Background and Aim: Shoulder injury is one of the most common injuries in overhead sports. Impingement syndrome is most frequent cause of these injures. Scapular has important biomechanical role in normal shoulder function .Muscle imbalance changes normal scapular arthrokinematic and as a result the risk of injury is high. One of the treatment methods which is used in athletes with impingement syndrome is kinesio taping. Goals of this study was to investigate the effects of kinesio taping of trapezius muscles on pain , functional movements of shouhder joint and lateral scapular slide in athletes with impingement syndrome.

Materials and Methods: Fifteen athletes with a mean age of 30.53±3.56 with impingement syndrome participated in this study. Pain with visual analog scale , functional movements and lateral scapular slide test in 3 positions was  assessed . Then kinesio taping was used for trapezius muscles .Repeated evaluation was performed in 3 different periods of : 20 minutes , 72 hours , 6 days  after first session.

Results: Mean of  pain was reduced in 72 hours and 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.003) .  Ext.rot + abd movement after kinesio taping was improved and the most improvement was 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.004). Int.rot+add movement after kinesio taping was improved and the most improvement was 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.001). Lateral scapular slide test in first position and second position improved significantly. In third position test did not change significantly after kinesiotaping.

Conclusion: Kinesio taping of trapezius muscles in athletes with impingement syndrome has effects on pain reduction, improvement of functional movement of shoulder and improvement of scapular kinematic. Therefore kinesio taping can be used as a treatment in athletes with impingement syndrome.

Keywords: Kinesio taping, Trapezius muscles, Impingement syndrome.