The effect of kinesiotape on dynamic balance following muscle fatigue in individuals with chronic ankle instability

Effects of kinesio taping on lower limb biomechanical characteristics during dynamic postural control tasks in individuals with chronic ankle instability

PURPOSE

Previous studies have demonstrated significant biomechanical differences between individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls during the Y-balance test. This study aimed to examine the effects of kinesio taping (KT) on lower limb biomechanical characteristics during the Y-balance anterior reach task in individuals with CAI.

METHODS

A total of 30 participants were recruited, comprising 15 individuals with CAI and 15 healthy controls. All participants were randomly assigned three taping conditions: no taping (NT), placebo taping (PT), and KT, followed by the Y-balance anterior reach task. Each condition was separated by one-week intervals. Kinematic and kinetic data of the lower limbs during the movement phase were collected using the Vicon motion capture system (Vicon, T40, 200 Hz) and two Kistler force platforms (Kistler, 1000 Hz).

RESULTS

KT significantly improved the Y-balance anterior reach distance (P = 0.003) and peak ankle eversion angle (P = 0.019) compared to NT. Additionally, KT resulted in increased peak knee flexion angle (P = 0.002, P = 0.011) and peak ankle dorsiflexion angle (P <0.001, P = 0.005) relative to both NT and PT. KT also significantly reduced mediolateral center of pressure (COP) displacement (P = 0.001) and average velocity of mediolateral COP displacement (P = 0.033) in comparison to NT. Furthermore, KT decreased mediolateral center of gravity displacement (P = 0.002, P = 0.003) relative to both NT and PT.

CONCLUSION

KT significantly improved abnormal ankle posture by promoting greater ankle dorsiflexion and eversion angles. Additionally, KT reduced mediolateral COP displacement and average velocity to improve postural stability. These changes may contribute to reduced risk of ankle sprains. Therefore, KT may serve as an effective tool for managing recurrent ankle sprains in individuals with CAI.

Kinesiology taping improves balance in football players with chronic ankle instability

INTRODUCTION

There appears to be no consensus on the usefulness of kinesiological tape in athletes with chronic ankle instability, therefore the aim of this study was to examine the effects of kinesiological tape on dynamic balance in football players with chronic ankle instability.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Football players who were eligible for this randomized controlled study were randomly assigned (allocation ratio 1:1:1) to one of three groups: experimental group, placebo group or control.

INTERVENTIONS

The experimental group received kinesiological tape bands applied to the peroneal and tibialis anterior muscles. The tape was applied for 48 h. The placebo group received a sham kinesiological tape application for the same duration, while the control group did not receive any tape.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Balance was assessed using the Y-Balance Test at baseline and 48 h later, with the kinesiological tape still in place, either sham or control.

RESULTS

A total of 69 (23 per group) semi-professional, male, players (22.1 ± 4.3 years) completed the study. There was a significant change in test performance over time (F1,66 = 9.425; P = 0.003; ηp2 = 0.125), with a significant interaction for group × time (F2,66 = 11.154; P < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.253). The kinesiological tape group improved the overall performance in the Y-balance test (85.2 ± 8.7% to 90.3 ± 8.4%, P < 0.001), while no differences were observed for the placebo and control groups.

CONCLUSION

The application of kinesiological tape for 48 h improved overall dynamic balance performance on the Y-balance test. These findings suggest that kinesiological tape could be a beneficial strategy for addressing the consequences of chronic ankle instability.

Influence of ankle invertor muscle fatigue on workload of the lower extremity joints during single-leg landing in the sagittal and frontal planes

BACKGROUND

Insufficient rigidity of the foot owing to its ligaments and muscles can decrease the attenuation of the ground reaction force during landing. Therefore, dysfunction of the ankle invertors may increase the proximal joint load during landing.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What are the effects of the fatigued ankle invertors on workload in the lower extremity joints during single-leg landing?

