Kinesiology taping for pain and grip strength in hand osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hand osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cause chronic pain and functional limitations; kinesiology taping is a low-cost intervention of uncertain effectiveness. PURPOSE: To evaluate kinesiology taping's effects on pain and grip strength in hand OA or RA. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched (inception-July 2026) for randomized/controlled trials. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias; standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects models (PROSPERO: CRD42022354374). RESULTS: Seven trials (n = 184) were included. Taping had a moderate effect on pain (SMD = -0.54, 95% CI: -0.87 to -0.21; I² = 0%) and a moderate-to-large effect on grip strength (SMD = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.01-1.27), though heterogeneity was substantial (I² = 84.9%), warranting cautious interpretation. Most studies had low-to-moderate risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Kinesiology taping shows short-term benefits for hand OA/RA; larger, standardized trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy.