Examining the Use of Kinesiology Tape During Weight Bearing Exercises on Proprioception in Participants With Functional Ankle Instability

Influence of taping on joint proprioception: a systematic review with between and within group meta-analysis

Taping is increasingly used to manage proprioceptive deficits, but existing reviews on its impact have shortcomings. To accurately assess the effects of taping, a separate meta-analyses for different population groups and tape types is needed. Therefore, both between- and within-group meta-analyses are needed to evaluate the influence of taping on proprioception. According to PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted across seven databases (Web of Science, PEDro, Pubmed, EBSCO, Scopus, ERIC, SportDiscus, Psychinfo) and one register (CENTRAL) using the keywords "tape" and "proprioception". Out of 1372 records, 91 studies, involving 2718 individuals, met the inclusion criteria outlined in the systematic review. The meta-analyses revealed a significant between and within-group reduction in repositioning errors with taping compared to no tape (Hedge's g: -0.39, p < 0.001) and placebo taping (Hedge's g: -1.20, p < 0.001). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses further confirmed the reliability of the overall between and within-group analyses. The between-group results further demonstrated that both elastic tape and rigid tape had similar efficacy to improve repositioning errors in both healthy and fatigued populations. Additional analyses on the threshold to detection of passive motion and active movement extent discrimination apparatus revealed no significant influence of taping. In conclusion, the findings highlight the potential of taping to enhance joint repositioning accuracy compared to no tape or placebo taping. Further research needs to uncover underlying mechanisms and refine the application of taping for diverse populations with proprioceptive deficits.

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.