Effects of Combining Kinesio Taping and Speech Therapy in Patients With Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Randomized...

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of kinesio taping (KT) as an adjunct to conventional speech therapy (ST) in patients diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD).

Twenty patients (mean age: 36.95 ± 9.58 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: one received ST alone, and the other received KT in addition to ST. The ST protocol included vocal hygiene education, laryngeal manual therapy, and voice exercises. The KT+ST group received identical treatment plus KT. Outcome measures included the consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice (CAPE-V), acoustic voice analysis, vocal tract discomfort (VTD) scale, pain assessment, and Quality of Life (QOL) evaluation. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests.

In the sustained vowel task, all CAPE-V and acoustic measures (jitter, shimmer, and harmonic-to-noise ratio [HNR]) improved significantly in both groups, while in connected speech, all CAPE-V in both groups, and only HNR in the ST group, significant improvements were observed (P < 0.05). No significant between-group differences were found in perceptual or acoustic outcomes (P > 0.05). VTD frequency and severity decreased significantly in both groups, except for soreness frequency and severity in the KT+ST group and irritability severity in the ST group. No significant between-group differences were found (P > 0.05). Pain frequency significantly declined in the front neck, throat, and larynx in both groups. The KT+ST group showed significant reductions in pain severity across all three regions, whereas the ST group improved only in the throat and larynx (P < 0.05). QOL scores improved significantly in both groups (P < 0.05), and no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Although both interventions effectively alleviated symptoms of MTD, KT did not yield additional therapeutic gains beyond those achieved through ST alone. Further investigation is needed to delineate KT's potential adjunctive role within comprehensive voice rehabilitation protocols.