Carpal TunnelNCT06993090
Efficacy of Dorsal Kinesio Tape Application for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Esports Gamers: A Randomized Clinical Trial
A study testing Kinesio Tape in people with Carpal Tunnel and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), run by University of Nevada, Las Vegas at 3 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of Kinesio Tape (KT) in alleviating carpal tunnel-like symptoms and enhancing gaming performance among young adult PC gamers. The study aims to address two primary questions: Does Kinesio Tape reduce wrist pain in adult PC gamers experiencing carpal tunnel-like… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Carpal Tunnel, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- What is being tested?
- Kinesio Tape
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 11 participants
- Where
- 3 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 22 Jan 2025to 28 Mar 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
- Over 18 years of age
- Test positive for Phalen's screening
- Experience any carpal tunnel-like symptoms
- Self Identified PC gamer
Trial locations and contacts
3 sites in 1 country.
United States3 sites
Musculoskeletal Lab
Las Vegas, Nevada, 89102
Black Fire Innovation
Las Vegas, Nevada, 89113
Tonopah Residence Complex
Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154
About this study
Official title: Efficacy of the Dorsal Application of Kinesio Tape on Esport Gamers
This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of Kinesio Tape (KT) in alleviating carpal tunnel-like symptoms and enhancing gaming performance among young adult PC gamers. The study aims to address two primary questions:
Does Kinesio Tape reduce wrist pain in adult PC gamers experiencing carpal tunnel-like symptoms?
Read more
Does Kinesio Tape improve gaming performance in this population?
Researchers will compare the effects of KT applied to the wrist versus the scapular spine to determine if wrist application provides greater pain relief and performance benefits.
Participants will undergo:
Screening \& Consent (Up to 30 minutes via Zoom): Informed consent and a Phalen's test to assess carpal tunnel-like symptoms.
Baseline (Day 0, 75 minutes): Completion of a demographic survey, 15 minutes of gaming on Kovaaks FPS Aim Trainer, KT application, 15 minutes of post-application gaming, and surveys (Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Severity [BCSS] and KT feedback).
Days 1 \& 2 (15 minutes each): KT removal and reapplication, followed by BCSS and KT feedback surveys.
Day 3 (75 minutes): Repeat gaming tests, KT application, and completion of BCSS and KT feedback surveys, mirroring Day 0 procedures.
Total Time Commitment: Approximately 210 minutes (3.5 hours) over four sessions.
- Conditions
- Carpal Tunnel, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- Being tested
- Kinesio Tape
- Keywords
- carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel syndrome, gamers, PC gamers, Esports, First person shooter, Kinesiotape
- Medical subject headings
- Median Neuropathy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Kinesio TapeDevice
A thin, flexible, and elastic therapeutic tape intended for skin application to provide support for muscles and joints. This tape may help decrease pain, swelling, and inflammation while permitting movement. It is commonly utilized to enhance athletic performance and facilitate injury recovery. The tape functions by elevating the skin, which can enhance blood and lymph circulation, and is believed to engage the nervous system through proprioceptive feedback.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesio Tape on Dorsal Wrist | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive Kinesio Tape applied to the dorsal side of the wrist. This application is intended to provide support and potentially reduce carpal tunnel-like symptoms while assessing its impact on gaming performance. Receives: Device: Kinesio Tape |
| Kinesio Tape on Scapular Spine | Sham comparator | Participants in this group will receive Kinesio Tape applied to the scapular spine on the opposite side of their dominant hand. This serves as a control condition to account for the effects of Kinesio Tape placement while ensuring that participants remain blinded to their group assignment. Receives: Device: Kinesio Tape |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Carpal Tunnel-Like Symptom Severity (Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire - Symptom Severity Scale)
This outcome measures the severity and frequency of carpal tunnel-like symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand, wrist, and forearm. Symptom severity was assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire - Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS), a validated self-report measure. The BCTQ-SSS uses a 5-point Likert scale where 1 indicates no symptoms and 5 indicates very severe symptoms. Participants rated their symptoms at the end of each session to monitor changes across the intervention period. Higher scores reflect greater symptom burden. This measure was used to evaluate whether kinesiotape application reduced the severity of symptoms commonly associated with repetitive strain injuries in esports players.
Measured: Administered at the end of each session on Day 0 (baseline), Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (post-intervention). Sessions were held every other day over an 8-day period.
