COMPARING THE EFFICACY OF KINESIOLOGY TAPING VERSUS DRY NEEDLING WITH CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND ALLEVIATING PAIN IN FROZEN SHOULDER PATIENTS

Background: Adhesive capsulitis (AC), commonly known as frozen shoulder, is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder marked by pain and restricted range of motion (ROM) in the shoulder joint. It significantly impacts patients’ daily activities and quality of life. Conventional physiotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment, but adjunct techniques such as Dry Needling (DN) and Kinesio Taping (KT) are increasingly used to enhance therapeutic outcomes. A multimodal approach incorporating DN and KT may yield superior results in managing shoulder pain and dysfunction. Objective: To compare the effects of Kinesio Taping and Dry Needling, when used alongside conventional physiotherapy, on improving pain and functional outcomes in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 participants initially enrolled; 6 dropped out, leaving 24 participants who completed the study. Participants were allocated into two groups: Group 1 received Dry Needling with conventional physiotherapy, while Group 2 received Kinesio Taping with conventional physiotherapy. The study was conducted at Pain Away Physiotherapy Clinic over 6 months. Data collection tools included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) for functional assessment. Paired sample and independent sample t-tests were used for within- and between-group comparisons using SPSS version 26. Results: The mean age was 44.83 ± 7.197 years, with 17 females (70.8%) and 7 males (29.2%). In Group 1, the VAS score difference was -2.000 ± 1.128 (p = .000), while in Group 2 it was -3.000 ± 1.595 (p = .000). SPADI scores improved significantly in both groups: Group 1 showed a difference of -4.250 ± 5.479 (p = .021) and Group 2 -8.833 ± 5.096 (p = .000). Between-group comparisons also showed statistically significant results in favor of Dry Needling. Conclusion: Dry Needling was found to be more effective than Kinesio Taping in reducing pain and improving functional capacity in patients with frozen shoulder. A combined approach with conventional physiotherapy enhances therapeutic outcomes, although optimal treatment parameters require further exploration.