METHODS

Twenty-seven young adults (13 men and 14 women) performed landing trials in the forward and medial directions before and after exercise-induced fatigue of the ankle invertors. The exercise consisted of repeated concentric and eccentric ankle inversions until the maximum torque was below 80% of the baseline value. Negative joint workload during the landing tasks was calculated for the hip, knee, and ankle in the sagittal and frontal planes. Additionally, lower extremity work (the sum of the work of the hip, knee, and ankle) was calculated.

RESULTS

Invertor fatiguing exercise resulted in a significant increase in negative joint work in the frontal and sagittal plane hip and the frontal plane knee during medial landing, whereas no significant change in negative joint work was observed during forward landing.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings suggested that ankle invertor dysfunction may induce a high load on the proximal joints and have direction-specific effects.

Effects of a Graphene Heating Device on Fatigue Recovery of Biceps Brachii

Far-infrared (FIR) is considered to be an ideal method to promote fatigue recovery due to its high permeability and strong radiation. In this paper, we report a flexible and wearable graphene heating device to help fatigue recovery of human exercise by using its high FIR divergence property. This study compares two different fatigue recovery methods, graphene far-infrared heating device hot application and natural recovery, over a 20 min recovery time among the male colleges' exhaustion exercise. Experimental results show that the achieved graphene device holds excellent electro-thermal radiation conversion efficiency of 70% and normal total emissivity of 89%. Moreover, the graphene FIR therapy in our work is more energy-efficient, easy to use, and wearable than traditional fatigue recovery methods. Such an anti-fatigue strategy offers new opportunities for enlarging potential applications of graphene film in body science, athletic training recovery, and wearable devices.

Acute effect of kinesio tape on postural control in individuals with functional ankle instability following ankle muscle fatigue

Background: Kinesio taping (KT) is one of the therapeutic interventions in sports medicine practice. The study aims to assess the acute effect of different KT methods on postural control in individuals with functional ankle instability (FAI) after ankle muscle fatigue.

Methods: Twenty-eight participants with FAI were recruited to complete maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and proprioception of ankle using isokinetic dynamometer, dynamic postural control using Y-balance test and static postural control using a force platform after a fatigue protocol in four taping conditions: facilitatory KT (FKT), ankle balance taping (ABT), sham taping (ST) and no taping (NT).

Results: No significant difference was observed for the data MVIC and proprioception after ankle muscle fatigue amongst the four taping treatments. A significant difference in Y-Balance Test was observed amongst the four taping treatments at posterolateral direction (p < 0.001) and posteromedial direction (p < 0.001), suggesting that KT may significantly improve dynamic postural control following ankle muscle fatigue. For Center of pressure (COP) measurements, the mediolateral COP sway range of NT was significantly larger than that of FKT (p = 0.003) and ST (p < 0.001), suggesting that the placebo effect of KT was inevitable.

Conclusion: The effect of KT seems increased dynamic postural control in individuals with FAI after ankle muscle fatigue, and this effect is not strongly related to the taping methods. By preventing fatigue-related impairments of postural control, KT may help reduce the risk of injury in individuals with FAI.

