Objective: To determine short-term effects of applied forearm Kinesio Taping (KT) on pain, wrist flexor strength, and force sense for baseball players with medial epicondylitis (ME). Design: Case-control repeated measures study. Setting: Clinical sports medicine research laboratory in a medical university. Participants: A group of 10 baseball players with ME (ME group) and another group of 17 healthy collegiate athletes (healthy group). Intervention: Three taping conditions were applied in both groups: (1) no taping applied, (2) placebo taping applied (PT), and (3) KT applied. Main Outcome Measures: Three variables were measured including maximal wrist flexor strength, related/absolute force sense errors, and pain scale (pressure pain and pain tolerance) under 3 taping conditions. Results: No significant relationship was found either in maximal wrist flexor strength or in related force sense errors between the 2 groups with taping applied, except absolute force sense errors (P = 0.037). Both the healthy group and the ME group in absolute force sense measurement significantly decreased the errors in PT and KT conditions. Also, the tolerance of pressure pain also improved in both the healthy group and the ME group when performing PT and KT conditions. Conclusions: Forearm KT may enhance absolute force sense and improve pain condition for both healthy athletes and athletes suffering from ME when placebo and KT applied. However, KT did not result in significant changes in maximal wrist flexor strength for either group.

Kinesio taping has also been used for athletes with Medial Elbow Epicondylar Tendinopathy (MET) as an additional treatment method. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness of Kinesio tape on maximal grip strength and absolute and related force sense in athletes with MET when applied to the medial forearm. 27 male athletes who voluntarily participated in this study were divided into a healthy group (n=17) and a MET group (n=10). All subjects were assessed for the maximal grip strength and grip force sense (absolute and related force sense) under 3 taping conditions: 1) without taping; 2) with placebo Kinesio taping; and 3) with Kinesio taping. No significant interaction was found between groups and taping condition in maximal grip force and related force sense error, except for absolute force sense error (p=0.04). Both groups with absolute force sense measurements had significantly decreased errors in the placebo Kinesio taping and Kinesio taping conditions. Both taping may enhance discrimination of magnitude of grip force control (absolute force sense) in both groups when applied to the forearm. However, Kinesio taping did not change maximal grip strength in either group. The effects of Kinesio taping on other muscle functions remain to be studied.

Article: Prophylactic Kinesio taping enhances balance for healthy collegiate players - The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2018 May;58(5):651-8 - Minerva Medica - Journals

Background: Athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI) often develop complications such as pain, instability, and reduced postural control and balance stability, all of which affect athletic performance. This study investigated the effects of a 4° medal wedge intervention on static and dynamic balance in athletes with CAI. Methods: The participants were 24 healthy and 25 CAI athletes. Participants received a 4° medial wedge applied at the rear foot insole and completed the experiment measurements before and after the wedge intervention. The main outcome measures included the area and path length of the center of pressure when participants performed single-leg standing balance in the closed eye condition and the dynamic balance scores of a multiple single-leg hop stabilization test. Results: The single-leg standing balance significantly improved in CAI (P = .027) and control groups (P = .005) after the medial wedge intervention. The dynamic balance scores significantly decreased from 53.00 ± 25.22 to 41.24 ± 21 48 (P = .015) in CAI group after medial wedge intervention. Conclusion: Wearing a 4° medial wedge applied at the rear foot insole improved static and dynamic balance immediately in athletes with CAI. We suggest that clinicians may provide the foot insole to improve balance deficit in athletes having CAI.

Objective: Shoulder instability is a common cause of morbidity among professional rugby union players. This study explores whether the risk of shoulder dislocation is associated with innate shoulder laxity. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Clinical sports medicine research at professional rugby clubs. Participants: One hundred sixty-nine healthy rugby players (mean age 25.1 years) with no history of instability in either shoulder and 46 players (mean age 27.5 years) with shoulder instability in one shoulder (patient group). Main Outcome Measures: Anterior, inferior, and posterior laxity was measured in both shoulders for healthy players and in the uninjured shoulder only for injured players using dynamic ultrasound. Results: There was no significant difference between the nondominant (anterior: mean 2.9 ± 1.2 mm; inferior: mean 3.1 ± 1.0 mm; posterior: mean 5.1 ± 1.7 mm) and dominant (anterior: mean 3.1 ± 1.1 mm; inferior: mean 2.9 ± 1.0 mm; posterior: mean 4.9 ± 1.7 mm) shoulders in healthy players (P > 0.05). The comparison between healthy shoulders (anterior: mean 3.0 ± 1.2 mm; inferior: mean 3.0 ± 1.0 mm; posterior: mean 5.0 ± 1.7 mm) and the uninjured shoulder (anterior: mean 4.2 ± 1.7 mm; inferior: mean 3.4 ± 1.2 mm; posterior: mean 6.2 ± 3.0 mm) from injured players identified that players with unstable shoulders have a significantly higher shoulder translation in their uninjured shoulder than healthy players (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Formal assessment of shoulder translation using dynamic ultrasound should enable sports medicine practitioners to identify players at greatest risk of subsequent shoulder instability for targeted prehabilitation programs.