SOAP Note - Kinesio Tape
Good morning!
Today I am going to introduce a slightly different format. This article will be the first in a new style/series of articles that I hope to produce once a month. The format will be based on the medical acronym SOAP. In this series, I will provide 2-4 research articles that have evidence to support opposing opinions (subjective). Then I will add my own personal experience or lessons I’ve learned from others relating to the topic, perhaps on both sides of the argument (objective). I will then offer my personal stance and consideration of the presented information (assessment). Finally, the community response from all of you will provide the “plan”! The first topic of this new SOAP series will be kinesio-tape (K-Tape).
SUBJECTIVE:
I have two articles cited below. The first one used the application of kinesio tape on the forearm and measured grip strength and force sense in healthy collegiate athletes. In an overview, the study concluded that K-tape had no effect on grip strength. However, they did note a change in the athletes’ perception of force production.
Chang, et al. “Immediate Effect of Forearm Kinesio Taping on Maximal Grip Strength and Force Sense in Healthy Collegiate Athletes.” Science Direct, vol. 11, no. 4, Nov. 2010, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466853X10000519.
The second article applied K-tape to the calves of healthy yet inactive individuals to assess vertical jump performance. This study demonstrated an increase in ground reaction force when K-tape was applied, however, no significant effect on vertical jump height.
Huang, Chen-Yu, et al. “Effect of the Kinesio Tape to Muscle Activity and Vertical Jump Performance in Healthy Inactive People.” BioMedical Engineering OnLine, BioMed Central, 11 Aug. 2011, biomedical-engineering-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-925X-10-70.
OBJECTIVE:
When I first learned about the use and application of kinesio tape, I was an undergraduate athletic training student. There were a few different methods described; muscle inhibition, muscle facilitation, edema reduction, and muscle tension reduction (trigger point). I have seen ATCs use the “box” method which is intended to “shut off” a particular muscle. I have seen and even myself used K-tape to inhibit a muscle on an athlete with symptoms of tendonitis. I once worked with a men’s ice hockey athlete who blocked a shot with his inner thigh. This area in hockey doesn’t have much padding and the puck was hit pretty hard because this athlete ended up with bruising down his entire leg. He was put in a knee immobilizer and made non-weight bearing. K-tape was used in a web-like design to assist with edema reduction. After 48hrs of wearing the tape, we peeled it off to then apply more tape in a new location. I was amazed to see an exact outline of the tape we removed. The skin under the tape looked totally normal while the whole rest of his leg was still black and blue. I have seen K-tape used for off-loading TFCC tears as well as aiding patellofemoral pain syndrome. Does it really work for all of these cases?
ASSESSMENT:
As a student learning about K-tape we applied it to each other and wore the tape for 24hrs. I admit that I definitely felt a significant difference in general neck tension after wearing K-tape on my upper traps for a full day. Because of my personal experience of wearing the K-tape, early on in my career I used the mysterious tape more often than I do now for muscle related issues. I might’ve stopped if I didn’t consistently get positive feedback from athletes following the application of this modality. The research beyond the two articles I listed above generally shows that K-tape has minimal effect on force production but usually can provide increased proprioception and reduced pain. I believe K-tape has a firm place in any athletic training room, but now that the initial excitement surrounding it has calmed down we must decide what exactly this modality does and how best to use it.
PLAN:
I want to hear from all of you! Do you have a significant K-tape “success story”? Do you think it is a waste of time? Is the time expense of cutting, measuring, and applying K-tape worth the benefits?
Also, I’m curious to hear what you think of this new SOAP series I am starting. I hope to publish one SOAP per month and 1-3 other articles similar to all my previous ones. During the spring it is challenging for me to produce articles because my sport of baseball is in full swing. That being said, if there are any topics that you would love to see discussed please feel free to reach out to me!! Together we can talk about it and perhaps you can publish an article on this website! This idea was one of the original goals of mine for SOAP Notes, I really want everybody to participate in some fashion.
Until next time,
Today I am going to introduce a slightly different format. This article will be the first in a new style/series of articles that I hope to produce once a month. The format will be based on the medical acronym SOAP. In this series, I will provide 2-4 research articles that have evidence to support opposing opinions (subjective). Then I will add my own personal experience or lessons I’ve learned from others relating to the topic, perhaps on both sides of the argument (objective). I will then offer my personal stance and consideration of the presented information (assessment). Finally, the community response from all of you will provide the “plan”! The first topic of this new SOAP series will be kinesio-tape (K-Tape).
SUBJECTIVE:
I have two articles cited below. The first one used the application of kinesio tape on the forearm and measured grip strength and force sense in healthy collegiate athletes. In an overview, the study concluded that K-tape had no effect on grip strength. However, they did note a change in the athletes’ perception of force production.
