COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF KINESIO TAPING AND LOW-DYE TAPING FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS: A TWO-WEEK RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a prevalent source of heel pain linked to mechanical overload and faulty foot biomechanics. Taping is commonly used to offload the plantar fascia, yet head-to-head evidence comparing Kinesio taping (KT) with Low-Dye taping (LDT) is limited. Objective: To compare short-term effects of KT and LDT—each combined with iontophoresis and stretching—on pain, stiffness, and function in adults with PF. Methods: Forty-five participants (21–60 years; 14 females/31 males) meeting standard PF criteria were randomized into three groups (n=15/group): KT, LDT or control. All groups received 12 sessions over two weeks (6/week) KT and LDT groups received taping plus acetic-acid iontophoresis (40 mA·min, up to 4 mA) and plantar fascia/calf stretching; controls received iontophoresis + stretching only. Outcomes were Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, VAS morning stiffness (MS) and VAS residual stiffness (RS) recorded at baseline, 1 week and 2 weeks. Statistics: paired t-tests, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons (α=0.05). Results: All groups improved significantly within-group on most outcomes over 2 weeks (p ≤ 0.05). Between-group ANOVA showed significant differences favouring taping groups for PSFS at 2 weeks (F=6.67, p=0.03) and VAS-pain at 1 week (F=14.83, p<0.001) and 2 weeks (F=13.05, p<0.001). Between-group differences were not significant for MS at 2 weeks (p=0.12) or RS at 2 weeks (p=0.34) Post-hoc analyses indicated KT ≈ LDT (no significant difference) while each outperformed control on pain and function. Minor tape-related skin irritation occurred in a few participants. Conclusion: Over two weeks both KT and LDT—when combined with iontophoresis and stretching—yield superior short-term improvements in pain and function versus iontophoresis + stretching alone. KT and LDT were clinically comparable in this timeframe.