Esports Gaming Performance (Kovaaks Aim Trainer)
Gaming performance was assessed using Kovaaks Aim Trainer, a validated simulation platform designed to measure key motor skills essential to first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay, including speed, accuracy, reaction time, and total task score. Participants completed two structured testing sessions-on Day 0 (baseline) and Day 3 (post-intervention)-each consisting of 15-minute gaming tasks both before and after kinesiotape application. The selected simulations targeted core esports competencies such as tracking (sustained aim on moving targets), flicking (rapid target shifts), and strafing (aiming while moving), which reflect real-world gaming demands. Performance data, including accuracy percentage and total score, were automatically recorded by the Kovaaks software and later averaged across trials to reduce variability. The purpose of this measure was to evaluate whether kinesiotape-applied to either the dorsal wrist or scapular spine, depending on group assignmet
Measured: Day 0 (baseline session) and Day 3 (post-intervention session). In both sessions, performance was measured twice - once before and once after kinesiotape application. Study sessions were conducted every other day over an 8-day period.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 May 2025
- Study start22 Jan 2025
- Primary completion28 Mar 2025
- Study completion28 Mar 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Carpal TunnelStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- The intervention group will receive Kinesio Tape application to the dorsal side of the wrist while the control group will have Kinesio Tape applied to the spine of the Scapula
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06993090
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UNLV-2024-458
- Status last verified
- Jan 2025
- First submitted
- 23 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 28 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy of the Dorsal Application of Kinesio Tape on Esport Gamers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06993090
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UNLV-2024-458
- Conditions
- Carpal Tunnel, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- Keywords
- carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel syndrome, gamers, PC gamers, Esports, First person shooter, Kinesiotape
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 22 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 28 May 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of Kinesio Tape (KT) in alleviating carpal tunnel-like symptoms and enhancing gaming performance among young adult PC gamers. The study aims to address two primary questions:
Does Kinesio Tape reduce wrist pain in adult PC gamers experiencing carpal tunnel-like symptoms?
Does Kinesio Tape improve gaming performance in this population?
Researchers will compare the effects of KT applied to the wrist versus the scapular spine to determine if wrist application provides greater pain relief and performance benefits.
Participants will undergo:
Screening \& Consent (Up to 30 minutes via Zoom): Informed consent and a Phalen's test to assess carpal tunnel-like symptoms.
Baseline (Day 0, 75 minutes): Completion of a demographic survey, 15 minutes of gaming on Kovaaks FPS Aim Trainer, KT application, 15 minutes of post-application gaming, and surveys (Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Severity [BCSS] and KT feedback).
Days 1 \& 2 (15 minutes each): KT removal and reapplication, followed by BCSS and KT feedback surveys.
Day 3 (75 minutes): Repeat gaming tests, KT application, and completion of BCSS and KT feedback surveys, mirroring Day 0 procedures.
Total Time Commitment: Approximately 210 minutes (3.5 hours) over four sessions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The intervention group will receive Kinesio Tape application to the dorsal side of the wrist while the control group will have Kinesio Tape applied to the spine of the Scapula
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesio Tape on Dorsal Wrist | Experimental | Device: Kinesio TapeParticipants in this group will receive Kinesio Tape applied to the dorsal side of the wrist. This application is intended to provide support and potentially reduce carpal tunnel-like symptoms while assessing its impact on gaming performance. |
| Kinesio Tape on Scapular Spine | Sham comparator | Device: Kinesio TapeParticipants in this group will receive Kinesio Tape applied to the scapular spine on the opposite side of their dominant hand. This serves as a control condition to account for the effects of Kinesio Tape placement while ensuring that participants remain blinded to their group assignment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesio TapeA thin, flexible, and elastic therapeutic tape intended for skin application to provide support for muscles and joints. This tape may help decrease pain, swelling, and inflammation while permitting movement. It is commonly utilized to enhance athletic performance and facilitate injury recovery. The tape functions by elevating the skin, which can enhance blood and lymph circulation, and is believed to engage the nervous system through proprioceptive feedback. | Device | Kinesio Tape on Dorsal Wrist, Kinesio Tape on Scapular Spine |
Primary outcome
Carpal Tunnel-Like Symptom Severity (Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire - Symptom Severity Scale)
Time frame: Administered at the end of each session on Day 0 (baseline), Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (post-intervention). Sessions were held every other day over an 8-day period.
This outcome measures the severity and frequency of carpal tunnel-like symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand, wrist, and forearm. Symptom severity was assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire - Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS), a validated self-report measure. The BCTQ-SSS uses a 5-point Likert scale where 1 indicates no symptoms and 5 indicates very severe symptoms. Participants rated their symptoms at the end of each session to monitor changes across the intervention period. Higher scores reflect greater symptom burden. This measure was used to evaluate whether kinesiotape application reduced the severity of symptoms commonly associated with repetitive strain injuries in esports players.
Esports Gaming Performance (Kovaaks Aim Trainer)
Time frame: Day 0 (baseline session) and Day 3 (post-intervention session). In both sessions, performance was measured twice - once before and once after kinesiotape application. Study sessions were conducted every other day over an 8-day period.
Gaming performance was assessed using Kovaaks Aim Trainer, a validated simulation platform designed to measure key motor skills essential to first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay, including speed, accuracy, reaction time, and total task score. Participants completed two structured testing sessions-on Day 0 (baseline) and Day 3 (post-intervention)-each consisting of 15-minute gaming tasks both before and after kinesiotape application. The selected simulations targeted core esports competencies such as tracking (sustained aim on moving targets), flicking (rapid target shifts), and strafing (aiming while moving), which reflect real-world gaming demands. Performance data, including accuracy percentage and total score, were automatically recorded by the Kovaaks software and later averaged across trials to reduce variability. The purpose of this measure was to evaluate whether kinesiotape-applied to either the dorsal wrist or scapular spine, depending on group assignmet
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 May 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
3 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Kinesio Tape in people with Carpal Tunnel and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), run by University of Nevada, Las Vegas at 3 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 3 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Carpal Tunnel-Like Symptom Severity (Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire - Symptom Severity Scale) (time frame: Administered at the end of each session on Day 0 (baseline), Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 (post-intervention). Sessions were held every other day over an 8-day period.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 May 2025.