Background & Aims: Grip strength plays a fundamental role in many daily activities of upper extremities. Reduced grip strength is common in patients with some musculoskeletal disorders in upper extremities. Kinesio taping of the forearm area might help to facilitate muscle contraction through stimulating the skin mechanoreceptors and consequently increasing sensory feedbacks around the taped area. This study aimed to find the best place and time for Kinesio taping of the forearm in increasing hand grip strength.Methods: Using a simple non-randomized sampling method, 40 healthy subjects (20 males and 20 females) were recruited in this interventional study. First, the flexor, extensor and flexor/extensor muscle groups of the forearm were taped with a 50% stretched and I-shaped technique. A grip-meter device (MIE, UK) was used to measure the grip strength every half an hour during 2 hours and then the tape was removed from the skin. Changes of the hand grip strength before and after the taping were recorded and analyzed using Repeated Measure and One-Way ANOVA.Results: Mean age of participants was 22.3±2 years. Hand grip strength of males increased from 38.33±6.5 to 42.4±7.3 kg (P<0.05) and in females it increased from 19.3±4.5 to 23.5±4.3 kg (P<0.05). In addition, taping on the extensor region increased hand grip strength more than when it was used on the flexor or flexor/extensor regions (P<0.05). Furthermore, male subjects reached to the maximum hand grip strength (10.8% increase in force) in half an hour after taping while females reached to this point (23.9% increase in force) 1.5 hour after taping.Conclusion: Kinesio taping technique seemed to be effective in increasing hand grip strength of healthy individuals and the best region for tape application is the extensor region of the forearm. Although in females increase of hand grip strength occurs later than males, the rate of this increase is higher.

Background and Objective: Deficiency in the proprioception, balance and postural control are mostly found in patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery (ACLR). These factors play a role in symmetric weight distribution on the lower limbs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of taping on the proprioception and weight distribution on lower limbs in ACLR patients.Materials and Methods: Twenty volunteer athlete men with isolated ACL injury, aged 27±5.5 years, 4 to 6 months after surgery participated in the study. This study was performed in the Biomechanics Laboratory of Tarbiat Modares University. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups using random number table. Proprioception and weight distribution symmetry were measured by a digital goniometer and force platform. Measurements were performed before and after taping and 10 days after continues usage of taping.Results: The findings showed that the weight loading on the injured knee was toward increasing in 30 degree of squat but did not show a significant difference. There was not a considerable difference in 60 degree squat too. Angle reproduction test precision also significantly improved after taping.Conclusion: It could be concluded that taping has a positive effect on the reducing angle reproduction absolute error via providing sensory inputs on the knee joint.

Introduction: Ankle sprain is one of the most prevalent traumatic injuries in joints, which can lead to instability, osteoarthritis and functional deficit in the ankle. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute and late effects of Kinesio taping (KT) on the postural sway in patients with ankle sprain.Material and methods: Fifteen subjects with history of ankle sprain (7 men and 8 women) were participated in this study including two periods of taping and non-taping sessions. The measurements included: displacement the centre of pressure (COP), speed of COP displacement and the standard deviation (SD) of COP displacement in the anteroposterior and lateral directions, with and without perturbation. All parameters were measured twice with one day interval before taping, immediately and 24 hours after taping, and immediately after tape removal.Results: There were not any significant differences in the mean and SD of COP displacement, the speed of COP displacement and KT and No-KT situations.Conclusion: This study’s findings indicate that KT may not improve the balance performance in subjects with ankle sprain.

Purpose: In approaching full trunk flexion (75%-80% of full flexion), myoelectric activity oflumbar erector spinae muscles is reduced or silenced; this response is known as flexion-relaxationphenomenon (FRP). FRP is a shift in load sharing and spinal stabilization from active structures(erector spinae muscles) to passive ligamentous and articular structures. Static lumbar flexionunder constant displacement or load, within the physiological range, elicits creep in lumbarviscoelastic tissues. During a short static lumbar flexion, significant changes are elicited in themuscular activity pattern of the FRP. Laxity in the passive tissues of the spine during prolongedspinal flexion disturbs the spinal stability. This study investigated the effects of Kinesio taping(KT) before and after periods of the static lumbar flexion on the timing of FRP for the erectorspinae muscles.Methods: The research was conducted on 22 healthy female college students. The surfaceelectromyographic silence and onset of the erector spinae muscle activities were measured intwo states; before the static lumbar flexion and 10 minutes after the static lumbar flexion in twoconditions (with and without KT).Results: The results indicate that KT causes erector spinae muscles relaxation earlier in theflexion and later reactivated in the extension. In other words, KT increased flexion relaxation timein erector spinae muscles (P<0.05). The results also indicate that 10 minutes static lumbar flexionwill produce relaxation of the erector spinae muscles later during the forward bending activityand earlier reactivation during the extension (P<0.05). Application of KT cannot compensate theeffects of 10 minutes static flexion at the onset and the silence of flexion relaxation and over againcreep causes FRP occurs later.Conclusion: According to the effects of KT before the creep in reducing the duration of themuscles activity, Kinesio tape may be used in reducing muscle spasms and duration of erectorspinae muscles activity. It may also improve FRP in the back and the people who are predisposedto the back pain and FRP has not seen in them. Therefore, the need for research on these subjectsand other factors, such as the electrical activity of muscles is essential. Although the application ofKT cannot substitute the effects of 10 minutes static flexion on the onset and the silence of flexionrelaxation, it could be used for protection and reduction of using strained viscoelastic structures.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common movement disorder in children that is associated with life-long disability and multiple impairments. The clinical manifestations of CP vary among children. CP is accompanied by a wide range of problems and has a broad spectrum. Children with CP demonstrate poor fine and dross motor function due to psychomotor disturbances. Early rehabilitation programs are essential for children with CP and should be appropriate for the age and functional condition of the patients. Kinesio taping (KT) technique is a relatively new technique applied in rehabilitation programs of CP. This article reviews the effects of KT techniques on improving motor skills in children with CP. In this study, we used keywords "cerebral palsy, Kinesio Tape, KT and taping" in the national and international electronic databases between 1999 and 2016. Out of the 43 articles obtained, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. There are several different applications about KT technique in children with CP. Review of the literature demonstrated that the impact of this technique on gross and fine motor function and dynamic activities is more effective than postural and static activities. Also this technique has more effectiveness in the child at higher developmental and motor stages. The majority of consistent findings showed that KT technique as part of a multimodal therapy program can be effective in the rehabilitation of children with CP to improve motor function and dynamic activities especially in higher developmental and motor stages.