Kinesio Taping for Pain and Recovery After Cesarean Delivery

NCT07855809 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2026/161
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examined whether elastic therapeutic tape, known as kinesio tape, applied to the lower abdomen after cesarean delivery could reduce pain and improve recovery when added to standard postoperative care. The study included 72 women aged 18-45 years who underwent repeat cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia at a single hospital in Türkiye. Participants were assigned by chance to three groups of 24 women: kinesio taping, sham taping, or standard care without tape. Sham taping used a simple tape application without the therapeutic technique used in the kinesio taping group. All three groups received the same standard pain medication regimen. Tape was applied 8 hours after surgery. Pain was assessed before taping at 8 hours and again at 9, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Participants completed a 15-item questionnaire about their recovery at 24 hours. The study also recorded the time to first passage of gas and first bowel movement, as well as skin reactions and difficulty tolerating the tape.

Conditions

Postoperative Pain; Recovery After Cesarean Delivery

Keywords

Kinesio Taping; Cesarean Section; Sham Taping; Quality of Recovery; QoR-15; Bowel Function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale

  Postoperative pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). The postoperative 8-hour VAS score was recorded before the intervention as the baseline measurement. Post-intervention pain intensity was assessed at postoperative hours 9, 24, and 48. Lower scores indicate lower pain intensity.

  Postoperative hours 8, 9, 24, and 48

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Postoperative Quality of Recovery Assessed by QoR-15

  Postoperative hour 24

• Time to First Flatus

  From completion of cesarean delivery until the first passage of flatus, assessed up to 48 hours postoperatively.

• Time to First Defecation

  From completion of cesarean delivery until the first defecation, assessed up to 48 hours postoperatively.

Other Outcomes (1)

• Participants With Tape-Related Skin Reactions or Intolerance

  At postoperative hours 9, 24, and 48 following cesarean delivery.

Study Arms (3)

Kinesio Taping

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received therapeutic kinesio taping in addition to standard postoperative care following cesarean delivery. Kinesio taping was applied at the 8th postoperative hour by the same trained investigator according to the predefined therapeutic taping protocol.

Other: Kinesio Taping

Sham Taping

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants received sham taping in addition to standard postoperative care following cesarean delivery. Sham taping was applied at the 8th postoperative hour by the same investigator using a nontherapeutic taping technique. Participants were unaware of whether they received therapeutic kinesio taping or sham taping.

Other: Sham Taping

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants received standard postoperative care following cesarean delivery without any taping intervention.

Interventions

Kinesio Taping OTHER

Therapeutic kinesio taping was applied at the 8th postoperative hour following cesarean delivery, in addition to standard postoperative care. The application was performed with the participant in the supine position by the same trained investigator. Two 15-cm fan-shaped strips were applied bilaterally to the lower abdomen, with the anchor portions positioned over the inguinal regions and the fan tails directed superiorly. A 20-cm web-shaped strip was applied approximately 2-3 cm above the Pfannenstiel incision. The fan and web strips did not overlap, and the surgical incision and dressing were kept free of tape. The skin was clean and dry before application, the tape corners were rounded, and the tape was applied without tension.

Kinesio Taping

Sham Taping OTHER

Sham taping was applied at the 8th postoperative hour with the participant in the supine position by the same investigator who performed therapeutic taping. The same kinesiology tape material was used. One straight strip, approximately 15 cm long and 5 cm wide, was applied about 3 cm above the Pfannenstiel incision without contacting the dressing. The tape was placed in a neutral orientation without therapeutic tension. No lymphatic fan technique, web-cut taping, therapeutic directional placement, or other kinesio taping principles targeting pain or edema were used. Participants were not informed whether they received therapeutic or sham taping. The tape was to be removed in case of skin reaction, intolerance, or participant request.

Sham Taping

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 to 45 years
• History of one or two previous cesarean deliveries
• Undergoing repeat cesarean delivery in the current pregnancy because of previous cesarean delivery
• Singleton pregnancy
• Cesarean delivery performed under spinal anesthesia
• Willingness to participate after receiving information about the study and provision of written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Primary cesarean delivery
• History of three or more previous cesarean deliveries
• Cesarean delivery under general anesthesia
• Placenta previa, placenta accreta spectrum, placental abruption, or other obstetric conditions associated with increased surgical risk
• Severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, non-reassuring fetal status, or other maternal or fetal conditions requiring urgent intervention
• Known allergy to kinesiology tape material
• Skin lesion, infection, or dermatologic disease at the planned taping site
• Chronic pain syndrome or regular analgesic use
• Communication problems that could interfere with reliable collection of study data

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ibrahim Ethem Kirez: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital

Istanbul, Istanbul, 34147, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Hilal Saltik Kirez, MD

  Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Participants assigned to the kinesio taping and sham taping groups were unaware of whether they received therapeutic kinesio taping or sham taping. Participants assigned to the no-taping control group were necessarily aware that no tape was applied. All taping procedures were performed by the same unmasked investigator. Outcome assessments, including VAS and QoR-15 evaluations, were performed by a different investigator who was unaware of group allocation. During outcome assessments, the abdominal area was kept covered to prevent identification of the assigned intervention.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist

Model Details: Single-center, randomized, controlled trial with three parallel groups. Participants were allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to kinesio taping plus standard postoperative care, sham taping plus standard postoperative care, or standard postoperative care alone. Computer-generated block randomization with a block size of six was used.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 21, 2026
• First Posted: October 2, 2026
• Study Start: May 11, 2026
• Primary Completion: September 14, 2026
• Study Completion: September 14, 2026
• Last Updated: October 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)