Effect of kinesio taping direction on force sense in wrist flexor muscles in healthy persons

Effect of Kinesio taping on wrist proprioception in healthy subjects: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Although the use of KT has increased considerably in the clinical practice in the last years, there is limited evidence about the effects of its application in proprioception.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of KT on joint position sense and force sense on the wrist of healthy subjects.

METHODS

Fifty-four subjects were analyzed in a randomized, crossover, single-blind study design. To determine the force sense, the subjects had to reach 50% of their maximum grip force. Wrist joint position sense was assessed during active repositioning tests at the target angles of 30° flexion and extension of wrist. A digital dynamometer was used to determine the sense of force and a digital goniometer was used to determine the joint position sense. Subjects were evaluated with KT (I- strip on ventral aspect of forearms from origin to insertion) and placebo (an inelastic tape was applied following the same procedure as KT).

RESULTS

No significant differences have been found in the force sense, neither in the comparisons between control and interventions (p=0.286), nor between pre and post-intervention (p=0.111). For wrist joint position sense, a statistically significant effect (p< 0.05) was found at 30º of extension between the control and experimental group in favor of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of KT did not produce changes in FS and only caused a significant improvement in JPS in extension (30º). The results appear to indicate that the application of KT to improve proprioception in healthy subjects should be reconsidered.

The effect of different tensions/directions of I-shaped taping in combination with corrective exercise on postural kyphosis in adolescents

BACKGROUND

Choosing appropriate complementary methods, such as exercise, along with taping methods may be effective in treating patients with kyphosis.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to examine the effect of different tape tensions/directions combined with corrective exercises on the degree of postural kyphosis in adolescents.

METHODS

In this randomized controlled trial, 54 adolescents with postural kyphosis were assigned into three groups: No taping (control), I-shaped taping technique with 10% stretching force (Kinesiotape I), and I-shaped taping using facilitation technique with 40% stretching force (Kinesiotape II). Both groups in Kinesiotaping also received a V-shaped tape (10% stretching force). All participants received a similar comprehensive corrective exercise. Patients received the allocated interventions for 6 weeks and visited every two weeks at the clinic. Measurements were done using a flexible ruler, kyphometer, and photogrammetry.

RESULTS

Between-group analyses revealed no significant differences between the study groups following the interventions (p> 0.05). However, the within-group analyses according to flexible ruler, Kyphometer, and Photogrammetry measurements indicated that exercise alone (control) [p= 0.011, p= 0.056, and p= 0.005, respectively], Kinesiotape I - exercise [p= 0.001, p= 0.002, p= 0.013, and respectively], as well as Kinesiotape II - exercise [p< 0.001, p< 0.001, and p< 0.001, respectively] significantly decreased the postural kyphosis degree except exercise alone using Kyphometer measurement. No adverse events were observed during the study.

CONCLUSION

The findings of photogrammetry, flexible rulers, and photogrammetry similarly indicated that the corrective exercises with or without tape tension/directions significantly decreased the postural kyphosis degree in adolescents.

Influence of taping on force sense accuracy: a systematic review with between and within group meta-analysis

Taping is a common technique used to address proprioceptive deficits in both healthy and patient population groups. Although there is increasing interest in taping to address proprioceptive deficits, little is known about its effects on the kinetic aspects of proprioception as measured by force sense accuracy. To address this gap in the literature, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of taping on force sense accuracy. A search for relevant literature was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across seven databases and one register. Eleven studies with 279 participants were included in the review out of 7362 records. In the between-group analyses, we found a significant improvement in absolute (p < 0.01) and relative (p = 0.01) force sense accuracy with taping compared to no comparator. Likewise, a significant improvement in absolute (p = 0.01) force sense accuracy was also observed with taping compared to placebo tape. In the within group analysis, this reduction in the absolute (p = 0.11) force sense accuracy was not significant. Additional exploratory subgroup analyses revealed between group improvement in force sense accuracy in both healthy individuals and individuals affected by medial epicondylitis. The findings of this meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of studies and a lack of blinded randomized controlled trials, which may impact the generalizability of the results. More high-quality research is needed to confirm the overall effect of taping on force sense accuracy.

Effects of Kinesio taping on skin deformation during knee flexion and extension: a preliminary study

Background

Kinesio Taping (KT) is proved useful to many musculoskeletal disorders. But the mechanism remains unclear. The kinesio tape works by sticking to the skin surface. So exploring the interaction between the tape and the skin and analyzing its biomechanical influence may be an effective way to explore the mechanism of the tape.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Kinesio taping and taping methods on skin deformation during knee joint flexion and extension motion and further explore its possible functional mechanisms.

