Effects of functional fascial taping on pain and function in patients with non-specific low back pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To compare the short-term and medium-term effect of Functional Fascial Taping to placebo taping on pain and function in people with non-specific low back pain. Design: A pilot randomized controlled trial with a 2-week intervention, and 2-, 6- and 12-week follow-up. Setting: Individuals with non-specific low back pain recruited from local communities. Participants: Forty-three participants with non-specific low back pain for more than 6 weeks were randomized into either Functional Fascial Taping group (n = 21) or placebo group (n = 22). Interventions: The intervention group was treated with Functional Fascial Taping while the control group was treated with placebo taping. Both groups received four treatments over 2 weeks. Main outcome measures: Worst and average pain and function were assessed at baseline, after the 2-week intervention, and at 6 and 12 weeks follow-up. Results: The Functional Fascial Taping group demonstrated significantly greater reduction in worst pain compared to placebo group after the 2-week intervention (P = 0.02, effect size = 0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.11-1.34). A higher proportion of participants in Functional Fascial Taping group attained the minimal clinically important difference in worst pain (P = 0.007) and function (P = 0.007) than those in placebo group after the 2-week intervention. There were no significant differences in either group's disability rating or clinically important difference in average pain at any time. Conclusions: Functional Fascial Taping reduced worst pain in patients with non-acute non-specific low back pain during the treatment phase. No medium-term differences in pain or function were observed.