Exploring the Efficacy of Kinesio Taping as an Adjunct Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis, Grade 1 & 2: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic joint condition resulting in pain, stiffness, and reduced joint function. Kinesio taping (KT) has emerged as an adjunct treatment for OA. Objective: To examine the role of KT as an adjunctive intervention in the physiotherapy management of knee OA. Methods: A quasi-experimental investigation was conducted at Bethania Hospital, Pakistan, comparing the effectiveness of standard physiotherapy alone (Group 1) and standard physiotherapy plus KT (Group 2) in patients with knee OA grade I and II. By convenience sampling selected 50 participants aged above 40 with knee OA. Both groups received standard physiotherapy treatments, and KT was applied to Group 2 using a specific technique. Outcome measures included pain reduction Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), functional improvement using Western Ontario and McMaster Index (WOMAC), and presence of swelling and tenderness. Results: Demographic findings showed left-sided predominance of knee involvement, higher female prevalence, and a common age group of 40-45 years. Both groups demonstrated improvement in pain and functional outcomes post-intervention. The experimental group (Group 2) exhibited significantly lower WOMAC scores (p <.001) and VAS pain scores (p=.011) compared to the control group indicating superior improvement. The incidence of swelling and tenderness around knee demonstrated no improvement in posttest analysis. Conclusions: Promising results are reported in KT group in management of knee OA in grade I and grade II as compared to only physiotherapy treatment. The study highlights the age specific considerations, tape application method and impact of kinesio tape intervention as an additional option in physiotherapy.