Background/Purpose: There are several approaches in the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of kinesio taping (KT) and local subacromial injection in patients with SIS, in regard to pain, range of motion (ROM) and disability.

Methods:

Sixty-one patients with subacromial impingement syndrome were enrolled into the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, sex, duration of disease were recorded. The patients were randomized into two treatment groups receiving either a single corticosteroid and local anesthetic (LA) injection, or kinesio taping performed three times by intervals of 3 day. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess pain intensity, shoulder abduction, flexion and rotation range of motion (ROM) degrees were recorded and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) was performed to evaluate functional disability, before treatment, at the first and fourth weeks after therapies. Both groups were educated for home exercise programme.

Results:

Forty-eight female and 13 male patients (mean age, 42.4+6.48 years; mean disease duration, 2.35+0.79 months) were included in the study. There were no differences between the groups regarding demographic variables on entry to the study. Pain, functional outcome measures were determined to have improved significantly in both groups at the end of therapies at first and fourth weeks, but these improvements were more significant in the injection group than in kinesio taping group (p>0.05). The improvements in pain at rest, shoulder abduction degrees, and SPADI scores at first and fourth weeks were statistically higher in injection group than in kinesio taping group.

Conclusion:

We imply that single dose subacromial injection and three times of kinesio taping by 3 day intervals, in addition to exercise programme have favorable effects on pain and functional status in the early period (up to one month) of subacromial impingment syndrome. Although the improvement in pain intensity at rest, abduction ROM measures and disability were better with local injection, KT may be an alternative non-invasive method for patients suffering from subacromial impingement syndrome in the early period.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-comparative-efficacy-of-kinesio-taping-and-local-steroid-injection-in-patients-with-subacromial-impingement-syndrome/