Kinesiology Tape: A Descriptive Survey of Healthcare Professionals in the United States.
Scott W Cheatham, Russell T Baker, Thomas E Abdenour
PMID 34123530WHAT IT FOUND
Most clinicians learn kinesiology taping from continuing education and peers, not research.
Half use 50% tension for three days. Many skip skin prep or removal instructions. The paper reports what practitioners do, not whether the tape works.
Key findings
01Continuing education, collaboration, and personal experience influenced taping application more often than peer-reviewed research or textbooks.
02Half of respondents used 50% tape tension, and most recommended wearing the tape for two to three days.
03Thirty-six percent of respondents gave no skin preparation instructions and twenty-three percent gave no tape removal instructions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The response rate was 2.1%, so the results may only reflect clinicians who are already interested in kinesiology tape. The survey was sent to members of three specific professional organisations, so it may not represent non-members or other healthcare settings. The questions were limited, so the survey did not capture details like tape direction or how clinicians adjust tension for different pathologies. This is a survey of beliefs and habits, not a test of whether kinesiology tape works. The authors state that the research evidence for its benefits is inconclusive.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high usage rates as evidence that kinesiology tape is effective. This paper only reports what clinicians currently do and believe. The authors note that the research on therapeutic benefits is inconclusive.