Abstract
Context: There is limited research on the effectiveness of Kinesio© Tape in regards to balance, and there has yet to be research comparing Kinesio© Tape with non-elastic tape, and no tape relative to balance. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare ankle stability using the Biodex Balance System (BBS) with the application of Kinesio© Tape, the application of non-elastic athletic tape, and without tape in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design: This study was a true experimental design using repeated measures. Setting: Physical Therapy Lab. Patients or Other Participants: Participants consisted of 10 males and 7 females with an average age of 24 years (+ 5). Participants were recruited from Florida Gulf Coast University and consisted of students in the College of Health Professions and Social Work. Each individual received all conditions; KT, elastic white, and no tape. Interventions: Participants were randomly selected by choosing a number from random to have either Kinesio© Tape, non-elastic tape, or no tape applied at each session. Therefore, each participant attended three separate sessions and were tested on the BBS with each condition. The KT method used in this study was the ligament and proprioception deficit technique consisting of a “y” cut anchored to the calcaneus and an “I” cut anchored to the medial malleolus. The non-elastic white tape procedure performed was the closed basket weave. Participants performed one practice trial with the condition that was chosen randomly before beginning each session on the BBS. The Athletic Single Leg Stance protocol as preset by the BBS was utilized to determine the effectiveness of each independent variable. Main Outcome Measures: The dependent variable in this study was balance on the BBS, indicated by the anterior posterior stability index (APSI), medial-lateral stability index (MLSI), and overall stability index (OSI). Data analysis consisted of a general linear model (GLM) repeated measures procedure using Wilks Lambda (p=0.05). Results: Results showed no statistically significant difference in outcomes for the three conditions: KT, non-elastic tape, or no tape based on a comparison of APSI (p = 0.34), MLSI (p = 0.61) and OSI (p = 0.59), as measured by the BBS. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that when applying Kinesio© Tape to individuals with CAI, there is no added benefit when compared to non-elastic tape and no tape relative to balance when performing dynamic activities. Due to limited sample size and unknown effect size, further research is needed on this topic.