Immediate Effects of Kinesio Taping on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Kinesio Taping, sham taping- not therapeutic.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Basic parameters: 20 years — 45 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Immediate Effects of Kinesio Taping on Symptoms, Grip Strength, and Hand Dexterity in Patients With Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the immediate effects of Kinesio Taping compared with sham taping in adults with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). The study aims to determine whether a single application of Kinesio Taping provides greater improvements in symptom severity, grip strength, and hand dexterity than sham taping. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does a single application of Kinesio Taping reduce symptom severity and improve tolerance to the Roos test compared with sham taping? Does a single application of Kinesio Taping improve grip strength and hand dexterity compared with sham taping? Researchers will compare participants receiving Kinesio Taping with those receiving sham taping to determine whether the observed effects are attributable to the therapeutic application of Kinesio Taping rather than nonspecific or placebo effects. Participants will: * undergo baseline assessments of symptom severity during the Roos test, Roos test completion time, grip strength, and hand dexterity; * be randomly assigned to receive either Kinesio Taping or sham taping; * undergo immediate post-intervention assessments using the same outcome measures.
Detailed description
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a neurovascular entrapment disorder caused by compression of the brachial plexus and/or subclavian vessels at the thoracic outlet. Patients commonly experience pain, paresthesia, weakness, and reduced upper-extremity function, leading to impaired performance in daily activities. Conservative treatment is considered the first-line approach for most patients and typically includes postural correction, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and activity modification.
Kinesio Taping (KT) is a non-invasive intervention that has been widely used in musculoskeletal rehabilitation to reduce pain, enhance proprioception, and improve functional performance. Previous studies have reported beneficial effects of KT in several peripheral nerve-related conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis with radial nerve involvement, and peripheral neuropathies. However, evidence regarding its effectiveness in patients with TOS remains limited.
To date, only one randomized controlled trial has investigated the effects of KT in patients with TOS, demonstrating improvements in pain, paresthesia, disability, and quality of life. Nevertheless, the immediate effects of KT on objective motor performance outcomes, particularly grip strength and hand dexterity, have not been investigated. Since these outcomes are essential determinants of upper-extremity function and directly influence activities of daily living, addressing this knowledge gap may provide clinically relevant evidence for rehabilitation practice.
This randomized, sham-controlled trial is designed to investigate the immediate effects of a single KT application on symptom severity, response to the Roos test, grip strength, and hand dexterity in patients with TOS. The findings are expected to clarify whether KT produces immediate functional benefits beyond placebo effects and to provide evidence for its role as an adjunctive intervention in the conservative management of TOS.
Interventions
- Device Kinesio Taping
A single application of therapeutic Kinesio Taping will be performed according to a standardized protocol by an experienced physiotherapist. - Other sham taping- not therapeutic
A single application of sham taping will be performed according to a standardized protocol by an experienced physiotherapist.
Primary outcome measures
- Grip strength [Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the intervention]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Hand dexterity [Time frame: Baseline and immediately after taping]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Clinical diagnosis of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) confirmed by a thoracic surgeon.
- Presence of symptoms consistent with TOS.
- Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- History of fracture or surgery involving the cervical spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand that could affect upper-extremity function.
- Neurological disorders affecting upper-extremity function (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy unrelated to TOS).
- Other upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders that may influence grip strength or hand dexterity (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis).
- Skin lesions, allergy to adhesive tape, or any dermatological condition preventing tape application.
- Pregnancy.
- Inability to perform the assessment procedures.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center
- Sivas Cumhuriyet University — Merkez
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07750184 · 24915