Placebo Effect of Immediate Kinesio Taping on Upper Extremity Performance in Healthy Adults (KT-PLACEBO)

Immediate Effects of Kinesio Taping on Upper Extremity Motor Performance and Perceived Function in Healthy Adults: A Sham-controlled Randomized Study

This study investigates whether Kinesio Taping has immediate effects on upper extremity performance in healthy adults and whether these effects may be influenced by placebo mechanisms. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: therapeutic Kinesio Taping, sham Kinesio Taping, or no intervention.

All participants complete tests of hand function, including grip strength, typing performance, reaction time, and manual dexterity, before and after a short standardized waiting period. Participants also rate their perceived performance, comfort, and overall change.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether improvements in performance are due to the mechanical effects of the tape or related to sensory and expectation-based (placebo) factors.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Volunteers; Motor Performance; Upper Extremity Function; Perceived Function
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Kinesio Taping; Device: Sham Kinesio Taping

Detailed Description

This study is a single-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial designed to investigate the immediate effects of Kinesio Taping on upper extremity motor performance and perceived function in healthy adults, and to explore the potential contribution of placebo-related mechanisms. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: therapeutic Kinesio Taping applied with tension, sham Kinesio Taping applied without tension, or a no-intervention control condition.

The intervention targets the wrist extensor musculature of the dominant upper extremity. Both taping conditions follow the same application procedure and positioning, differing only in the level of tension to isolate the mechanical versus perceptual effects of the tape. The control group follows the same testing timeline without receiving any intervention.

Outcome measures are collected at baseline and immediately after a standardized 20-minute waiting period. Objective measures include maximal grip strength, typing performance, choice reaction time, and manual dexterity. Subjective measures include perceived performance, task ease, comfort, and global rating of change.

The study is conducted in a controlled and standardized testing environment with consistent equipment, procedures, and instructions across participants. This design allows for the comparison of objective performance outcomes with subjective perceptions, providing insight into the relationship between mechanical and placebo effects in Kinesio Taping applications.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 36
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Abeer Mohamed Abdulla Sayed, BSc (Physiotherapy and Rehabil; Phone Number: +974 33686496 +90 552 872 2754; Email: 2433095052@stu.istinye.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul
    • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34010
      • Istinye University Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Application and Research Center (ISUFIZYOTEM)
      • Contact: Begum kara kaya; Phone Number: +90 535 572 0021; Email: bkara@biruni.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being healthy adult between 18-40 years
• No current pain or injury in the dominant upper extremity
• No history of chronic musculoskeletal conditions affecting the upper extremity
• Ability to read, understand, and provide informed consent
• Regular use of a standard keyboard and mouse, with a minimum self-reported typing frequency of ≥5 hours per week, ensuring familiarity with digital typing tasks and adequate baseline fine motor coordination.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Respiratory, neurological, or cardiovascular disorders
• History of surgery or fracture in the dominant upper extremity within the last six months
• Known allergy or skin sensitivity to adhesives or Kinesio Tape materials
• Current use of medications affecting physical performance or sensation
• Participation in ongoing physical therapy or rehabilitation
• Diagnosed cognitive impairment or visual deficits that could affect typing or reaction-time performance
• Engagement in high-level upper extremity sports (>10 hours/week) that could bias grip or typing performance

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Therapeutic Kinesio Taping; Participants receive Kinesio Taping applied to the wrist extensor muscles of the dominant upper extremity using approximately 25% therapeutic tension, following a standardized application protocol.	Device: Kinesio Taping; Elastic therapeutic tape applied to the wrist extensor muscles of the dominant upper extremity using approximately 25% tension according to a standardized application protocol.
Sham Comparator: Sham Kinesio Taping; Participants receive Kinesio Taping applied to the same anatomical region using an identical procedure but without tension, to simulate the intervention without therapeutic effect.	Device: Sham Kinesio Taping; Elastic tape applied to the wrist extensor muscles of the dominant upper extremity without tension, using the same placement and procedure as the therapeutic intervention to mimic sensory and procedural aspects without intended therapeutic effect.
No Intervention: Control Group; Participants do not receive any taping intervention and remain seated in a standardized position for 20 minutes before post-intervention assessments.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal Grip Strength	Maximal grip strength of the dominant hand measured in kilograms using a digital hand dynamometer. The highest value from three trials is recorded.	Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2-3 minutes after a 20-minute waiting period)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Typing Performance (Corrected Words Per Minute) and Accuracy	Typing speed measured using a standardized computer-based typing task; corrected words per minute calculated by accounting for errors And Typing accuracy measured as the percentage of correct entries during a standardized typing task.	Baseline and immediately post-intervention
Choice Reaction Time	Reaction time measured in milliseconds using a computer-based Go/No-Go task, calculated as the mean response time for correct trials.	Baseline and immediately post-intervention
Manual Dexterity (Nine-Hole Peg Test)	Fine motor dexterity assessed using the Nine-Hole Peg Test; fastest completion time recorded in seconds.	Baseline and immediately post-intervention
Perceived Performance Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	Self-reported perceived performance measured using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates no perceived improvement and 100 indicates maximum perceived improvement. Higher scores indicate better perceived performance.	Immediately post-intervention
Task Ease Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	Self-reported task ease measured using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates much harder, 50 indicates no change, and 100 indicates much easier. Higher scores indicate greater perceived ease of task performance.	Immediately post-intervention
Comfort Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	Self-reported comfort measured using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates extremely uncomfortable and 100 indicates extremely comfortable. Higher scores indicate greater comfort.	Immediately post-intervention
Global Rating of Change (GRC)	Participant-reported overall perceived change measured using a 15-point Global Rating of Change (GRC) scale ranging from -7 (vastly worse) to 0 (no change) to +7 (vastly better). Higher scores indicate greater perceived improvement.	Immediately post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istinye University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Begüm kara Kaya, PhD, Biruni University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 31, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 31, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Grip Strength; Strength; Reaction Time; Placebo Effect; Healthy Adults; Kinesio Taping; Upper Extremity Performance; Manual Dexterity; Sham-Controlled Trial
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2026/09

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