Extracorporeal shock wave therapy versus Kinesio taping in treating musculoskeletal disorders: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study Summary

15 randomized controlled trials including 907 adults with musculoskeletal disorders were included in this meta-analysis comparing extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) vs kinesio taping (KT). Pooled outcomes of interest included pain, physical function, grip strength, and quality of life across short and medium-term follow-up. In the short term, there were no statistically significant differences between ESWT and KT for pain, function, strength, or quality of life. However, medium-term analyses favoured ESWT for reducing pain and improving function. Overall, these findings suggest that both treatments perform similarly in the short term, while ESWT may provide greater medium-term benefit, although the certainty of evidence was very low.