Objective: To determine the effectiveness of Kinesio taping compared to compression garments during maintenance phase of complex decongestive therapy for breast cancer–related lymphedema. Design: Randomized, cross-over, controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient tertiary-level hospital rehabilitation setting. Subjects: Randomized sample of 30 women with breast cancer–related lymphedema. Interventions: Participants received two interventions, Kinesio taping and compression garment, both lasting four weeks, whose order was randomized by blocks. A four-week washout period was established prior to the interventions and between them. Measurements: The main outcome was the lymphedema Relative Volume Change. Secondary outcomes were range of motion of arm joints, self-perception of comfort, and lymphedema-related symptoms (pain, tightness, heaviness, and hardness). Results: The decrease in the Relative Volume Change was greater in the Kinesio taping intervention (–5.7%, SD = 2.0) compared to that observed using compression garments (–3.4%, SD = 2.9) ( P < 0.001). The range of motion of five upper-limb movements increased after applying taping (between 5.8° and 16.7°) ( P < 0.05), but not after compression ( P > 0.05). In addition, taping was perceived as more comfortable by patients (between 2.4 and 3 points better than compression in four questions with a 5-point scale ( P < 0.001)) and further reduced lymphedema-related symptoms compared to compression (between 0.96 and 1.40 points better in four questions with a 6-point scale ( P < 0.05)). Conclusion: Kinesio taping was more effective than compression garments for reducing the lymphedema volume, with less severe lymphedema-related symptoms, better improvement of upper-limb mobility, and more comfort.

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Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of complex physical therapy combined with intermittent pneumatic compression (CPT + IPC) versus Kinesio taping (KT) for breast cancer-related lymphedema. Methods: A cross-over clinical trial was conducted in 43 women with lymphedema. All participants received two interventions: CPT + IPC and KT, both lasting 3 weeks and a washout period. The main outcome variable was the relative volume change (RVC). The secondary variables were Satisfaction Questionnaire about Textile Therapeutic Devices used for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, motion range of upper limb and lymphedema-related symptoms.Results: The RVC reduction was greater with CPT + IPC (À2.2%, SD = 4.7) versus KT (À0.9%, SD = 1.7) (P = 0.002). KT was more satisfactory than multilayer bandaging (8.9 points difference, P < 0.001) and improved DASH score more than CPT + IPC (14.3 points difference, P = 0.002). Regarding motion ranges, only shoulder