Positive Effect of Kinesiotape on 1 km Run Performance in University-Level Males: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The kinesiotape (KT) method is used to exert a positive effect on muscular, nervous, and organ systems, recognizing the importance of muscle movement. It is widely applied in runners for performance enhancement. However, there is no scientific background to use it as a running speed modulator. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to verify the KT effect on running performance in university-level students while speed is considered. The 1 km run and 40 m shuttle run were investigated. Participants were highly motivated to run as fast as possible since the research was part of the graded fitness test. Students wanted to perform as well as possible to get good marks. Methods: A total of 150 students aged 19.93 ± 0.85 with BMIs of 26.93 ± 0.98 were randomly distributed to the experimental (EG), placebo (PG), and control group (CG). In the EG, 50 students were measured pre-test (no KT) and post-test (KT applied). In the PG, 50 students were measured the same way using the placebo application post-test. In the CG, 50 students were measured without any intervention pre-test or post-test. The application area was the triceps surae muscle bilaterally with KT tension of 75%. The Kruskal−Wallis test and repeated measures ANOVA were used for analysis with a 0.05 level of significance. Results: A statistically significant group effect was reported in the EG (<0.05) in the 1 km run discipline. The time results obtained were significantly shorter than in the PG and the CG. There was no statistically significant difference (0.717) reported in the 40 m shuttle run discipline between the groups. Conclusions: Applying KT with a tension of 75% on the triceps surae muscle bilaterally might be useful to increase the performance of medium or longer distance runs but may not be effective in improving sprinting ability. We recommend applying the KT in the overall muscle and tendon area with a tension of 75% if there is a focus on performance enhancement.

Effect of Tai Chi combined with Kinesio taping on posture control of football players with FAI: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Functional ankle instability (FAI) of college football players is an important risk factor affecting their training and competition. Physical therapy and appropriate sports intervention can improve the stability of FAI patients. Previous studies have shown that Tai Chi (TC) and Kinesio taping (KT) can improve the posture control ability of FAI patients. However, whether Tai Chi combined with Kinesio taping effect patch can be used as an effective exercise for rehabilitation of college football players with FAI is not yet proven.

Methods/design

Fifty-three FAI college football players were randomly assigned to 3 groups: TC+KT (n = 20); TC+KTp (placebo Kinesio taping, KTp, placebo) (n = 17), and KT (n = 16). The TC+KT group received TC and KT functional correction technical intervention, the TC+KTp group received TC and placebo KT technical intervention, and the KT group received KT functional correction technical intervention. Each of the three groups received 30 min each time, 3 times a week, for a total of 6 weeks of intervention training. Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and UniPedal Stance Test (UST) at baseline (before), 4 weeks after intervention (middle), and 6 weeks after intervention (after) and Toe Touch Test (TTT) were evaluated.

Discussion

For the first time in this trial, the impact will be evaluated. If the results are the same as expected, they will provide evidence that Tai Chi combined with Kinesio taping sticking intervention can promote the posture control of college football players with FAI.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900027253. Registered on 6 November 2019.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06083-5.

Effect of Kinesiology Tape on Muscle Activation of Lower Extremity and Ankle Kinesthesia in Individuals With Unilateral Chronic Ankle Instability

Background: The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of kinesiology tape (KT) on lower limb muscle activation during computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) tasks and ankle kinesthesia in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods: Thirty-five men with CAI participated in this study. The experimental procedure followed a repeated measures design. Muscle activation of lower extremity and ankle kinesthesia of participants were measured using four taping treatments, namely, KT, athletic tape (AT), sham tape (ST), and no tape (NT) in a randomized order. Muscle activation was assessed using surface electromyography (sEMG) synchronized with CDP tests from seven lower extremity muscles of the unstable limb. Ankle kinesthesia was measured by using a threshold to detect the passive motion direction of the unstable ankle. Parameters were analyzed by using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA and followed by pairwise comparisons with a Bonferroni correction. Results: No significant difference was observed among different taping treatments for the majority of parameters during CDP. Except for condition 4 with open eyes, sway-referenced surface, and fixed surround in the sensory organization test (SOT), gastrocnemius medialis root mean square (RMS) was 28.19% lower in AT compared with NT (p = 0.021, 95% CI = 0.002-0.039), while gastrocnemius lateralis RMS was 20.25% lower in AT compared with KT (p = 0.038, 95% CI = 0.000-0.021). In forward-small sudden translation from motor control test (MCT), for peroneal longus (PL), RMS was 24.04% lower in KT compared with ST (p = 0.036, 95% CI = 0.000-0.018). In toes-down sudden rotation from adaption test (ADT), for PL, RMS was 23.41% lower in AT compared with ST (p = 0.015, 95% CI = 0.002-0.027). In addition, no significant difference was observed for a threshold to the detection of passive motion direction among different taping treatments. Conclusion: This study indicated that KT had minimal effect on the muscle activation of the unstable lower limb during static stance, self-initiated, and externally triggered perturbation tasks from CDP and ankle kinesthesia among individuals with CAI, suggesting that the benefit of KT was too small to be clinically worthwhile during application for CAI.

