Publication date and title: THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF KINESIOTAPE® ON BALANCE AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE
The Immediate and Long-term effects of Kinesiotape on Balance and Functional Performance.
Key learning points:
– This article aims to investigate the immediate and long-term effects of the prescribed application of KT when applied to the dominant lower extremity of healthy individuals.
-KT was applied to the gastrocnemius of the participant’s dominant leg.
-A prescribed application to facilitate muscle performance was used for the experimental group versus a sham application for the control group.
-The Biodex Balance System and four hop tests were utilized to assess balance, proprioception, and functional performance.
Application to practice:
-There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding balance and functional performance when KT was applied to the gastrocnemius muscle of the lower extremity.
-These results compare to those from a recent study where KT was applied to healthy individuals in the same fashion as the present study and also failed to find any significant improvements in balance.
Action plan:
-The main limitation of the present study was the use of a healthy population because KT is typically prescribed for individuals with musculoskeletal injury or impairment.
