ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy of Kinesio taping on upper limb function recovery in stroke patients.MethodsPubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, WanFang Data, CNKI and VIP databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the efficacy of Kinesio taping on upper limb function recovery in stroke patients from inception to December 20th, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed by using RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsA total of 13 RCTs involving 589 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, Kinesio taping significantly improved the FMA-UE score (MD=6.21, 95%CI 3.68 to 8.74, P<0.000 01), VAS score (MD=1.76, 95%CI 1.30 to 2.23, P<0.000 01), and MBI score (MD=10.28, 95%CI 8.43 to 12.13, P<0.000 01) of patients.ConclusionsCurrent evidence shows that the Kinesio taping can significantly improve the upper limb motor function, pain, and daily living ability of stroke patients. Due to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusions.