The Acute Effect of Shoulder Kinesiology Taping on Dental Students

January 30, 2026 updated by: Serap Akyol, European University of Lefke

The Acute Effect of Shoulder Kinesiology Taping Application on Dental Students in the Clinic

Research Objective and Participants' Role:

We invite you to participate in a scientific study aimed at reducing the load on your shoulder region during dental clinical practice. The main goal of this study is to scientifically examine the immediate (acute) effects of kinesiology taping applied to the shoulder region on your pain level, shoulder function, general quality of life, and job satisfaction. You have been included in this research because you are a final-year student and actively work in a clinical setting.

How Will the Application Process Proceed?

If you agree to participate, the process will consist of the following steps:

Evaluation: First, we will administer a short form regarding your age, height, weight, and clinical work pace, along with scientific questionnaires assessing your pain intensity, shoulder functionality, quality of life, and job satisfaction.

Taping: To support the deltoid and supraspinatus muscles in your shoulder region, kinesiology taping will be applied under the supervision of a physiotherapist every other day, for a total of three sessions. These tapes are skin-friendly, elastic, and designed not to restrict your movement.

Final Test: One day after the completion of the third session, you will be asked to fill out the same questionnaires again to measure the changes brought about by the taping.

Your Rights and Privacy

Voluntary Participation: Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Even if you sign the form, you may withdraw from the study at any time without providing any reason and without facing any penalties that would affect your academic progress.

Risks and Costs: Kinesiology taping is generally a safe method, and there will be no financial cost to you for participating. No payment will be made for your participation. In the rare case of skin sensitivity during the application, please inform the researcher.

Confidentiality: Your identity will be kept completely confidential and will only be known to the researcher. The data obtained will be used in scientific publications in aggregated form, without disclosing your name.

Consent Declaration If you have read and understood this information and your questions have been answered, you may sign the form to indicate your voluntary consent to participate in the study.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Research Objective and Participant Role You are invited to participate in this research because you are a final-year student at the Faculty of Dentistry, Lefke European University, and actively engaged in clinical practice. The main objective of this study is to scientifically examine the acute (short-term) effects of kinesiological taping applied to the shoulder area during clinical practice in dental students.

To this end, you will be asked to provide the following contributions:

Complete the scientific scales and questionnaires,

Agree to undergo kinesiological taping for a total of three sessions, applied every other day,

Complete the same scales again after the application.

This research aims to contribute to the development of low-cost and practical interventions to support the professional musculoskeletal health of dental students.

Research Process and Implementation Stages

If you confirm your participation, the process will consist of the following stages:

  1. Preliminary Assessment (Pre-Taping):

    First, you will complete a form containing your demographic information such as your age, height, weight, clinical study duration, exercise, and smoking habits.

    Then, four different scientific scales will be administered:

    1. Visual Analog Scale (VAS): To assess the severity of your predominant shoulder pain experienced during clinical practice.
    2. Arm-Shoulder-Hand Disorders Rapid Questionnaire (QuickDASH): To measure the functionality of your upper extremity (arm, shoulder, hand) in daily activities.
    3. World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF): To assess the physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions of your overall quality of life.
    4. Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (Short Form): To determine your job satisfaction with your clinical practice.

  2. Kinesiological Taping Application (Intervention):

    Kinesiological taping will be applied to support your shoulder muscles (especially the deltoid and supraspinatus) that have been overloaded during clinical practice.

    The application was performed by a physical therapist (Serap AKYOL).

    The tapes are skin-friendly, water-resistant, hypoallergenic, and elastic. They do not restrict your normal joint movement and do not interfere with your daily activities (bathing, sleeping, etc.).

    The application will be done every other day for a total of 3 sessions (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Each session will last approximately 15-20 minutes.

    The tapes will be removed after the third session, or they may fall off on their own.

  3. Final Assessment (After Taping):

The day following the third taping session, the same four scientific scales (VAS, QuickDASH, WHOQOL-BREF, Minnesota) applied in stage 1 will be reapplied.

This will be done to measure the effects of kinesiological taping on pain, function, quality of life, and job satisfaction.

Total Participation Duration: The entire process (preliminary assessment, 3 application sessions, final assessment) will take approximately 1 week.

