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CTRI Number  CTRI/2025/07/091485 [Registered on: 23/07/2025] Trial Registered Prospectively
Last Modified On: 15/08/2026
Post Graduate Thesis  Yes 
Type of Trial  Interventional 
Type of Study   Physiotherapy (Not Including YOGA) 
Study Design  Other 
Public Title of Study   Effect of Kinesio Taping vs compression technique on Neck Pain and Movement in People with Muscle Knots in the Upper neck and shoulder blade muscle 
Scientific Title of Study   Comparative effect of Kinesio taping and Ischemic compression on Pain, Pressure Pain threshold, Cervical range of motion and Functional abilities in individuals with upper trapezius myofascial trigger points: a pre- post interventional study.  
Trial Acronym  NIL 
Secondary IDs if Any  
Secondary ID  Identifier 
NIL  NIL 
 
Details of Principal Investigator or overall Trial Coordinator (multi-center study)  
Name  Sejal Doshi 
Designation  MPTh Scholar 
Affiliation  k J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy 
Address  Ayurvihar Complex, Eastern Express Hwy, Sion East, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022

Mumbai
MAHARASHTRA
400022
India 
Phone  8668318981  
Fax    
Email  sejald91@gmail.com  
 
Details of Contact Person
Scientific Query  
Name  Dr Priti Mehendale PT 
Designation  professor and head of department 
Affiliation  k J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy 
Address  Ayurvihar Complex, Eastern Express Hwy, Sion East, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022

Mumbai
MAHARASHTRA
400022
India 
Phone  9821533846  
Fax    
Email  priti.mehendale@somaiya.edu  
 
Details of Contact Person
Public Query  
Name  Dr Priti Mehendale PT 
Designation  professor and head of department 
Affiliation  k J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy 
Address  Ayurvihar Complex, Eastern Express Hwy, Sion East, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022

Mumbai
MAHARASHTRA
400022
India 
Phone  9821533846  
Fax    
Email  priti.mehendale@somaiya.edu  
 
Source of Monetary or Material Support  
NIL 
 
Primary Sponsor  
Name  Sejal Doshi 
Address  Ayurvihar Complex, Eastern Express Hwy, Sion East, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022 
Type of Sponsor  Other [self] 
 
Details of Secondary Sponsor  
Name  Address 
NIL  NIL 
 
Countries of Recruitment     India  
Sites of Study  
No of Sites = 1  
Name of Principal Investigator  Name of Site  Site Address  Phone/Fax/Email 
Dr Sejal Doshi   KJ somaiya college of physiotherapy   Ayurvihar Complex, Eastern Express Hwy, Sion East, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400022 Musculoskeletal department, OPD no. 4 and 5
Mumbai
MAHARASHTRA 		 8668318981

sejald91@gmail.com 
 
Details of Ethics Committee  
No of Ethics Committees= 1  
Name of Committee  Approval Status 
Institutional Ethics Committee K J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy  Approved 
 
Regulatory Clearance Status from DCGI  
Status 
Not Applicable 
 
Health Condition / Problems Studied  
Health Type  Condition 
Healthy Human Volunteers  Trigger point in upper trapezius muscle 
 
Intervention / Comparator Agent  
Type  Name  Details 
Intervention  Ischemic compression  The participant position- Sitting with back supported. Participants are asked to determine the area of pain as they have active myofascial trigger point. The therapist then will gradually increase the pressure to the myofascial trigger point until the participant reported pain intensity of 7-8 on the NPRS. Then the pressure will be maintained till the tension decreases or the pain relieves or the treatment passes 1 min (60 mins), whichever comes first. At this time, the pressure will be increased again to pain intensity 7-8 on NPRS. This procedure will be repeated approximately 3-4 times during 90 seconds period . 3 session per week will be given for 2 weeks. 
Intervention  Kinesio taping   Kinesiotaping over upper trapezius muscle having active trigger point. Muscle Inhibition technique of kinesiotaping will be used. Participants position- sitting on the chair with back completely supported. The taping area will be exposed and measurement will be taken from insertion to origin of upper trapezius fibres (from lateral third of the clavicle to processus spinosus of the cervical vertebrae). Starting position- muscle in fully stretched position (cervical lateral flexion on opposite side with rotation on the same side and slight flexion). In muscle inhibition technique taping is done from insertion to origin with no stretch in the tape. Convolutions of the tape will be checked which creates the skin lift. The tape will be left for 2 days. Taping will be done 3 time a week for 2 weeks.  
Comparator Agent  N/A  N/A 
 
Inclusion Criteria  
Age From  18.00 Year(s)
Age To  30.00 Year(s)
Gender  Both 
Details  Individuals in the age group of 18 to 30 years having unilateral Active myofascial trigger points of upper trapezius. Having minimum pain intensity of 4 on 10 on Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Presence of one or two active myofascial trigger points in upper trapezius muscle. Participants who are willing to participate and will give consent for the same. 
 
