Effect of Kinesio Taping Combined With Postural Correction on Improving Tension-Type Headache Among University Students

February 9, 2026 updated by: Deraya University
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of combining Kinesio Taping (KT) with postural correction exercises and suboccipital muscle inhibition (SMI) in managing tension-type headaches (TTH) among university students. The intervention's impact on headache intensity, frequency, and functional limitations will be compared with a control group performing postural correction and SMI alone.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Tension-type headache (TTH) is a common primary headache associated with muscular tension, poor posture, and psychological stress. Physiotherapy interventions including deep neck flexor exercises, suboccipital muscle inhibition (SMI), and postural education have been shown to reduce pain and improve posture.

Kinesio Taping (KT) has been proposed as an adjunct that enhances proprioception, reduces muscle tension, and supports cervical alignment.

This randomized controlled trial will recruit 52 university students aged 18-25 years diagnosed with frequent episodic TTH according to ICHD-3 criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups:

Group A (Control): Postural correction + SMI Group B (Experimental): Kinesio Taping + Postural correction + SMI

Both groups will receive two treatment sessions per week for 4 weeks.

Assessments will be performed at baseline, after 4 weeks of treatment, and at a 1-month follow-up using validated measures for pain, frequency, and posture.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

52

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

  • Egypt
    • Menia Governorate
      • Minya, Menia Governorate, Egypt
        • Deraya university, faculty of physical therapy

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • University students aged 18-25 years
  • Diagnosed with tension-type headache per ICHD-3 criteria
  • At least 10 headache episodes per month for >3 months
  • Pericranial muscle tenderness (suboccipital, temporalis, upper trapezius)
  • Craniovertebral angle < 50°

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Migraine or cluster headaches
  • Recent neck trauma or surgery
  • Skin allergy or sensitivity to tape
  • Current use of medications affecting pain perception Cervical radiculopathy or neurological deficits

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Postural Correction and Suboccipital Muscle Inhibition

Participants will receive a postural correction program consisting of:

Deep neck flexor strengthening exercises (chin tucks, progressive resistance) Suboccipital muscle inhibition (manual pressure to release muscle tension) Ergonomic and postural education for studying and daily activities Two sessions per week for 4 weeks.
Other: Postural Correction and SMI Program
Deep neck flexor exercises, suboccipital muscle inhibition, and ergonomic education performed twice weekly for four weeks.
Experimental: Kinesio Taping + Postural Correction and SMI

Participants will receive the same postural correction program as the control group with the addition of Kinesio Taping:

Kinesio Tape applied to cervical spine and upper trapezius to enhance proprioception and reduce strain.

Two sessions per week for 4 weeks.
Other: Kinesio Taping Combined with Postural Correction and SMI
Same as the control program with addition of Kinesio Taping to cervical and trapezius muscles.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Headache Intensity
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up
Measurement Tool: Visual Analog Scale (VAS) / Numeric Pain Rating Scale Self-reported headache pain intensity (0-10 scale).
Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up
Headache Frequency
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up
Measurement Tool: Headache Diary Number of headache days per month recorded by participants.
Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up
Headache Impact
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up

Measurement Tool: Headache Impact Test (HIT-6)

Description: Assesses the effect of headaches on daily life and function.
Baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, 1-month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT)
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Measurement Tool: Pressure Algometer Description: Measures pericranial muscle tenderness.
Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Craniovertebral Angle (CVA)
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention

Measurement Tool: Goniometer / Digital Photogrammetry

Description: Quantifies forward head posture; increased angle indicates improvement.
Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Deraya University

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.

General Publications

  • Johansson, A. M., Vikingsson, H., & Varkey, E. (2017). The physiotherapist, an untapped resource for headaches: A survey of university students. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 20(1), 45-50. DOI: 10.1080/21679169.2017.1352023
  • Repiso-Guardeño, A., Moreno-Morales, N., Armenta-Pendón, M. A., Rodríguez-Martínez, M. D. C., Pino-Lozano, R., & Armenta-Peinado, J. A. (2023). Physical therapy in TTH: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), 4466. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054466
  • Safiri, S., Kolahi, A.-A., Noori, M., Nejadghaderi, S. A., Aslani, A., Sullman, M. J. M., Farhoudi, M., Araj-Khodaei, M., Collins, G. S., Kaufman, J. S., et al. (2022). Burden of TTH in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990-2019. Journal of Headache Pain, 23, 77. DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01445-5
  • Bendtsen, L., Ashina, S., Moore, A., & Steiner, T. J. (2015). Muscles and their role in episodic TTH: Implications for treatment. European Journal of Pain, 20, 166-175. DOI: 10.1002/ejp.748
  • Freitag, F. (2013). Managing and treating TTH. The Medical Clinics of North America, 97(2), 281-292. DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2012.12.003
  • Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). (2018). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 38(1), 1-211. DOI: 10.1177/0333102417738202
  • Stovner, L. J., Hagen, K., Linde, M., & Steiner, T. J. (2022). The global prevalence of headache: An update, with analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates. Journal of Headache and Pain, 23, 34. DOI: 10.1186/s10194-022-01402-2
  • de Tommaso, M., & Fernández-de-Las-Penas, C. (2016). Tension type headache. Current Rheumatology Reviews, 12(2), 127-139. DOI: 10.2174/1573397112666151231113625

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)

February 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 10, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 9, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • DU-PT-KT-TTH-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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