Efficacy of kinesio taping on upper limb volume reduction in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Nicola Marotta, Lorenzo Lippi, Valerio Ammendolia and 5 others
PMID 36847633WHAT IT FOUND
Kinesio taping did not reduce arm swelling better than compression bandages or garments across seven randomised trials, and in the largest trial it came last of five methods.
It was rated the most comfortable option. The authors call the evidence weak.
Key findings
01The review's own conclusion is that kinesio taping had no significant effect on upper limb volume compared with other rehabilitation treatments, and it says the low quality of the included trials weakens even that conclusion.
02In the largest included trial, which compared five compression approaches in 146 women, kinesio taping reduced excess arm volume least of all (P<0.001) but was rated the most comfortable method (P<0.001).
03Smaller trials pointed the other way: one reported taping reduced arm volume by 5.7±2% against 3.4±2.9% with compression garments and improved shoulder range of motion, and another found significant reductions in arm circumference, grip strength and quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only seven trials met the criteria, and they used different taping methods: different shapes, tensions, numbers of strips, wear time and replacement schedules. The comparison groups differed too, from compression garments to bandages to complete decongestive therapy to sham taping, so the trials are not measuring the same thing. Most trials measured arm volume indirectly from tape-measure circumferences using a formula, which gives only approximate volumes. Three of the seven trials were at high risk of bias overall, and the authors state that the low quality of the included studies might significantly affect the strength of their conclusions. Because the trials were so different from each other, the authors could not pool the results into a meta-analysis, so no single combined estimate of effect exists. Several of the trials were small, with 30 to 45 participants.
Declared interests
The text provided contains no funding statement and no conflict-of-interest declaration for this review.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that kinesio taping reduces lymphoedema. The review's own conclusion was that taping had no significant effect on upper limb volume compared with other treatments, and three of the seven included trials were rated at high risk of bias. The encouraging results came from two individual trials, not from the review's overall analysis.
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