Effect of dynamic tape on postural sway in individuals with chronic ankle instability

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effects of dynamic tape on balance control in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

METHODS

This two group experimental pre- and post-treatment design included 18 individuals with CAI and 18 controls. The single-limb stance test with eyes open and closed, standing on a force plate (Accusway Plus; AMTI) for 30 s, was conducted before, 10 min (T1) and 24 h (T24) after a dynamic tape application over the gastrocnemius muscle. Outcome measurements were: mean sway velocity, sway area (circular area), and standard deviation of the body center of pressure path length in both mediolateral and anteroposterior directions. Individuals with poor (unable to perform a single leg test for at least 30 s, eyes closed) vs. good postural stability, were also compared.

RESULTS

In both groups, a repeated analysis of variance demonstrated a significant time main effect on sway velocity (F = 14.95; p < 0.001) and path length (F = 14.95; p < 0.001) during eyes closed. Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant decrease in T1 values compared to baseline. When comparing individuals with poor vs good stability amongst the CAI group, a statistically significant interaction was observed between group, time on sway velocity and path length (F = 3.92; p < 0.05) during eyes closed. In the poor postural group, most T1 values were significantly lower than baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Dynamic tape when applied to posterior calf muscles, enhanced balance control with no difference between CAI individuals and controls. The contribution of the tape was greater in those with poor postural stability.

Acute Effect of Ankle Kinesio™ Taping on Lower-Limb Biomechanics During Single-Legged Drop Landing

CONTEXT

Chronic ankle instability is documented to be followed by a recurrence of giving away episodes due to impairments in mechanical support. The application of ankle Kinesiotaping (KT) as a therapeutic intervention has been increasingly raised among athletes and physiotherapists.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of ankle KT on the lower-limb kinematics, kinetics, dynamic balance, and muscle activity of college athletes with chronic ankle instability.

DESIGN

A crossover study design.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-eight college athletes with chronic ankle sprain (11 females and 17 males, 23.46 [2.65] y, 175.36 [11.49] cm, 70.12 [14.11] kg) participated in this study.

SETTING

The participants executed 3 single-leg drop landings under nontaped and ankle Kinesio-taped conditions. Ankle, knee, and hip kinematics, kinetics, and dynamic balance status and the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and peroneus longus muscle activity were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS

The application of ankle KT decreased ankle joint range of motion (P = .039) and angular velocities (P = .044) in the sagittal plane, ground reaction force rate of loading (P = .019), and mediolateral time to stability (P = .035). The lateral gastrocnemius (0.002) and peroneus longus (0.046) activity amplitudes also experienced a significant decrease after initial ground contact when the participants' ankles were taped, while the application of ankle KT resulted in an increase in the peroneus longus (0.014) activity amplitudes before initial ground contact.

CONCLUSIONS

Ankle lateral supports provided by KT potentially decreases mechanical stresses applied to the lower limbs, aids in dynamic balance, and lowers calf muscle energy consumption; therefore, it could be offered as a suitable supportive means for acute usage in athletes with chronic ankle instability.

Immediate Effects of Limb Rotational Kinesio Tape Application on Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test Scores

CONTEXT

Rounded shoulder posture is a common problem in the athletic population. Recently Kinesio tape has been utilized to improve balance, proprioception, and posture. However, the literature has been unable to provide definitive answers on the efficacy of Kinesio tape use.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the immediate effect of the limb rotational Kinesio tape application on the dynamic balance and proprioception of the shoulder measured by the Y-Balance Upper Quarter Test (YBT-UQ) in male collegiate athletes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Sports medicine research laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS

Nineteen healthy male collegiate National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics athletes (including rodeo, baseball, football, and soccer) with a mean age of 19.8 (1.4) years.

