Effects of Different Kinesio Taping Methods in Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

NCT07891481 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: E-60116787-020-944983
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of two different kinesio taping techniques on pain, shoulder function, acromiohumeral distance, and shoulder proprioception in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. A total of 72 patients aged 18-65 years diagnosed with subacromial impingement syndrome will be randomly assigned to three groups: (1) conventional shoulder kinesio taping combined with therapeutic exercise, (2) scapular kinesio taping combined with therapeutic exercise, and (3) therapeutic exercise alone (control group). All participants will receive the same supervised therapeutic exercise program three times per week for eight weeks, totaling 24 sessions. Participants in the two kinesio taping groups will additionally receive their respective taping interventions three times per week for eight weeks. Outcome assessments will be performed at baseline and after eight weeks of treatment by an assessor blinded to group allocation. The primary outcome will be acromiohumeral distance measured by ultrasonography at 0° and 60° of shoulder abduction. Secondary outcomes will include pain intensity assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), shoulder pain and disability assessed using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), health-related quality of life assessed using the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC), and shoulder proprioception assessed using an active joint repositioning test. The study aims to determine whether adding kinesio taping to therapeutic exercise provides additional benefits and whether the effects differ between conventional shoulder and scapular taping techniques.

Conditions

Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

Keywords

Kinesio Taping; Scapular Taping; Shoulder Pain; Acromiohumeral Distance; Shoulder Proprioception; Therapeutic Exercise; Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain; Shoulder Function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Acromiohumeral Distance (AHD) Measured by Ultrasonography

  Acromiohumeral distance (AHD) will be measured using a Clarius L7 HD linear ultrasound scanner at 0° and 60° of shoulder abduction. Participants will be seated upright. At 0°, the arm will rest beside the body with the elbow extended. At 60°, the arm will be abducted with the elbow extended and palm facing downward. The abduction angle will be verified using a Baseline Digital Inclinometer. The ultrasound probe will be positioned at the lateral acromion, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the humerus. AHD will be defined as the shortest distance between the inferior border of the acromion and the humeral head. Three measurements will be obtained at each position, and the mean value in millimeters will be used for analysis. Changes from baseline to week 8 will be compared between groups.

  Baseline (before treatment) and week 8 (after completion of treatment).

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in Shoulder Pain Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

  Baseline (before treatment) and week 8 (after completion of treatment).

• Change in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) Score

  Baseline (before treatment) and week 8 (after completion of treatment).

• Change in Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) Score

  Baseline (before treatment) and week 8 (after completion of treatment).

• Change in Shoulder Joint Position Error (JPE)

  Baseline (before treatment) and week 8 (after completion of treatment).

Study Arms (3)

Conventional Shoulder Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive conventional shoulder kinesio taping based on the Kase technique, using a three-strip application protocol adapted from Oliveira et al. Kinesio taping will be administered in addition to a standardized therapeutic exercise program. The exercise program will include stretching and strengthening exercises targeting the shoulder and scapular muscles. The intervention period will last eight weeks.

Other: Conventional Kinesio Taping; Other: Therapeutic Exercise Program

Scapular Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive scapular kinesio taping based on the technique described by Harput et al. The taping intervention will be administered in addition to a standardized therapeutic exercise program. The exercise program will include stretching and strengthening exercises targeting the shoulder and scapular muscles. The intervention period will last eight weeks.

Other: Scapular Kinesio Taping; Other: Therapeutic Exercise Program

Therapeutic Exercise Only (Control Group)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will receive only a standardized therapeutic exercise program without kinesio taping. The exercise program will include stretching exercises targeting the upper trapezius, pectoralis minor, and posterior shoulder structures, as well as strengthening exercises targeting the shoulder external rotators, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior muscles. The intervention period will last eight weeks.

Other: Therapeutic Exercise Program

Interventions

Conventional Kinesio Taping OTHER

Conventional shoulder kinesio taping will be applied to the symptomatic shoulder using a three-strip technique based on Kase principles and the protocol described by Oliveira et al. A 5-cm-wide elastic kinesiology tape will be used. The first Y-shaped strip will be applied around the deltoid muscle from insertion to origin with 15-25% tension. The second I-shaped strip will be applied from approximately 7-10 cm above the acromioclavicular joint to approximately 7-10 cm below the deltoid tuberosity with 50-75% tension. The third I-shaped strip will be applied from the coracoid process toward the posterior deltoid with 50-75% tension for mechanical correction. Taping will be performed three times weekly for eight weeks (24 applications), after each supervised exercise session. The tape will remain in place for 24 hours. Participants will also receive the standardized therapeutic exercise program.

Conventional Shoulder Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise

Scapular Kinesio Taping OTHER

Scapular kinesio taping will be applied according to the technique described by Harput et al. A 5-cm-wide elastic kinesiology tape will be used. Participants will be seated upright during application. The first I-shaped strip will be applied vertically along the medial border of the scapula with 75% tension while the participant actively performs scapular retraction. The second I-shaped strip will be applied diagonally from the anterior aspect of the humeral head toward the inferior border of the scapula with 75% tension while the participant actively performs scapular posterior tilt. Taping will be performed three times weekly for eight weeks (24 applications), after each supervised exercise session. The tape will remain in place for 24 hours. Participants will also receive the same standardized therapeutic exercise program.

