Rehabilitative Role of Kinesio Taping in Glenohumeral Ligament Injuries: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background
Glenohumeral ligament injuries, commonly resulting from trauma or repetitive overhead activity, pose significant challenges in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. With rising interest in conservative, non-invasive management strategies, Kinesio Taping (KT) has gained attention for its proposed benefits in pain reduction, proprioceptive enhancement, and joint stabilization. Despite widespread clinical use, the evidence supporting KT’s efficacy in shoulder ligament rehabilitation remains inconclusive and warrants thorough examination.

Objective
This narrative review aims to synthesize current literature on the rehabilitative role of Kinesio Taping in glenohumeral ligament injuries and evaluate its effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes.

Main Discussion Points

The review explores major themes including KT's impact on pain modulation, proprioception, joint stability, and functional recovery. It highlights the positive yet short-term benefits observed in several studies and emphasizes the enhanced outcomes when KT is combined with structured physiotherapy. Methodological limitations such as small sample sizes, lack of blinding, and inconsistent protocols are critically analyzed. The discussion also identifies variability in outcome measures and restricted generalizability due to population specificity.

Conclusion
Although Kinesio Taping shows promise as an adjunctive therapy for glenohumeral ligament injuries, the current evidence base lacks sufficient rigor for definitive clinical endorsement. Clinicians may consider its use within a multimodal approach, but further high-quality trials are essential to establish long-term efficacy and standardized guidelines.