The effects of Kinesio Taping on posture in violinists

The prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) in musicians is high, negatively impacting many of their careers. One of the main risk factors for developing a PRMD is poor posture, yet few interventions consistently address postural problems in musicians. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Kinesio Tape (KT) as an intervention for correcting excessive neck flexion in amateur violinists.

Three violinists wore KT on the back of the neck for the duration of one week. Using Dartfish software, videos taken before, during, and three weeks after taping were analyzed for changes in neck and spine angles. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was used to assess occupation risk throughout the intervention. After one week of wearing KT, the neck flexion angles of the violinists decreased 8 to 9 degrees, reducing their overall occupational risk in RULA. During the three-week follow-up, neck flexion angles increased, falling halfway between pre-taping and one-week taping measurements. Thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were not consistently affected over the course of the study.

KT had a visible impact on the neck flexion angles of the violinists, lowering their occupation risk. Although more rigorous research designs are needed in this area, these findings suggest that KT could be used as a tool to aid musicians in changing poor posture, thus decreasing their risk of PRMDs.