Comparing the effects of ischemic compression and kinesiology taping techniques in patients with chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition for which various physiotherapy techniques are employed. However, the comparative effectiveness of ischaemic compression and kinesiology taping remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of these two techniques on patients with chronic low back pain. Participants with chronic low back pain (defined as pain persisting for at least 12 weeks) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Conservative treatment (CT), Conservative treatment plus kinesiology taping (CT + KT), Conservative treatment plus ischemic compression (CT + IC). Assessments were performed before treatment commenced and again at the end of the three-week treatment period. The patients' pain levels during movement, at rest and at night were measured, as were their flexion, extension and right and left lateral flexion values. Significant improvements in pain levels, as well as in flexion and extension scores, were observed in all three groups (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the intergroup comparison between kinesiology taping and conservative treatment methods (p > 0.05). However, in the group treated with ischaemic compression, greater improvement was observed in all parameters except lateral flexion angle compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Adding the ischemic compression technique to conservative treatment for chronic low back pain produced a superior therapeutic effect compared to kinesiology taping or conservative treatment alone.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT07425301 (registered retrospectively on 13 February 2026).