Comparison of Effectiveness of Exercise Plus Kinesio Taping Versus Exercise Alone in Dentists with Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Upper Trapezius Muscle

Objective: The aim in the present study was to compare the effectiveness of exercise plus kinesio taping versus exercise alone in dentists who have myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) of the upper trapezius muscle. Materials and Methods: In total, 47 dentists diagnosed with MPS of the upper trapezius muscle were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the dual block randomisation method. The patients in the first group (n = 23) received kinesio taping for the upper trapezius muscle and an exercise programme. The patients in the second group (n = 24) received only an exercise programme. All patients completed the study. The severity of the pain was measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS). An algometer was used to determine the pressure pain threshold, and the quality of life was measured using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Results: The mean age of the patients included into the study was 29.83 ± 5.45 in the kinesio taping group and 31.79 ± 5.60 in the exercise alone group. In both groups, a significant improvement in pain values was observed between the evaluations performed at the beginning and at the end of the study (p < 0.05). After the treatment, it was observed that the kinesio taping group exhibited higher improvement (p < 0.05) in the pain scores at rest and during activity as measured by VAS, pressure pain threshold values and using the subscales (physical functioning, social role functioning, vitality [energy], emotional role limitation, physical role limitation, mental health and general health perceptions) and total SF-36 scores. Only the improvement in the ‘bodily pain’ subscale of the SF-36 did not show statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The present study found that exercise therapy alone and exercise plus kinesio taping are beneficial in reducing pain in dentists with MPS of the upper trapezius muscle. The use of kinesio taping plus exercise provided further improvement in the resting and activity pain scores, pressure pain threshold and in certain subscales of the quality of life scale