INTERVENTIONS

Subjects were randomized into Kinesio tape and non-Kinesio tape groups. The limb rotational Kinesio tape application was applied to the Kinesio tape group, while the non-Kinesio tape group received no intervention. Each group performed the YBT-UQ, which requires reaching in 3 directions in a push-up position, before and after the randomized intervention on a single day.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The variables of interest included the maximum reach distance in each of the 3 directions and the composite score for both trials between the Kinesio tape and non-Kinesio tape groups. Each score was normalized against the subject's limb length.

RESULTS

No statistically significant improvements in any YBT-UQ scores were observed following either the Kinesio tape or non-Kinesio tape intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Applying the limb rotational Kinesio tape technique did not improve immediate YBT-UQ scores in a male collegiate athletic population with rounded shoulder posture. The use of Kinesio tape to improve immediate closed kinetic chain function in male collegiate athletes with rounded shoulder posture cannot be supported.

Kinesio taping does not improve ankle functional or performance in people with or without ankle injuries: Systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether Kinesio taping technique, applied to ankles of healthy people as a preventive intervention and people with ankle injuries, is superior to sham or alternative interventions on ankle function.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Amed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, from inception to August 2020.

REVIEW METHODS

The terms "ankle" and "kinesio taping" were used in the search strategy. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (including crossover design) investigating Kinesio taping effects on ankle functional performance compared to any alternative or control/sham technique.

RESULTS

From 5,572 studies, 84 met the eligibility criteria which evaluated 2,684 people. Fifty-eight meta-analyses from 44 studies were performed (participants in meta-analyses ranging from 27 to 179). Fifty-one meta-analyses reported ineffectiveness of Kinesio taping: moderate evidence for star excursion balance test (anterior direction), jump distance, dorsiflexion range of motion, and plantar flexion torque for healthy people (effect size = 0.08-0.13); low to very-low evidence for balance, jump performance, range of motion, proprioception, muscle capacity and EMG for healthy people; balance for older people; and balance and jump performance for people with chronic instability. Seven meta-analyses reported results favoring Kinesio taping (effect size[95% CI]): low to very-low evidence for balance (stabilometry, ranging from 0.42[0.07-0.77] to 0.65[0.29-1.02]) and ankle inversion (0.84[0.28-1.40]) for healthy people; balance for older people (COP velocity, 0.90[0.01-1.78]); and balance for people with chronic instability (errors, 0.55[0.06-1.04]).

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence does not support or encourage the use of Kinesio taping applied to the ankle for improvements in functional performance, regardless the population.

Differences Between Long Distance Road Runners and Trail Runners in Achilles Tendon Structure and Jumping and Balance Performance

BACKGROUND

Load and joint kinematics change with differences in running surface. Running regularly on trails compared to roads might influence the load on the Achilles tendon and its adaptations, along with other factors such as balance, strength, and proprioception.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate Achilles tendon structure and functional tests in road and trail runners.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Laboratory, sport sciences college.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 26 road and 17 trail runners who run at least three times per week with a minimum of 20 km per week and who participated in running competitions over the preceding 2 years.

METHODS

Each participant was examined for Achilles tendon structure (via ultrasound tissue characterization [UTC] imaging) and underwent functional tests in addition to completing a demographic questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The percentages of echo types I, II, III, and IV (degree of structural homogeneity) within the tendon, tendon length and width, tendon cross-sectional area (via UTC imaging); Ankle inversion movement discrimination ability (via Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus device); dynamic postural balance (via Y balance test); jumping performance (by Triple hop distance test); and Hip muscle abduction muscle strength (by hand-held dynamometry).

