Kinesio taping or sham taping in knee osteoarthritis? A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial

•We investigated the effects of kinesio taping in knee osteoarthritis.•We observed similar improvement in pain with kinesio taping and sham taping.•Kinesio taping is not superior to sham taping in terms of function and quality of life.

PurposeTo compare effects of kinesio taping with sham taping at the end of 3 consecutive taping periods in knee osteoarthritis.Methods41 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis according to American College of Rheumatology were randomized to receive either KT or sham taping. Baseline evaluations included a visual analog scale (VAS) for activity and nocturnal pain, Lequesne index for functional assessment and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) for the quality of life. Taping was applied every four days, three times, and all of the assessments were repeated at the end of the treatment period.ResultsIn both groups VAS for activity pain, VAS for nocturnal pain, Lequesne index score, NHP score decreased significantly. NHP energy scores were different significantly between the groups in favor of sham taping at the end of the 12-day period.ConclusionOur findings indicate inconclusive evidence of a beneficial effect of kinesio taping over sham taping in knee osteoarthritis.