ExclusionCriteria 
Details  1. Any diagnosed neurological condition.
2. Any traumatic, infective, autoimmune and inflammatory pathology involving the cervical spine, shoulder and scapula.
3. Individuals having radiating pain form cervical spinal vertebrae.
4. Any known Skin allergies or hypersensitivity which contradicts treatment with kinesiotaping.
5. Individuals had taken prior physiotherapy in last 3 months for upper trapezius trigger points.
6. Any cognitive impairments that prevent them from following instructions
 
 
Method of Generating Random Sequence   Other 
Method of Concealment   Sequentially numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes 
Blinding/Masking   Not Applicable 
Primary Outcome  
Outcome  TimePoints 
Pain measured with Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS),
Pressure pain threshold measured using pressure algometer,
Cervical range of motion measured using cervical range of motion (CROM) device
Disability of Neck measured using Neck Disability Index (NDI)

 		 pre intervention
At the end of 2nd week
At the end of 3rd week

 
 
Secondary Outcome  
Outcome  TimePoints 
NIL  NIL 
 
Target Sample Size   Total Sample Size="34"
Sample Size from India="34" 
Final Enrollment numbers achieved (Total)= "34"
Final Enrollment numbers achieved (India)="34" 
Phase of Trial   N/A 
Date of First Enrollment (India)   09/08/2025 
Date of Study Completion (India) 15/05/2026 
Date of First Enrollment (Global)  Date Missing 
Date of Study Completion (Global) Date Missing 
Estimated Duration of Trial   Years="1"
Months="6"
Days="0" 
Recruitment Status of Trial (Global)   Not Applicable 
Recruitment Status of Trial (India)  Completed 
Publication Details   N/A 
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement

Will individual participant data (IPD) be shared publicly (including data dictionaries)?  

Response - NO
Brief Summary
Modification(s)  
Trapezius muscle is a postural muscle and is active throughout the movements of the shoulder which involves all the activities of daily living. Thus it is more prone to develop myofascial trigger points. Among the various therapeutic interventions, kinesiotaping and ischemic compression are emerging techniques for managing pain and improving functional status in short term. As kinesiotaping and ischemic compression have different physiological mechanism it may influence their short term and carryover efficacy. Sample size was 17 in each group and 34 in total. Samples were recruited from Community setting and Physiotherapy OPD of Tertiary Care Hospital. Group A consisted of kinesiotaping and standard physiotherapy treatment. Group B consisted ischemic compression and standard physiotherapy treatment. To analyze the data collected from respondents, various statistical tools and techniques were used in this study. Test for normality was applied to the data. The test for normality used was is Shapiro Wilk test. Thus parametric or non parametric status were decided for the suitable statistical tests for the data analysis.
If data follows normality, For intragroup analysis Repeated measures ANOVA with Paired t-test for post hoc analysis was used and For intergroup analysis Unpaired t Test will be used. If data does not follow normality, For intragroup analysis Friedmans test with Wilcoxon signed rank test for post hoc analysis and For intergroup analysis Mann Whitney U Test was used.
Intra-group analysis - revealed that both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements across all outcome measures from pre-intervention to post-intervention (after 2 weeks of intervention) , which were sustained at the one-week follow-up (p < 0.001 for most outcomes). Pain intensity (NPRS) reduced markedly in both groups, with post-hoc analysis confirming significant reductions from baseline to post-intervention and baseline to follow-up, while no significant difference was found between post-intervention and follow-up values in either group, indicating retention of pain relief. NDI scores similarly reduced significantly in both groups, reflecting improved functional ability. Pressure pain threshold increased significantly in both groups across timelines, indicating reduced pressure sensitivity. All six cervical ROM parameters — flexion, extension, ipsilateral and contralateral lateral flexion, and ipsilateral and contralateral rotation — showed statistically significant improvement in both groups from pre- to post-intervention, sustained at follow-up.
Pressure pain threshold was the outcome measure that showed a statistically significant difference between Group A and Group B, with Group B (ischemic compression group) demonstrating significantly greater improvement at both post-intervention (p < 0.001) and follow-up (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for any other outcome measure at any timeline.
In conclusion, both Kinesiotaping and Ischemic Compression are equally effective in reducing pain, improving cervical ROM, and enhancing functional ability; however, Ischemic Compression produced superior improvement in pressure pain threshold.

 
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