness of Abdominal Massage Versus Kinesio Taping in Women With Chronic Constipation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2024 Oct 30;30(4):501-511. doi: 10.5056/jnm23131. Epub 2024 Jun 3.

  PMID: 38826075 RESULT

• Orhan C, Kaya Kara O, Kaya S, Akbayrak T, Kerem Gunel M, Baltaci G. The effects of connective tissue manipulation and Kinesio Taping on chronic constipation in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial. Disabil Rehabil. 2018 Jan;40(1):10-20. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1236412. Epub 2016 Oct 28.

  PMID: 27793072 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries; Neurogenic Bowel; Constipation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries; Colonic Diseases, Functional; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Meltem Gunes Akıncı, MD

CONTACT

+902582966000; meltem_aytekin@hotmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcome assessments will be performed by an investigator who is blinded to group allocation. Participants will be instructed not to disclose their treatment allocation to the outcome assessor.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2026
• First Posted: July 15, 2026
• Study Start: July 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Last Updated: July 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)