title: Kinesio Taping in Dysphonic Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Kinesio taping (KT) is a method of elastic bandaging that produces a biomechanical effect on the organism. This study aims to evaluate its use in dysphonic patients tratment, as integrated part of speech therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen dysphonic patients were given the option to complement the speech therapy treatment with KT (DG1). 15 dysphonic patients suffering from similar conditions (DG2) who underwent traditional speech therapy were the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, both DG1 and DG2 obtained a statistically significant improvement for jitter and noise-to-harmonic ratio (P >0.05) and showed an improvement in Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total (VHIt), VHI functional (VHIf), VHI emotional (VHIe), and VHI physical (VHIp). However, the improvement was statistically significant for VHIt (P =0.0102), VHIe (P =0.0349), and VHIp (P =0.0366) in DG1, and only in VHIt (P =0.0466) in DG2. In DG1, P had a lower value than in DG2 for VHIt, VHIe, and VHIp. In DG2, there were a few patients who after therapy had a VHIt higher than before therapy, whereas this did not occur in DG1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As expected, this study confirms the benefits of speech therapy. Although KT is not a substitute for speech therapy, our preliminary results and patients' favorable response to KT encouraged us to continue with our studies on a larger scale. Further studies are required to better define the role of KT in speech therapy and evaluate its real effect over its placebo effect.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Policlinico S.M. alle Scotte, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mezzedimi
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Policlinico S.M. alle Scotte, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Livi
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Policlinico S.M. alle Scotte, Siena, Italy. Electronic address: mariacarla.spinosi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Spinosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055052:Athletic Tape; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training
keywords: Dysphonia; Kinesio taping; Muscle tension dysphonia; Speech therapy; Taping