A randomized controlled trial of a mixed Kinesio taping-compression technique on venous symptoms, pain, peripheral venous flow, clinical severity and overall health status in postmenopausal women with chronic venous insufficiency
Two pages on PainSci cite Aguilar-Ferrándiz 2013: 1. The Dubious Science of Kinesiology Tape 2. Compression socks with tape
PainSci notes on Aguilar-Ferrándiz 2013:
“Compression socks with tape,” quipped @exuberantdoc, and that’s probably all the commentary on this paper that’s really called for.
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of a mixed Kinesio taping treatment in women with chronic venous insufficiency.
DESIGN: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial.
SETTING: Clinical setting.
PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and twenty postmenopausal women with mild-moderate chronic venous insufficiency were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving standardized Kinesio taping treatment for gastrocnemius muscle enhancement and ankle functional correction, or to a placebo control group for simulated Kinesio taping.
MAIN OUTCOMES VARIABLES: Venous symptoms, pain, photoplethysmographic measurements, bioelectrical impedance, temperature, severity and overall health were recorded at baseline and after four weeks of treatment.
RESULTS: The 2 × 2 mixed model ANCOVA with repeated measurements showed statistically significant group * time interaction for heaviness (F = 22.99, p = 0.002), claudication (F = 8.57, p = 0.004), swelling (F = 22.58, p = 0.001), muscle cramps (F = 7.14, p = 0.008), venous refill time (right: F = 9.45, p = 0.023; left: F = 14.86, p = 0.001), venous pump function (right: F = 35.55, p = 0.004; left: F = 17.39 p = 0.001), extracellular water (right: F = 35.55, p = 0.004; left: F = 23.84, p = 0.001), severity (F = 18.47, p = 0.001), physical function (F = 9.15, p = 0.003) and body pain (F = 3.36, p = 0.043). Both groups reported significant reduction in pain.
CONCLUSION: Mixed Kinesio taping-compression therapy improves symptoms, peripheral venous flow and severity and slightly increases overall health status in females with mild chronic venous insufficiency. Kinesio taping may have a placebo effect on pain.
related content
- The Dubious Science of Kinesiology Tape — The origin story and science of therapy tapes like Kinesio Tape, KT Tape, Spider-Tech, RockTape
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