Balance, Healthy Sedanters, Proprioception
Conditions
Keywords
Kinesio Taping, Proprioception, Balance, Acute Effect
Brief summary
Kinesio tape will be applied to the leg muscles of two groups of healthy and young participants using a specific taping technique. After the application of the tape, assessments of balance and proprioception will be conducted. The taping will be performed bilaterally on both legs, and for all participants, taped and untaped measurements will be carried out bilaterally on alternating days within the same week. Prior to the assessments, all participants will be asked to complete a 5-minute warm-up session on a bicycle ergometer, followed by four sets of 30-second static stretching exercises for the leg and hip muscles, with 30-second rest intervals between each set. In this way, the acute effects of kinesio taping on balance and proprioception will be investigated.
Detailed description
This study aims to examine the acute effects of kinesio taping (KT) applied to the hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups on balance and proprioception in healthy young male individuals. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether kinesio taping enhances proprioceptive feedback in the targeted muscle groups and whether this has a short-term impact on postural balance. As balance and proprioception are critically important for daily functional activities and sports performance, they will be evaluated using objective assessment methods in this research. The study will include 20 healthy and voluntary male participants. Participants will be divided into two groups: real taping and placebo taping. For each participant, one leg will be randomly assigned to the experimental group (real KT application), and the other leg to the control group (placebo). All interventions and assessments will be conducted in a double-blind design, where the assessor will not know which leg received which application. All participants will begin with a 5-minute warm-up on a bicycle ergometer, followed by four sets of 30-second static stretching exercises targeting the hamstring, quadriceps, and gluteal muscles, with 30-second rest intervals between sets. The kinesio tape will be applied using the facilitation technique described by Kase et al., from origin to insertion (proximal to distal). Proprioception will be assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer through the Active Joint Position Reproduction (AJPR) test. Participants will be asked to actively reproduce specific knee angles, and the differences between the actual and reproduced angles will be recorded for analysis. Postural balance will be assessed using the CSMI-TecnoBody PK-252 balance analysis system, through both static and dynamic tests. In the static test, participants will stand on a stable platform with eyes open while their balance is measured. In the dynamic test, participants will follow a predefined movement path using their feet on a moving platform to assess balance performance. At the end of the study, the collected data will be statistically analyzed to determine whether kinesio taping has an acute positive effect on balance and proprioception. The findings will be evaluated for their potential contributions to physical activity, athlete health, and rehabilitation practices.
Interventions
DEVICEApplication of kinesio tape
The facilitating taping technique for the quadriceps and hamstring muscle group described by Kase et al. will be applied to the kinesio tape group. The tape will be applied from the muscle origin to the insertion (proximal to distal) for facilitation. The application for the hamstring muscle group will be applied from the proximal to the distal of the muscle up to the lateral and medial heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. The tape will be applied to the quadriceps muscle from the proximal to the distal of the muscle, ending on the undersurface of the patella. The physiotherapist places the tape base without tension in the first 5 centimeters of the starting point of the hamstring muscles and quadriceps muscle. Light to moderate tension (25-50%) is applied for facilitation. The tail parts of the tape are placed on the skin without tension at a distance of 2 to 5.
OTHERPlacebo Group
The application for the hamstring muscle group will be applied from the proximal to the distal of the muscle up to the lateral and medial heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. The tape will also be applied to the quadriceps muscle from the proximal to the distal of the muscle, ending at the lower surface of the patella.The placebo group will have tape applied to the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups without any tension.
Sponsors
Ondokuz Mayıs University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
In this double-blind study, both the participants and the outcomes assessor were masked to the type of kinesio taping (real or placebo) applied to each leg. The kinesio tape was applied by a separate researcher who did not participate in any of the assessments. Participants were unaware of which leg received the real intervention and which received the placebo taping. This approach was used to minimize bias in both participant response and outcome measurement.
Intervention model description
Each participant will receive both the real kinesio taping and placebo taping interventions. One leg will be randomly assigned to the experimental (real taping) condition and the other leg to the control (placebo) condition. This within-subject crossover design allows for direct comparison of intervention effects.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Male individuals aged between 18 and 30 years Healthy with no known musculoskeletal disorders Voluntarily agrees to participate in the study Has no contraindications to physical activity or kinesio taping Provides written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
History of musculoskeletal injury within the last 6 months Presence of any vestibular or auditory disorders Active cellulitis or skin infection at the application site Open wounds or history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) Known allergy to kinesio tape or related materials
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Joint Position Sense (Proprioception) Measured by Active Joint Position Reproduction Test | Within 30 minutes after kinesio taping application | Proprioception will be assessed using the Active Joint Position Reproduction (AJPR) test with an isokinetic dynamometer. Participants will be asked to actively replicate three target knee flexion angles after passive teaching. The absolute error between the target angle and the angle reproduced by the participant will be recorded. Three trials will be performed for each angle, and the mean absolute error will be calculated for analysis. A lower error score indicates better proprioceptive accuracy. |
| Postural Balance Assessment | 3 months | Before measurements are taken for static and dynamic balance, participants will complete a 10-minute warm-up exercise consisting of 5 minutes of low-intensity running and warm-up exercises. All participants will be allowed to do one trial before the test begins. Then, athletes will be placed on a platform and subjected to open-eye static balance tests. Measurements will be taken with the patient's feet shoulder-width apart on the CSMI-TecnoBody PK-252 balance device platform and the feet on the lines representing the x and y axes of the platform and equidistant from the starting point. The tests will last 30 seconds, the body position will be maintained and the subject's position will be monitored on the screen. The test will be automatically saved at the end of 30 seconds. For Dynamic Balance, subjects will be instructed to complete the test using only the feet to minimize upper body movements. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed