The efficacy of kinesiology taping for improving gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review.
Marianne Unger, Juan P Carstens, Natasha Fernandes and 4 others
PMID 30214950WHAT IT FOUND
In children with cerebral palsy, adding trunk kinesiology taping to physiotherapy improved sitting gross motor function in pooled trials, but standing results were inconsistent and the trials were small, unblinded and not concealed.
Key findings
01The pooled analysis favoured kinesiology taping added to physiotherapy over physiotherapy alone for improving sitting function (p < 0.0001).
02Ibrahim reported a significant sitting improvement favouring kinesiology taping added to physiotherapy over physiotherapy alone (p = 0.005).
03For standing, only Ibrahim reported a significant improvement favouring kinesiology taping added to physiotherapy over physiotherapy alone (p = 0.003).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only five small randomised trials were included, with 15 to 19 participants in each group. The trials had low to moderate methodological quality, with PEDro scores from 3/9 to 6/9, and no study concealed allocation. Missing data were omitted and no intention-to-treat analysis was used. Participants and therapists could not be blinded, and only one trial blinded the assessor. All trials added tape to physiotherapy, so the tape was tested as an adjunct, not as a stand-alone treatment. Tape application and physiotherapy varied across trials, so it is unclear which method produced the best effect. No immediate or long-term effects were reported, and the review did not show that gains remain after tape removal. Only English published trials were included, so relevant trials in other languages or unpublished negative studies may have been missed.
Declared interests
No funding source or conflict of interest declaration is reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that kinesiology taping alone improves gross motor function. The trials tested kinesiology taping added to physiotherapy, the pooled benefit was mainly for sitting function, and standing results were inconsistent. The trials were small and had serious bias risks.