Effects of Kinesio Taping on Wrist Pain, Range of Motion, Grip Strength, and Wrist Function in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Purpose : This study aimed to compare the effects of Kinesio taping and non-elastic taping on wrist pain, range of motion (ROM), grip strength, and wrist function among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.Methods : This quasi-experimental study used a non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design to compare a Kinesio taping group with a non-elastic taping group. Data were collected between April 10 and May 16, 2025. Fifty participants were included in the final analysis, with 26 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group.Results : There were significant group-by-time interaction effects for wrist pain (F = 6.65, p = .001) and wrist flexion ROM (F = 3.15, p = .035), indicating greater improvements over time in the Kinesio taping group than in the control group. No significant group-by-time interaction effects were observed for grip strength (F = 0.32, p = .730) and wrist function (F = 1.17, p = .318).Conclusion : This study demonstrates that Kinesio taping is an effective intervention for reducing wrist pain and improving ROM among ICU nurses with wrist pain. The application of Kinesio taping may help reduce the musculoskeletal burden and support stable work performance in ICU clinical settings.