RESULTS

Percentage of echo type I was significantly lower while echo type II was higher in the road group compared with the trail group (67.3% type I and 28.9% type II in the road group compared with 74.1% type I and 22.1% type II in the trail group, P < .001). No differences between genders were found and no significant differences between groups were found for the other tests.

CONCLUSION

Tendon integrity as examined with UTC is different between road and trail runners. This suggests an influence of running surface on Achilles tendon structure. This difference was not reflected in other tests, thus the influence of tendon structure on function needs further examination.

Singular value decomposition entropy as a measure of ankle dynamics efficacy in a Y-balance test following supportive lower limb taping

Complexity versus regularity is an important component of appropriate joint position to retain balance but has not received much attention. The Singular value decomposition entropy (SvdEn) characterizes information content or regularity of a signal depending on the number of vectors attributed to the process. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of kinesiology tape compared to static strapping tape and no tape on ankle joint dynamics during the Y balance test. Forty-one participants (21 males; 20 females) aged between 18 and 34 years of age completed the Y-balance test with kinesiology tape, with strapping tape and without tape applied to the dominant leg. SvdEn was obtained from center of pressure values, as well as ankle and knee movement variability during the Y balance test. Center of pressure and knee joint dynamics did not change significantly between the two taped and no tape conditions during the YBT. Ankle joint SvdEn was significantly lower in the anterior-posterior (p<; .05) and superior-inferior (p<; .001) direction for both tape conditions compared to no tape. Greater regularity in the ankle joint dynamics indicates less vectors are required to describe the signal, which can be interpreted from a neurophysiological perspective as a decrease in feedforward and/or feedback input along the hierarchical sensorimotor processing pathway as an adjustment to taping and a possibly more reflex oriented response localised at the spinal cord level.

Relationship Between Isokinetic Muscle Strength and Functional Tests in Chronic Ankle Instability

Isokinetic muscle strength measurements and functional tests are usually performed to evaluate ankle condition in chronic ankle instability (CAI), yet there is no clear demonstration of the relationship between isokinetic muscle strength and functional tests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between isokinetic muscle strength and functional tests in CAI. Between April 2014 and August 2016, 103 patients with unilateral CAI were studied. Single-leg balance, single-heel raise, and single-leg squat tests were performed for static balancing assessment. Single-leg hop, double-leg jump, and sidestep tests were performed for dynamic balancing assessment. The isokinetic muscle strength of both ankles was measured using a dynamometer. The involved ankle showed lower muscle strength in inversion than the uninvolved ankle, while eversion, dorsiflexion, and plantarflexion muscle strength had no significant differences between ankles. There were significant correlations between the isokinetic muscle strength of inversion and the single-leg balance test, single-heel raise test, and sidestep test (Pearson's r; 0.246, 0.514, and 0.229 at 30°/second; 0.288, 0.473, and 0.239 at 180°/second, respectively). The single leg balance, single heel raise, and sidestep tests are useful to assess not only ankle functional performance but also isokinetic muscle strength. Among these tests, the single heel raise test was the most reliable test to reflect muscle strength deficiency in CAI.

Effect of Kinesio Taping and balance exercises on postural control in amateur soccer players: A randomised control trial

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Kinesio Taping (KT), alone or together with balance exercises (BE), on parameters related to postural control, such as dynamic balance, static balance and flexibility. Forty-four male amateur soccer players (mean age 24.45 (4.79) years) were randomly allocated to 3 groups: KT+BE that received KT and BE (n = 16); KT_p+BE, in which the KT was used as a placebo (n = 15) and KT alone (n = 13). The intervention period lasted 4 weeks. Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), Unipedal Stance Test (UST) and the Toe Touch Test (TTT) were assessed at baseline (pre), two weeks after beginning the treatment (mid) and after the intervention (post). We observed a significant improvement on the SEBT (mid and post-treatment) and the UST (post-treatment), but not on the TTT in either KT+BE or KT_p+BE groups post treatment. No differences were found either in KT group at any time point or between groups in any variable studied. In conclusion, KT functional correction technique does not improve static and dynamic balance when applied alone, whereas BE alone or combined with KT significantly improves these variables. None of these techniques has any effect on flexibility. Abbreviation: KT: Kinesiotaping; BE: Balance exercises; KTp: Placebo Kinesiotaping; UST: Unipedal Stance Test; SEBT: Star Excursion Balance Test; TTT: Toe Touch Test.

