Effect of taping as treatment to reduce breast cancer lymphedema: literature review

Thomaz, Jaya Paula; Dias, Tamires dos Santos Maximo; Rezende, Laura Ferreira de

doi:10.1590/1677-5449.007217

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Jornal Vascular Brasileiro

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REVIEW ARTICLE • J. Vasc. Bras. 17 (2) • Apr-Jun 2018 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.007217 copy

Effect of taping as treatment to reduce breast cancer lymphedema: literature review

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Lymphedema is the most common complication during the postoperative period after surgery for breast cancer and can have a direct impact on daily activities. The objective of this study was to review the use of taping as an alternative/complementary treatment to reduce lymphedema. A literature review was conducted of scientific articles indexed on the PubMed, LILACS, MEDLINE, and PEDro databases and Google Scholar, and nine articles were selected. It was found that taping is a complementary therapy for reducing lymphedema, which may be used as an alternative treatment method, but cannot substitute multilayer compression therapy.

Keywords:
lymphatic system; athletic tape; lymphedema

Authors	Methods	Taping application
Finnerty et al. ⁷7 Finnerty S, Thomason S, Woods M. Audit of the use of kinesiology tape for breast oedema. J Lymphoedema. 2010;5:38-44.	10 people with lymphedema	Application of taping to direct lymph to a region with less congested lymph nodes.
Smykla et al. ⁸8 Smykla A, Walewicz K, Trybulski R, Halski T, Kucharzewcki M, Kucio C. Effect of kinesiology taping on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized single- blind controlled pilot study. BioMed Res Int. 2013;2013:1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/767106. PMid:24377096. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/767106 ...	Randomized clinical trial with 65 women with lymphedema with > 20% difference between limbs, divided into three groups: taping; without taping; CP	Taping is applied to the forearm with tension of 5-15% and left on the skin for 3 days.
Pekyavas et al. ⁹9 Pekyavas NÖ, Tunay VB, Akbayrak T, Kaya S, Karatas M. Complex decongestive therapy and taping for patients with postmastectomy lymphedema: a randomized controlled study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(6):585-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2014.06.010. PMid:25066648. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2014.0...	Randomized clinical trial with 45 patients with grade II and III lymphedema, divided into three groups: CP; taping combined with CP; taping only	Kinesio Taping® method for lymphatic correction.
Taradaj et al. ¹⁰10 Taradaj J, Halski T, Rosinczuk J, Dymarek R, Laurowski A, Smykla A. The influence of Kinesiology Taping on the volume of lymphoedema and manual dexterity of the upper limb in women after breast cancer treatment. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2016;25(4):647-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12331. PMid:25963332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12331 ...	Randomized clinical trial, with 70 patients with lymphedema, divided into three groups: taping and MLD; MLD and CPI; CP and CPI	Taping of the whole arm and forearm region
Martins et al. ¹¹11 Martins JC, Aguiar SS, Fabro EAN, et al. Safety and tolerability of Kinesio Taping in patients with arm lymphedema: medical device clinical study. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(3):1119-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2874-7. PMid:26268783. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-28...	24 patients with lymphedema	Taping applied on the skin of the anterior and posterior trunk, with the objective of stimulating formation of axillo-axillary anastomoses, and from proximal to distal on the upper limb, in the region opposite to normal physiology of lymph flow.
Pop et al. ¹²12 Pop TB, Karczmarek-Borowska B, Tymczak M, Hałas I, Banaś J. The influence of Kinesiology Taping on the reduction of lymphoedema among women after mastectomy – preliminary study. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2014;18(2):124-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.40644. PMid:24966797. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.40644...	Case study	Taping applied to hand, arm, and trunk, with longitudinal pressure of 30-40% in the longitudinal direction.
Do et al. ¹³13 Do J, Jeon JY, Kim W. The effects of bandaging with an additional pad and taping on secondary arm lymphedema in a patient after mastectomy. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017;29(7):1272-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.1272. PMid:28744063. http://dx.doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.1272 ...	Randomized clinical trial with 44 patients with lymphedema: with spiral taping and traditional taping.	Application of spiral taping: four strips of taping along the length of the arm, at 45-degree angles, with 10% pressure, and directed to facilitate lymphatic drainage. Kinesio Taping® method for lymphatic correction.
Malicka et al. ¹⁴14 Malicka I, Rosseger A, Hanuszkiewicz J, Wozniewski M. Kinesiology Taping reduces lymphedema of the upper extremity in women after breast cancer treatment: a pilot study. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(4):221-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.44997. PMID: 26327858.	Randomized clinical trial with 28 patients with grade I lymphedema, divided into two groups with two intervention subsets.	Taping applied with 1 cm width at the base, divided into four tails. The tension used was 15%, in the base-to-tail direction. 1st subset: taping applied over the lymphedema with individual tails on arm, forearm, and trunk 2nd subset: taping applied over the lymphedema with individual tails on the arm and forearm
Taradaj et al. ¹⁵15 Taradaj J, Halski T, Zduńczyk M, et al. Evaluation of the effectiveness of kinesio taping application in a patient with secondary lymphedema in breast cancer: a case report. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(1):73-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.41082. PMID: 26327833. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.41082...	Case study	Taping applied to the anterolateral surface of the upper limb. The anchor was placed on the anterior surface of the hand, without tension. The tails were applied on the anterior, medial, and posterior surfaces of the arm and forearm, and the anterior thorax, with tension of 5-15%.