Methods

Ten healthy and pain-free subjects (4 males, 6 females) were recruited in this study. The skin observation area on the anterior side of the right thigh of the subjects was divided into 11 segments by 12 reflective marker points for distance measurement, from the distal knee to the proximal knee, the length of the interval was L1 to L11, and the total length was L0. Subjects were treated with no KT (NT), resting positive taping (RPT), resting negative taping (RNT), stretching positive taping (SPT), and stretching negative taping (SNT). A Qualisys infrared high-speed three-dimensional spatial coordinate capture system was used to observe changes in the length of the observed skin surface on the right anterior thigh during right knee flexion and extension in the sitting position.

Results

During right knee flexion and extension in the seated position in 10 subjects, all skin segment deformations produced significant differences between intervention groups (P < 0.05), except for L1 during flexion (P = 0.07). During right knee flexion and extension, total length, L0, and spacing lengths, L1, L6, and L11, were longer in the NT group than in all other groups. L0 and L1 were both longer in the stretched position than in the rest position; L11 also showed this trend.

Conclusions

The usage of the KT had an effect on the biomechanical changes of the skin, resulting in changes in skin deformation. I-tape, natural tension taping can shorten the skin distance between the two ends of the tape. Limb position during taping may influence the KT’s effects. However, the change in taping direction showed no significant effects on skin deformation during exercise. KT may apply a pre-stress in the biomechanics of the skin.

Effect of inhibitory kinesiotaping on spasticity in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled pilot trial

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus regarding the positive effect of kinesiotaping (KT) on spasticity. All previous studies have measured spasticity by Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) scale which is a subjective clinical assessment.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of inhibitory KT on the spasticity of plantar flexor muscles using both Hoffmann-reflex (H-reflex) and MAS scale. H-reflex is a neurophysiological technique that objectively evaluates spasticity by reflecting the excitability of motor neurons.

METHODS

Thirty patients were randomly assigned into inhibitory KT (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The inhibitory KT group received KT from insertion to the origin of gastrocsoleus muscle . Spasticity was assessed at baseline and 30 min and 48 h after taping by H-reflex and MAS scale. The control group received no taping and spasticity was assessed at baseline and 30 min and 48 h after the baseline.

RESULT

There was a significant time × group effect for the maximal peak-to-peak amplitude of the H_max/M_max ratio (p = .007), indicating that H_max/M_max ratio decreased significantly after 48 h in the inhibitory KT in comparison with the baseline (P = .001) and 30 min after-intervention (p = .002); meanwhile, it did not change significantly in the control group (P > .05). However, none of the groups showed a statistically significant change in MAS score (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Application of inhibitory KT was found to be able to reduce the H_max/M_max ratio in patients with stroke. As a result, inhibitory KT could have beneficial effects on spasticity.

Effects of Kinesio tape application to trunk isokinetic strength in female participants

The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of KT on trunk strength with respect to different angular speeds when applied to the trunks of healthy women. Forty healthy female participants were randomly distributed into two groups: the placebo group (PG) in which placebo KT was applied and the experimental group (EG). Participants' trunk concentric flexion and extension muscle strength were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer in two different angular speeds (60°/s - 180°/s). In both PG and EG groups, there was no significant difference measured immediately after taping at the two angular speed values. In the measurements taken 48 h later, as regards PG trunk flexion, extension muscle strength increased significantly (p = 0.0001) at 60°/sc. angular speed while, for the EG only, the strength of trunk extension muscle increased significantly (p = 0.002). It was observed, that to ensure an increase in strength, waiting for a certain length of time was required. Lower angular speeds and short-term applied KT improved the strength of the trunk extension muscle.

Effects of Kinesio tape on supporting medial foot arch in runners with functional flatfoot: a preliminary study

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-pronation effects of Kinesio tape on flexible flatfoot during running. Nine volunteers participated in a crossover trail of two conditions: with Kinesio tape (KT) or without taping (NT). The running consisted of 9 stages of different inclines on a treadmill over 28 minutes. Navicular drop distance (NDD) was measured before and after the running. Electromyography, the relative plantar pressure, Rating of Perceived Exertion and Visual Analogue Scale were recorded at each stage. After the application of Kinesio tapes over the tibialis posterior and transverse arch, the NDD reduced significantly and the relative posterior pressure reduced during stage 8. Without taping, the NDD decreased slightly after exercise. Comparing between conditions, the tibialis anterior were more activated with Kinesio tape in stages 4 and 5. During the latter half of the running, the medial gastrocnemius and peroneus longus reduced their activity in the KT and NT conditions respectively. In conclusion, the Kinesio tapes intended to facilitate the tibialis posterior and reinforce the transverse arch can reduce NDD in individuals with flexible flatfoot immediately after application, and increase muscle activity of their tibialis anterior during the first 15 minutes of the running.