Scientific evidence of kinesiotaping in physiotherapy and sports. Review Article

Abstract

Background and purpose. Kinesio taping (KT) is used for the prevention and treatment of injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The purpose of our research review was to analyze the available scientific data and determine how is the kinesiotaping method effective really.
 Materials and methods: Only articles written in English that matched the keywords of our research paper were included in our study. The literature search was performed using the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, SportsDiscus, and Cochrane. 218 sources were analyzed, from which 23 sources were selected that most corresponded to the purpose of our study.
 Results. The results of an analysis of studies to establish the effectiveness of the kinesio taping method for improving motor control, balance and coordination are mixed. We have also established the lack of effectiveness in improving the physical qualities of sportsmen, so kinesio taping can have the most pronounced effect in reducing pain syndrome and improving posture only in the short term. According to most studies, kinesotaping immediately improves posture. But these results need further testing to determine the long-term effects of kinesiotaping on posture.
 Conclusions. The analyzed studies give reason to assert that today there is no conflicting scientific evidence of the effectiveness of kinesitaping, and there is also no reason not to use CT as an additional method both in physical therapy and in sports.