Authors	Results
Finnerty et al. ⁷7 Finnerty S, Thomason S, Woods M. Audit of the use of kinesiology tape for breast oedema. J Lymphoedema. 2010;5:38-44.	Satisfactory lymphedema reduction results in 70% of patients.
Smykla et al. ⁸8 Smykla A, Walewicz K, Trybulski R, Halski T, Kucharzewcki M, Kucio C. Effect of kinesiology taping on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized single- blind controlled pilot study. BioMed Res Int. 2013;2013:1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/767106. PMid:24377096. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/767106 ...	Use of taping was not effective for reduction of lymphedema, suggesting that it could be used as a complementary technique to CP. The 24.45% reduction in edema was not significant in relation to the other groups.
Pekyavas et al. ⁹9 Pekyavas NÖ, Tunay VB, Akbayrak T, Kaya S, Karatas M. Complex decongestive therapy and taping for patients with postmastectomy lymphedema: a randomized controlled study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(6):585-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2014.06.010. PMid:25066648. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2014.0...	Use of taping in conjunction with standard treatment produced more satisfactory results (p = 0.008), and increased the effect of treatment. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of symptoms related to lymphedema or satisfaction with treatment.
Taradaj et al. ¹⁰10 Taradaj J, Halski T, Rosinczuk J, Dymarek R, Laurowski A, Smykla A. The influence of Kinesiology Taping on the volume of lymphoedema and manual dexterity of the upper limb in women after breast cancer treatment. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2016;25(4):647-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12331. PMid:25963332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12331 ...	Taping may be a good option for patients who are resistant to or have contraindications against CP. A 22.45% reduction in limb volume (p = 0.000118) and 24.13% reduction of edema (p = 0.00041). Reduction not significant in relation to other groups.
Martins et al. ¹¹11 Martins JC, Aguiar SS, Fabro EAN, et al. Safety and tolerability of Kinesio Taping in patients with arm lymphedema: medical device clinical study. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(3):1119-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2874-7. PMid:26268783. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-28...	Increased upper limb functionality was observed with taping (p < 0.001), but there was no difference in limb volume (p = 0.638).
Pop et al. ¹²12 Pop TB, Karczmarek-Borowska B, Tymczak M, Hałas I, Banaś J. The influence of Kinesiology Taping on the reduction of lymphoedema among women after mastectomy – preliminary study. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2014;18(2):124-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.40644. PMid:24966797. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.40644...	A 55% reduction in the volume of the limb with edema was observed, with the spiral technique producing better results. The result was significant in relation to the conventional taping subset (55% vs. 27% - p < 0.001).
Do et al. ¹³13 Do J, Jeon JY, Kim W. The effects of bandaging with an additional pad and taping on secondary arm lymphedema in a patient after mastectomy. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017;29(7):1272-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.1272. PMid:28744063. http://dx.doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.1272 ...	There were improvements in quality of life and functional capacity, in addition to a 79.5% reduction in edema volume.
Malicka et al. ¹⁴14 Malicka I, Rosseger A, Hanuszkiewicz J, Wozniewski M. Kinesiology Taping reduces lymphedema of the upper extremity in women after breast cancer treatment: a pilot study. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(4):221-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.44997. PMID: 26327858.	Taping is effective for lymphedema in the initial stages (p = 0.0009) and could be a safe alternative to CP when it is contraindicated.
Taradaj et al. ¹⁵15 Taradaj J, Halski T, Zduńczyk M, et al. Evaluation of the effectiveness of kinesio taping application in a patient with secondary lymphedema in breast cancer: a case report. Prz Menopauzalny. 2014;13(1):73-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.41082. PMID: 26327833. http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.41082...	Taping was effective for reduction of lymphedema (reduction of 627 cm³ ) in 3 weeks. Edema reduction can be accelerated using taping.

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[1] Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article.