Chang, et al. “Immediate Effect of Forearm Kinesio Taping on Maximal Grip Strength and Force Sense in Healthy Collegiate Athletes.” Science Direct, vol. 11, no. 4, Nov. 2010, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466853X10000519.
The second article applied K-tape to the calves of healthy yet inactive individuals to assess vertical jump performance. This study demonstrated an increase in ground reaction force when K-tape was applied, however, no significant effect on vertical jump height.
Huang, Chen-Yu, et al. “Effect of the Kinesio Tape to Muscle Activity and Vertical Jump Performance in Healthy Inactive People.” BioMedical Engineering OnLine, BioMed Central, 11 Aug. 2011, biomedical-engineering-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-925X-10-70.
In summary, the first article demonstrated that K-tape had no effect on force production in the forearm. The second article noted an increase in ground reaction force when K-tape was applied to the calf.
OBJECTIVE:
When I first learned about the use and application of kinesio tape, I was an undergraduate athletic training student. There were a few different methods described; muscle inhibition, muscle facilitation, edema reduction, and muscle tension reduction (trigger point). I have seen ATCs use the “box” method which is intended to “shut off” a particular muscle. I have seen and even myself used K-tape to inhibit a muscle on an athlete with symptoms of tendonitis. I once worked with a men’s ice hockey athlete who blocked a shot with his inner thigh. This area in hockey doesn’t have much padding and the puck was hit pretty hard because this athlete ended up with bruising down his entire leg. He was put in a knee immobilizer and made non-weight bearing. K-tape was used in a web-like design to assist with edema reduction. After 48hrs of wearing the tape, we peeled it off to then apply more tape in a new location. I was amazed to see an exact outline of the tape we removed. The skin under the tape looked totally normal while the whole rest of his leg was still black and blue. I have seen K-tape used for off-loading TFCC tears as well as aiding patellofemoral pain syndrome. Does it really work for all of these cases?
ASSESSMENT:
As a student learning about K-tape we applied it to each other and wore the tape for 24hrs. I admit that I definitely felt a significant difference in general neck tension after wearing K-tape on my upper traps for a full day. Because of my personal experience of wearing the K-tape, early on in my career I used the mysterious tape more often than I do now for muscle related issues. I might’ve stopped if I didn’t consistently get positive feedback from athletes following the application of this modality. The research beyond the two articles I listed above generally shows that K-tape has minimal effect on force production but usually can provide increased proprioception and reduced pain. I believe K-tape has a firm place in any athletic training room, but now that the initial excitement surrounding it has calmed down we must decide what exactly this modality does and how best to use it.
PLAN:
I want to hear from all of you! Do you have a significant K-tape “success story”? Do you think it is a waste of time? Is the time expense of cutting, measuring, and applying K-tape worth the benefits?
Also, I’m curious to hear what you think of this new SOAP series I am starting. I hope to publish one SOAP per month and 1-3 other articles similar to all my previous ones. During the spring it is challenging for me to produce articles because my sport of baseball is in full swing. That being said, if there are any topics that you would love to see discussed please feel free to reach out to me!! Together we can talk about it and perhaps you can publish an article on this website! This idea was one of the original goals of mine for SOAP Notes, I really want everybody to participate in some fashion.
Until next time,
Mark D
@MarkDomATC
@MarkDomATC
As with most things I feel that there is a time and a place for k-tape and it does have its uses, but I also think that the proclaimed benefits can be significantly exaggerated. To say that you can "shut off" a muscle if you put it on the skin while pulling in a certain direction is something that I can't wrap my head around. I don't believe our body is so simplistic. Now we can make an argument that k-tape can better make you aware of a faulty movement pattern and since you have that proprioceptive feedback you can make the appropriate adjustment and I am on board with that. But to say I'm going to "inhibit" your upper trap for whatever reason is a bit far fetched in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI do think that k-tape has been shown to increase local blood flow which is will pretty much always have positive effects. Usually when you increase blood flow you will have a decrease in pain as well as a possible improvement in the healing process. I have used k-tape in the past in the presence of chronic low back pain, knee pain, IT band pain and have received very positive feedback regarding a perception of decreased pain and increased function which I can't argue with. In general, patients like using k-tape. It makes them feel good which at the end of the day is a big win. Whether the mechanism has a proven scientific rationale or simply works by utilizing the placebo effect it helps patients to decrease their pain so I'm okay with it. Just be careful about misleading someone about it's potential uses and effects.
Thank you for your comment! Well said! I especially agree with your statement that "it makes them feel good which at the end of the day is a big win". That should always be a goal of treatments, so important.
Delete