Comparative Effects of Dry Needling and Kinesio Taping as Adjuncts to Strength Training on Pain, Functional Mobility, and Quality of Life in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial
Enhancing Pain Relief, Functional Mobility, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Knee Osteoarthritis
Keywords:
Athletic Tape, Dry Needling, Knee, Osteoarthritis, Quality of Life, Resistance TrainingAbstract
Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of OA contributing to around 60% of all the cases globally. Strength training is the recommended first-line non-drug treatment, but evidence comparing it with adjunctive therapies such as dry needling and Kinesio taping is yet to be explored.
Methods: This study was a single-masked, three-arm RCT conducted at the Physio Care Center, Gujrat, from November 2024 to December 2025. Fifty participants aged 45 to 65 with knee OA and a Visual Analog Scale pain score ≥7 were randomly assigned to one of three groups: dry needling plus strength training (n=17), Kinesio taping plus strength training (n=17), or strength training alone (n=16), all conducted three times weekly for six weeks. Pain, mobility, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and week 6 by a blinded assessor.
Results: All groups showed significant improvements (p<0.001). One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among groups for pain (p=0.010), mobility (p=0.003), and quality of life (p<0.001). Dry needling plus strength training resulted in significantly greater improvements than strength training alone (p≤0.006), whereas Kinesio taping showed no significant advantage over strength training alone.
Conclusion: Adding dry needling to strength training yields significantly greater short-term gains in pain, mobility, and quality of life than strength training alone in knee osteoarthritis, whereas the added benefit of Kinesio taping is smaller and less certain. Larger, sham-controlled, multicenter trials with longer follow-up are warranted.
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