Neuromuscular Taping on Muscle Pain in Patients With Degenerative Osteoarticular Disease of the Spine

November 3, 2026 updated by: Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf

Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Neuromuscular Taping on Muscle Pain in Patients With Degenerative Osteoarticular Disease of the Spine

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if neuromuscular taping (kinesio taping), added to a standard exercise program, reduces muscle pain in adults with chronic neck pain or chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disease of the spine (such as facet joint osteoarthritis, spondylosis, or degenerative disc disease). The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does neuromuscular taping, applied once a week for 3 weeks in addition to standard exercise therapy, reduce muscle pain more than placebo taping?

Researchers will compare neuromuscular taping applied with a muscle and fascial technique to placebo taping (the same tape placed on the same area without tension or therapeutic technique) to see if the active taping provides greater pain relief.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

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 Contact

Study Locations

  • Spain
      • Barcelona, Spain
        • Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedès Garraf
        • Contact:

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women aged 18 years or older
  • Persistent pain (duration of more than 3 months) with a diagnosis of chronic -neck pain or chronic low back pain due to degenerative joint disease
  • Stable pain treatment, with no changes expected during the following 3 weeks
  • Willingness to participate and signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cervicobrachialgia (neck pain radiating to the arm)
  • Lumbosciatica (low back pain radiating to the leg)
  • Pregnancy in the second or third trimester
  • Skin conditions that contraindicate the application of neuromuscular tape
  • Allergy to adhesive materials
  • Thrombosis or risk of thrombosis
  • Severe trauma that has not been previously examined and diagnosed by a physician
  • Participation in another clinical trial involving an experimental intervention during the period of this trial and/or with a visit schedule incompatible with this trial

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention

Participants will have neuromuscular tape applied to the neck or lower back after the first exercise session of each week, and remove it on the fourth day
Device: kinesio taping

The muscle technique consists of applying the tape without stretching it. Either the muscle or the skin is placed under stretch, but the tape itself is applied with no tension along its entire length. The base anchor is applied with the body segment in a neutral position; the target muscle is then stretched and the tape is laid over it. Finally, the segment is returned to the neutral position and the end anchor is applied. This technique is used to inhibit muscle tone. Once the tape has been applied, patients will be instructed to remove it on the fourth day. They may carry on with their normal daily activities and may get the tape wet when washing or showering. If the tape causes significant discomfort, patients may remove it early and must record this in their pain diary. If the tape comes off before the fourth day, patients must also record this in the diary.
Sham Comparator: Control

These patients will have the same tape placed on the same area without tension or therapeutic technique
Device: sham kinesiotaping

The same tape placed on the same area without tension or therapeutic technique

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Pain intensity, measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Pain will be recorded before the first treatment session of each week. Since treatment consists of two physiotherapy sessions per week for four weeks, the VAS will be recorded at the start of sessions 1, 3, 5, and 8, the last of which corresponds to the final day of treatment. In addition, patients will complete a pain diary every day between treatment sessions.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf

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 (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CSAPG-31

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

IPD (without personal identification data) could be shared by requirement from other researchers after the end of the study, and only for research purposes and previous approval of promotor center of the study (CSAPG). Anyway, Spanish and European Union legal policy about data protection will strictly be followed (IPD will not be transferred outside European Union).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After publication of main results of the study

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

IPD will be shared only for scientific research purposes and following the Spanish and European Union normative law about data protection. The requirements will be directed to the IP of the study. The IP will evaluate the request to verify and evaluate the data that is requested and the purposes for which it is requested. Next, the IP will transfer the request to the promotor center the study for the final decision.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

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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