Effect of rigid taping on subacromial impingement syndrome: systematic review

Abstract Objective This systematic review analyzed the recently available information regarding the efficacy of rigid taping in alleviating pain and improving functional status in subacromial impingement syndrome. Introduction Rigid taping is commonly utilized in the rehabilitation of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). It is proposed to have positive effects on alleviating pain and shoulder function, but the scientific evidence of its efficacy is still not clear. Methods An electronic search was conducted on Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, EBSCO, Google Scholar databases, and a manual search from the bibliography of the included studies. Randomized trials (published between March 2010 and November 2023), which included rigid taping as an experimental or control treatment for the pain function state in subacromial impingement syndrome, assessed pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) or numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and assessed functional status using Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) or the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using PEDro scale. Conclusion There is a moderate level of evidence that using rigid tape in treating patients with shoulder impingement syndrome has no positive effect in reducing pain intensity, while there is a moderate level of evidence that using rigid tape in treating patients with shoulder impingement syndrome has a positive effect in reducing disability and improving the function. Systematic review registration Submitted to PROSPERO.org.