Background: The compression therapy, which is the standard treatment for lymphedema patients, may be difficult to implement and contraindicated to some patients depending on their health condition. Objects: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether kinesiology taping (KT) can be used effectively and safely in the management of lymphedema as an alternative treatment through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: In February 2023, the literature was systematically collected through eight search engines with a combination of terms, ‘lymphedema’ and ‘kinesiology taping.’ We qualitatively analyzed the differences and safety of KT methods, and quantitatively meta-analyzed the effects of volume reduction in edema, range of motion (ROM), and pain improvement using Review Manager ver. 5. 4. To assess the risk of bias in the randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, Risk of Bias was used. Results: A total of 616 articles searched and 20 studies were selected, including 12 RCTs and eight case studies. KT intervention could not replace multilayer compression bandage (MLB), but it demonstrated similar or better results compared to compression garment (CG), with reduced pain and improved intervention comfort. Studies reported skin adverse events ranging from 2.5% to 20.68%, with a total adverse event incidence of 7.7%. There was no significant difference in the application method of KT. As a result of the meta-analysis from the 8 RCTs, the KT intervention showed a mean difference (MD) of –7.18 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [–12.64 to –1.72] in the volume change of lymphedema, while the pain difference was MD 0.82 with CI 95% [0.50 to 1.15], in comparison to the MLB and CG intervention. Conclusion: KT therapy led to a reduction in edema size, volume, pain, and improved ROM and quality of life. KT may be a viable option for lymphedema patients who have trouble applying traditional compression therapies.

INTRODUCTION
    1. The Need for Research
    2. Objectives of the Study
MATERIALS AND METHODS
    1. Study Design
    2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria of SystematicReview
    3. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria of Meta-analysis
    4. Search Strategy
    5. Data Extraction and Analysis
RESULTS
    1. General Characteristics of the Literature
    2. Results of Qualitative Analysis
    3. Meta-analysis
    4. Assessment of Risk of Bias
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
FUNDING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION
ORCID
REFERENCES

• Jaehee Yang(RN, CLT, MSc, Department of Integrative Medicine, The Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, CHA University, Pochun, Korea)
• Eun Jin Lim(MPH, PhD, Department of Integrative Medicine, The Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, CHA University, Pochun, Korea) Corresponding author