The Effect of Ankle Support on Lower Limb Kinematics During the Y-Balance Test Using Non-linear Dynamic Measures

Background: According to dynamical systems theory, an increase in movement variability leads to greater adaptability, which may be related to the number of feedforward and feedback mechanisms associated with movement and postural control. Using Higuchi dimension (HDf) to measure complexity of the signal and Singular Value Decomposition Entropy (SvdEn) to measure the number of attributes required to describe the biosignal, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of kinesiology and strapping tape on center of pressure dynamics, myoelectric muscle activity, and joint angle during the Y balance test.

Method: Forty-one participants between 18 and 34 years of age completed five trials of the Y balance test without tape, with strapping tape (ST), and with kinesiology tape (KT) in a cross-sectional study. The mean and standard errors were calculated for the center of pressure, joint angles, and muscle activities with no tape, ST, and KT. The results were analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA model (P_A < 0.05) fit and followed by Tukey post hoc analysis from the R package with probability set at P < 0.05.

Results: SvdEn indicated significantly decreased complexity in the anterior-posterior (p < 0.05) and internal-external rotation (p < 0.001) direction of the ankle, whilst HDf for both ST and KT identified a significant increase in ankle dynamics when compared to no tape (p < 0.0001) in the mediolateral direction. Taping also resulted in a significant difference in gastrocnemius muscle myoelectric muscle activity between ST and KT (p = 0.047).

Conclusion: Complexity of ankle joint dynamics increased in the sagittal plane of movement with no significant changes in the possible number of physiological attributes. In contrast, the number of possible physiological attributes contributing to ankle movement was significantly lower in the frontal and transverse planes. Simply adhering tape to the skin is sufficient to influence neurological control and adaptability of movement. In addition, adaptation of ankle joint dynamics to retain postural stability during a Y Balance test is achieved differently depending on the direction of movement.

Corrective Exercises Improve Movement Efficiency and Sensorimotor Function but Not Fatigue Sensitivity in Chronic Ankle Instability Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of corrective exercises on functional movement patterns, sensorimotor function, self-reported function, and fatigue sensitivity in collegiate athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Laboratory of sports sciences.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty male volunteers were randomly assigned to the experimental group (age 21.2 ± 1.7 years, height 174.5 ± 6.1 cm, and weight 69.6 ± 6.9 kg) or the control group (age 20.9 ± 1.8 years, height 178.2 ± 6.6 cm, and weight 68.8 ± 8.1 kg).

INTERVENTION

Participants in the experimental group performed supervised corrective exercises 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Fatigue was induced with a progressive treadmill protocol before and after the 8-week intervention.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes included movement efficiency during 3 squat tasks, static and dynamic postural control, strength of the ankle musculature, joint position sense, and self-reported function with the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure subscales. These outcomes were assessed before and immediately after fatiguing treadmill running both before and after 8-weeks of corrective exercises.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in movement efficiency, sensorimotor function, and self-reported function were noted in the experimental group relative to the control group (P < 0.001), in a nonfatigued state. However, in a fatigued stated, the experimental intervention only improved static postural control (P = 0.016) relative to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate that 8-weeks of corrective exercises were effective at enhancing movement efficiency, sensorimotor function, and self-reported function in collegiate athletes with CAI. However, this intervention program has limited abilities at reducing the effects of fatigue.