Your Rights and Privacy

  1. Voluntariness and Right to Withdraw:

    Your participation in this research is entirely voluntary.

    Even if you have signed this form, you can withdraw from the research at any time without giving any reason.

    Your withdrawal will not affect your academic status, grades, or relationship with the university in any way.

  2. Risks and Costs:

    Kinesiological taping is generally a safe, non-invasive (non-surgical) method.

    You will not incur any financial burden for your participation (it is free).

    No payment will be made for your participation.

    In the very rare cases of skin irritation, redness, or itching, please report it immediately to the researcher. In such a case, the tapes will be removed and necessary recommendations will be made.

  3. Privacy and Data Use:

All information regarding your identity (name, surname, student number) will be kept completely confidential and will only be known by the researchers of this study.

The collected data will be stored in a computer environment under an encrypted and anonymous (nameless) code number.

The results obtained will be used collectively and statistically in scientific publications, thesis studies, or academic presentations; your personal identification information will absolutely not be disclosed.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

56

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Cyprus
      • Lefka, Cyprus
        • European University of Lefke

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Participant inclusion criteria:

  • Being a fifth-year student at the Lefke European University Faculty of Dentistry.
  • Being between 22 and 26 years of age.

Exclusion criteria for participants:

  • History of acute trauma or major surgery.
  • History of allergic reaction to kinesiology tape.
  • Severe structural damage to the shoulder joint (dislocation, fracture, etc.).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: dominant shoulder kinesiology taping

This study investigates the acute effects of shoulder kinesiology taping (KB) in a clinical setting among final-year dental students experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort related to their professional activities.

Intervention:

Participants received kinesiology taping applied to the dominant shoulder region targeting the deltoid and supraspinatus muscles. The taping was designed to provide muscular facilitation, enhance joint stabilization, and modulate pain through biomechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms. The application followed standardized protocols based on rehabilitation principles for shoulder injuries, with specific techniques including:

Y-strip application for deltoid inhibition (to reduce overuse-related tension and pain modulation).

I-strip applications for supraspinatus facilitation and humeral head centralization.

Additional I-strip for acromioclavicular joint stabilization and fascial correction.

The taping was applied in three sessions, spaced one day apar
Other: Kinesiology Taping
The kinesiology taping (KT) protocol applied within the scope of the study was carried out over three sessions, every other day, in accordance with the biomechanical requirements of the shoulder complex. This four-stage protocol applied to the participants lasted a total of three sessions for each participant. Throughout the application, participants were asked to continue their normal daily life activities, and final measurements were taken one day after the last session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visual Analog Scale
Time Frame: The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
It was used to measure pain in the dominant shoulder of participants. There is a 10 cm line between two extremes: "no pain" and "extreme pain," and participants are asked to mark the intensity of their pain on this line. 0 indicates no pain, while 10 indicates unbearable pain.
The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
Disabilities of the Arm, Sholder and Hand (Quick-DASH)
Time Frame: The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
It was used to assess participants' upper extremity functionality in detail. Participants completed the scale subjectively. The Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Quick Survey consists of 11 items that examine the patient's health status over the past week, the degree of difficulty experienced during physical activities involving the upper extremities, the severity of symptoms such as tingling and pain, and the impact of these symptoms on social activities, sleep, or work. Scoring is done on a scale from 0 (no disability) to 100 (most severe disability), with higher scores reflecting greater disability.
The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale
Time Frame: The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
It was used to assess participants' quality of life in detail before and after kinesiology taping. Participants completed the scale subjectively. The scale consists of 24 items covering four main areas: physical health (7 items), psychological health (6 items), social relationships (3 items), and environmental health (8 items), plus two additional items assessing health satisfaction and overall quality of life. Items are scored using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating higher quality of life. Scores range from 0-100.
The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale
Time Frame: The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.
It was used to assess job satisfaction before and after kinesiology taping was applied to participants. Participants filled out the scale subjectively. The scale consists of 20 items and is typically rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with a high score indicating good job satisfaction. Scores range from 0-100.
The study ended one week after registration. Since the application was administered three times every other day, each participant was recorded on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The total study duration was four weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

European University of Lefke

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Serap Akyol

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 13, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 7, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

November 7, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BAYEK054.02

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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