Effects of Rigid Taping in Acromioclavicular Joint Degeneration (ACJTaping)

The Effect of Rigid Taping on Pain and Function in Individuals With Acromioclavicular Joint

This study will examine whether rigid taping applied to the acromioclavicular (AC) joint can reduce shoulder pain and improve shoulder function in people with AC joint degeneration. Participants with shoulder pain and a confirmed diagnosis of AC joint degeneration will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) rigid taping plus a standardized exercise program or (2) the same exercise program without taping. The program will last 4 weeks, with weekly supervised visits. Pain, shoulder motion, and shoulder function will be assessed at baseline, after the first session (acute effect), at the end of treatment (Week 4), and at a 3-month follow-up.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Shoulder Pain; Acromioclavicular Joint
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Rigid Taping; Other: Exercise Program

Detailed Description

Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints and can affect daily activities, work, and sports participation. Among the potential sources of shoulder pain, the acromioclavicular (AC) joint is a distinct pain generator that can often be identified through a targeted clinical examination. Diagnosis is typically based on a detailed history combined with physical tests designed to provoke AC joint symptoms, such as scarf maneuvers and localized palpation.

The AC joint is a synovial articulation between the distal clavicle and the acromion of the scapula. Although its motion is relatively limited, it plays an important role in load transfer across the shoulder girdle, particularly during arm elevation and overhead activities. AC joint symptoms may arise through different mechanisms, including degenerative changes over time, traumatic events, or inflammatory processes. Degenerative AC joint disease may coexist with other shoulder conditions, and structural changes around the joint can contribute to pain by increasing mechanical stress and altering the subacromial environment. As a result, individuals may experience pain with overhead movements, cross-body motions, lifting, pushing, or during sport-specific tasks.

Management of AC joint degeneration typically begins with conservative care. Common non-surgical strategies include physiotherapy, activity modification, temporary unloading or immobilization when needed, and symptom-directed medical management. Rehabilitation approaches generally focus on optimizing posture, improving scapular control, enhancing periscapular strength and endurance, restoring flexibility of the posterior shoulder structures, and progressively reintroducing functional loading while minimizing symptom provocation.

Taping techniques are frequently used in shoulder rehabilitation as an adjunct to exercise-based care. In clinical practice, rigid and elastic taping methods are applied with the intention of modifying joint alignment and mechanical loading, limiting painful movement patterns, and supporting more efficient scapulothoracic and glenohumeral mechanics during activity. Rigid taping, in particular, is often considered when a more structured mechanical effect is desired. While taping has been investigated in various shoulder pain presentations, existing evidence has largely focused on subacromial pain conditions and scapular kinematics rather than AC joint degeneration specifically. Consequently, there remains uncertainty about whether rigid taping provides additional clinical benefit for individuals whose primary pain source is degenerative change at the AC joint.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of rigid AC joint taping on shoulder pain, pain-free shoulder range of motion, and shoulder function in individuals with shoulder pain associated with AC joint degeneration.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 28
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Irem Duzgun, PhD, Prof; Phone Number: +90 (312) 305 15 74; Email: iremduzgun@hacettepe.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Ankara
    • Ankara, Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Recruiting
      • Hacettepe University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Sports Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• A clinical diagnosis of acromioclavicular (AC) joint degeneration confirmed by clinical examination and imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI).
• Shoulder pain duration of at least 4 weeks.
• Age between 18 and 65 years
• Willingness to refrain from any additional treatments outside the study protocol during the study period (e.g., medication changes, injections, or physiotherapy elsewhere) and to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current or previous diagnosis/history of acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation.
• Diagnosis of frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis).
• History of acute trauma or fracture involving the shoulder girdle (e.g., clavicle fracture, shoulder dislocation).
• History of shoulder surgery.
• Systemic inflammatory joint disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) or other systemic arthropathies.
• Skin conditions preventing taping (e.g., rash, open wound, or known tape allergy).
• Neuromuscular disease or neurological disorders affecting shoulder function

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Rigid Taping + Exercise; Participants will receive rigid acromioclavicular joint taping once weekly for 4 weeks in addition to a standardized shoulder exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist.	Other: Rigid Taping; Rigid taping will be applied to the acromioclavicular joint using a standardized technique aiming to posteriorize the acromion and inferiorize the clavicle. Taping will be performed once weekly for 4; Other: Exercise Program; A standardized shoulder exercise program focusing on soft tissue flexibility, scapular stabilization, and rotator cuff activation will be applied once weekly for 4 weeks.
Active Comparator: Exercise Only; Participants will receive a standardized shoulder exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist without any taping application.	Other: Exercise Program; A standardized shoulder exercise program focusing on soft tissue flexibility, scapular stabilization, and rotator cuff activation will be applied once weekly for 4 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity	Pain intensity will be assessed at rest and during activity using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).	Baseline (Week 0), immediately after the first session (acute effect), Week 4 (end of intervention), and Month 3 follow-up
Shoulder Range of Motion	Shoulder range of motion (flexion, abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation) will be assessed using a goniometer by recording active range of motion until pain onset, active range of motion despite pain, and passive end-range of motion.	Baseline (Week 0), immediately after the first session (acute effect), Week 2, Week 4 (end of intervention), and Month 3 follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Shoulder Function	Shoulder function will be evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Score (ASES), which assesses pain and functional activities of daily living.	Baseline (Week 0), Week 4 (end of intervention), and Month 3 follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hacettepe University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 25, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 30, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): January 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Shoulder pain; Rigid taping; Acromioclavicular joint degeneration
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Joint Diseases; Arthralgia; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Shoulder Pain; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Patient Care; Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Resistance Training
• Other Study ID Numbers: ACJTaping

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared because specific data-sharing agreements and governance procedures have not been established.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No