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Published on: March 3, 2018
Effect of Kinesio taping on wrist proprioception in healthy subjects: A randomized clinical trial
Lorenzo A Justo-Cousiño1, Iria Da Cuña-Carrera1, Alejandra Alonso-Calvete2
1Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Pontevedra, Spain; Physiotherapy Group FS1, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Pontevedra, Spain.
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.
