Riassunto dello studio

One hundred two women with mild to moderate hallux valgus (HV) were randomized to receive either corrective exercises only (n=24), corrective exercises plus kinesiology taping (n=18), or corrective exercises with mechanical correction (orthosis) (n=15). An untreated control group with HV (n=25) and a control group with normal hallux position (n=31) were included. The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity in the big toe area. Secondary outcomes included changes in the hallux valgus angle, little toe varus angle, Wejsflog index (transverse arch), and Clarke's angle (longitudinal arch). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Overall, the study showed that all therapy groups experienced significant reductions in pain and improvements in hallux alignment compared to no therapy. However, adding kinesiology taping or an orthosis did not significantly increase the effects beyond exercise alone. These findings suggest that corrective exercises alone are an effective and sufficient conservative treatment for HV, though the durability of these effects beyond 12 weeks remains unknown.