The Effect of Kinesio Tape Application on Clinical Parameters in Postmenopausal Women With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background With rising life expectancy, women are expected to spend a third of their lives in the postmenopausal stage. Consequently, focusing research on postmenopausal women is considered crucial. Objective This study was conducted to determine the effects of kinesiotaping (KT) and sham KT applied with exercise programs on clinical parameters such as pain, sleep, and quality of life in postmenopausal women with chronic low back pain. Methods A randomized controlled experimental design, characteristic of quantitative research, was utilized. The subjects consisted of 60 postmenopausal women. The visual analog scale (VAS), Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used as data collection tools. Results At the end of the eighth week, the mean VAS score of the experimental group was 6.7±1.0, the mean PSQI score was 5.16±1.82, and the mean RMDQ score was 8.83±2.19. In contrast, the mean VAS score of the control group was 7.2±1.5, the mean PSQI score was 6.26±1.74, and the mean RMDQ score was 10.83±3.01. At the end of the eighth week, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of VAS (p=0.128), but there was a significant difference in PSQI (p=0.020) and RMDQ (p=0.005) scales. Conclusion The results of this study showed that the combination of KT and exercise therapy had ameliorative effects on pain severity, dysfunction, and sleep quality in chronic low back pain experienced during the postmenopausal period.