Immediate Effects of Mulligan's Mobilization With and Without Kinesio Taping on Pain, Range of Motion, and Cervical Proprioception in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Publisher



Dokhaei F ; Shadmehr A ; Malmir K ; Fereydounnia S
Source: Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences and Research Published:2026

Abstract

Background: Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder frequently associated with proprioceptive impairments and reduced cervical mobility. This study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of Mulligan's mobilization and conventional physiotherapy, with and without Kinesio taping, on pain intensity, cervical range of motion (RoM), and proprioception in individuals with non-specific chronic neck pain. Methods: This pilot randomized controlled trial included 24 patients (9 men, 15 women; aged 20-55 years) with non-specific chronic neck pain. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving conventional physiotherapy, Mulligan's mobilization, and Kinesio taping, or a control group receiving conventional physiotherapy and Mulligan's mobilization alone. Pain intensity, active cervical RoM, and proprioception were assessed pre- and immediately post-intervention. Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon tests were used for within-group comparisons, and independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney tests for between-group comparisons. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant post-treatment reductions in pain intensity (control: p = 0.10; experimental: p < 0.001). The experimental group showed significant increases in RoM for cervical flexion and left lateral flexion, whereas the control group improved in extension and right lateral flexion (p < 0.05). Regarding proprioception, the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in repositioning accuracy from left rotation to neutral (p = 0.02) and to the target position (p = 0.03). No other proprioceptive measures changed significantly in either group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The addition of Mulligan's mobilization to conventional physiotherapy reduced pain and improved cervical RoM, with greater benefits observed when combined with Kinesio taping. The combined intervention also resulted in superior improvements in cervical proprioception compared with Mulligan's mobilization alone. 2026© The Authors. Published by JRSR. All rights reserved.