Effects of connective tissue massage and kinesiotaping in patients with fibromyalgia.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of connective tissue massage (CTM) and kinesiotaping (KT) on pain, depression, and quality of life in fibromyalgia patients.
Results Summary
Both CTM and KT significantly improved pain, disease impact, depression, and quality of life, with no significant difference between the two interventions. The improvements had very large effect sizes across all measured variables.
Population
34 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (mean age ~35 years).
Effective Dosage
CTM was applied 3 days a week, KT was applied 2 days a week, alongside electrotherapy (TENS and infrared treatment) 5 days a week.
Duration
4 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
connective tissue massage (CTM) | decrease | VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #1 |
connective tissue massage (CTM) | decrease | McGill Pain Questionnaire | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #2 |
connective tissue massage (CTM) | decrease | Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #3 |
connective tissue massage (CTM) | decrease | Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #4 |
connective tissue massage (CTM) | increase | Short Form-36 (SF-36) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #5 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | decrease | VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #6 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | decrease | McGill Pain Questionnaire | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #7 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | decrease | Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #8 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | decrease | Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #9 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | increase | Short Form-36 (SF-36) | patients with fibromyalgia | - | A significant improvement with very large effect size was found | #10 |
connective tissue massage (CTM) | no change | all parameters | patients with fibromyalgia | - | The change after 4 weeks of treatment was similar between groups | #11 |
kinesiotaping (KT) | no change | all parameters | patients with fibromyalgia | - | The change after 4 weeks of treatment was similar between groups | #12 |
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common soft tissue rheumatic disease. There is no established treatment plan for FM. Current treatments primarily focus on controlling symptoms and improving the quality of life. The aim of our study was to determine how connective tissue massage (CTM) and kinesiotaping (KT) affect pain and depression in patients with fibromyalgia, and to compare their effects on quality of life. METHODS: Thirty-four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia were included. Participants divided into two groups. Group 1: CTM (n = 17, mean age = 35.47 ± 6.84 years), Group 2: KT (n = 17, mean age = 34.00 ± 5.46 years). This study was initiated by obtaining sociodemographic information. Pain (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)), pain characteristics (McGill Pain Questionnaire), disease impact on patients (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ)), depression (Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI)), and quality of life (Short Form-36 (SF-36)) were evaluated. All participants received electrotherapy (TENS and infrared treatment) for 25 min, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. CTM was applied 3 days a week, KT was applied 2 days a week for 4 weeks. RESULTS: A significant improvement with very large effect size was found in VAS, McGill, FIQ, BDI, and SF-36 variables in both groups (p < 0.05). The change after 4 weeks of treatment was similar between groups in terms of all parameters (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both CTM and KT improved pain, disease effects depression, and quality of life. These two interventions, which are not superior, can be added to the treatment program for patients with fibromyalgia.