Effect of kinesio taping on shoulder tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Shoulder tendinopathy (ST) is one of the most common shoulder disorders. Kinesio taping (KT), a novel taping technique, has received increasing attention in sports medicine and rehabilitation in recent years.

The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of KT on pain，function, and range of motion in patients with ST.

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024582846, 03 Sep 2024). China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Information (VIP), Wanfang Data, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, EBSCO (MEDLINE), Embase, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of KT on ST, published up to June 15, 2026. The intervention in the experimental group involved KT, either applied alone or in combination with other rehabilitation modalities. The control interventions included sham taping or conventional treatment. The primary outcome measures were pain intensity [eg, visual analogue scale (VAS)], shoulder range of motion (ROM), and Shoulder function scores [eg, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)]. The secondary outcome measure is Acromiohumeral distance (AHD). Study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2), and the certainty of evidence was graded according to the GRADE system. Effect sizes were calculated as Mean Difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD), with 95% CI. SMDs were calculated as Hedges' adjusted g to correct for small-sample bias. Data analyses were performed using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 15. For random-effects meta-analyses, the between-study variance was estimated using the DerSimonian-Laird method. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test.

A total of 16 RCTs involving 890 patients with ST were included in this study, with 450 participants in the KT group and 440 in the control group. Six studies (37.5%) were assessed as having a low risk of bias, while ten studies (62.5%) were classified as having a high risk of bias. The analgesic effect of KT combined with other interventions (SMD=-0.39, 95% CI [-0.56, -0.23], p<0.05) was superior to that of KT alone. When combined with other treatments, KT produced significant gains in flexion (MD=8.01, 95% CI [4.26, 11.77], P<0.05), extension (MD=6.26, 95% CI [4.94, 7.58], p<0.05), abduction (MD=11.50, 95% CI [8.20, 14.81], p<0.05), and external rotation (MD=7.03, 95% CI [4.86, 9.21], p<0.05). KT, combined with other interventions, provided even greater functional improvement (SMD = 0.44, 95% CI [0.26, 0.63], p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated that the X-shaped taping technique was more effective than the Y-shaped taping technique in relieving pain (MD = -0.48, 95% CI [-0.77, -0.19], p = 0.001). Follow-up analyses showed that KT alone maintained a significant improvement in shoulder function (SMD = 1.54, 95% CI [1.03, 2.05], p < 0.05). The quality of evidence for pain, ROM, and shoulder function outcomes was rated as very low. Although KT showed statistically significant effects on some primary and secondary outcomes, the overall certainty of evidence remains limited.

KT may provide small-to-moderate improvements in pain, shoulder range of motion, and shoulder function in patients with ST; however, the clinical relevance of these effects should be interpreted cautiously. In addition, the long-term durability of KT effects remains uncertain due to the limited number of studies reporting follow-up outcomes and the heterogeneity in follow-up durations. Therefore, KT may be considered as a short-term adjunctive intervention for symptom management and rehabilitation, while its long-term effectiveness requires further confirmation.