The Effect of Kinesio Taping on Pain Pressure Threshold in Work Related Low Back Pain for Computer Professionals

Abstract

Background/aim: In many countries low back pain is a long-term disability, where 90% of people suffer from it at some point of time. Low back pain has high prevalence rate and incidence of low back problems leads to disability, sickness further leads to sickness absenteeism, early retirement and lost working days. Computer work has generated a new genre of occupational health problems, i.e., of computer-related musculoskeletal disorder. Work related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) are damages caused to joint, muscle, tendon and ligament due to repeated strain given to the structure lead to musculoskeletal pain and discomfort and most common joint affected are neck, lower back, shoulder, elbow and wrist. Musculoskeletal discomfort can occur anywhere in the body and typically are not caused by a single traumatic event, but is due to micro trauma to tissues that does not heal during rest. Postural back pain is a major public and occupational health problem, especially in the information technology (IT) and BPO sectors. Various intervention strategy used to treat chronic back pain such as physical agents, exercise and back school program. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Kinesio taping compared with rigid taping along with TENS and back exercise program on pain pressure threshold for subjects with work related low back pain in computer professionals. Methods and Materials: 112 subjects satisfied the inclusion criteria had been selected from among the eligible participants of 196 subjects works in medium and large-scale IT industry reported with lower back pain for more than three months. Subjects were divided randomly in to two group and intervened by kinesio taping or rigid taping with common protocol of TENS and back exercise program. Pain pressure threshold was measured before and after treatment, compared the mean difference by ANOVA to find out the effect of intervention Results: The data were analyzed by SPSS version 20.0 using descriptive statistics such as normality test, mean standard deviation and graphs and charts. Inferential statistics such as ANOVA. Both the groups improved in pain pressure threshold and kinesio taping group was better in improving pain pressure threshold with high statistical significance of P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: kinesio taping compared with rigid taping along with TENS and core stability exercise found Kinesio tape is better than rigid tape in all parameters with the significance of p ≤ 0.05 except quadratus lumborum left and L2-L3 level were the significance was P=0.078 and P=0.152 respectively.