Scapular Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic Exercise Program OTHER

All participants will receive the same hospital-based supervised therapeutic exercise program based on Letafatkar et al., three times weekly for eight weeks (24 sessions). The program includes three stretching and three strengthening exercises. Stretching targets the upper trapezius, pectoralis minor, and posterior shoulder structures. Each stretch is held for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest, and repeated three times. Strengthening includes shoulder external rotation (rotator cuff), shoulder extension (lower trapezius), and shoulder protraction (serratus anterior). Each strengthening exercise consists of 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1-minute rest between sets. Elastic resistance bands will be progressed from red to green and black. All exercises will be performed within the maximum pain-free range of motion.

Conventional Shoulder Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise; Scapular Kinesio Taping + Therapeutic Exercise; Therapeutic Exercise Only (Control Group)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• \- 1. Age between 18 and 65 years. 2. Shoulder pain persisting for at least 6 weeks. 3. Presence of a painful arc during shoulder flexion or abduction. 4. Positive Neer or Hawkins-Kennedy test. 5. Pain during at least one of the following tests: resisted shoulder external rotation, resisted abduction, or Jobe/Empty Can test.
• \. Ability to understand the study procedures. 7. Voluntary agreement to participate in the study and adhere to the treatment program.

You may not qualify if:

• \. History of shoulder surgery. 2. History of fracture involving the shoulder girdle. 3. Traumatic onset of shoulder pain. 4. Full-thickness or massive rotator cuff tear. 5. Significant tear of the long head of the biceps tendon. 6. Adhesive capsulitis. 7. History of glenohumeral instability or dislocation. 8. Cervical radiculopathy that may explain shoulder symptoms or pain provoked by cervical movements.
• \. Neurological or systemic rheumatological disease that may affect shoulder function.
• \. Open wounds or active dermatological lesions in the area of kinesio tape application.
• \. Known allergy or intolerance to kinesio tape or adhesive materials. 12. Physical therapy or injection treatment to the affected shoulder within the previous 6 months.
• \. Pregnancy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pamukkale University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Denizli, Denizli, 20070, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Umay-Altas E, Ecem-Konak H, Unsal-Delialioglu S, Sahin-Onat S, Gunay-Ucurum S. Mid-term effects of two different Kinesio tape treatments in female patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: Randomized controlled ultrasonographic study. J Hand Ther. 2023 Jul-Sep;36(3):514-522. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2022.09.002. Epub 2023 Mar 12.

  PMID: 36918309 BACKGROUND

• de Oliveira FCL, Pairot de Fontenay B, Bouyer LJ, Roy JS. Immediate effects of kinesiotaping on acromiohumeral distance and shoulder proprioception in individuals with symptomatic rotator cuff tendinopathy. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2019 Jan;61:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2018.11.005. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

  PMID: 30453120 BACKGROUND

• Letafatkar A, Rabiei P, Kazempour S, Alaei-Parapari S. Comparing the effects of no intervention with therapeutic exercise, and exercise with additional Kinesio tape in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. A three-arm randomized controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2021 Apr;35(4):558-567. doi: 10.1177/0269215520971764. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

  PMID: 33155484 BACKGROUND

• Koc M, Aydogmus H, Dinc F, Bayar K, Oskay D. Immediate effects of Kinesio taping and Dynamic taping on acromiohumeral distance in individuals with symptomatic rotator cuff tendinopathy. J Hand Ther. 2024 Oct-Dec;37(4):583-590. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2023.12.003. Epub 2024 Feb 19.

  PMID: 38378298 BACKGROUND

• Harput G, Guney H, Toprak U, Colakoglu F, Baltaci G. Acute effects of scapular Kinesio Taping(R) on shoulder rotator strength, ROM and acromiohumeral distance in asymptomatic overhead athletes. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2017 Nov;57(11):1479-1485. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06583-X. Epub 2016 Jul 8.

  PMID: 27391411 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome; Shoulder Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Shoulder Injuries; Wounds and Injuries; Arthralgia; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Hakan Alkan, MD

  Pamukkale University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Furkan Erduyan, MD

CONTACT

+905340793971; furkanerdugan@hotmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of the interventions, participants and treating therapists will not be blinded to group allocation. However, outcome assessments will be performed by an independent assessor who is blinded to treatment allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: This study is designed as a three-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Participants with subacromial impingement syndrome will be randomly allocated to one of three groups: conventional kinesio taping combined with exercise therapy, scapular kinesio taping combined with exercise therapy, or exercise therapy alone. The interventions will be administered over an eight-week period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 17, 2026
• First Posted: October 23, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): October 26, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 26, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 26, 2027
• Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)