The effect of Kinesio Tex tape in participants with chronic ankle instability after a fatigue protocol

Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most common sports related injuries in the United States. The development of chronic ankle instability (CAI) is estimated to occur in 30-80% of people after the initial sprain. Several factors contribute to recurrent lateral ankle sprains and feelings of "giving way" to include mechanical and functional instabilities. Of the therapeutic interventions used to treat CAI, Kinesio Tex (KT) tape has recently gained popularity. This study investigated the effects of KT tape among those who have CAI before and after a fatigue protocol. We examined the effects of KT tape relative to Standard tape and a Control in dynamic and static postural control outcome measures. Secondary outcome measurements included plantar flexion strength and a visual analog scale (VAS) to provide insight to the psychological aspect KT tape may provide. A total of 24 subjects were recruited and underwent 3 sessions separated by at least 7 days. Subjects were randomly assigned to groups by counterbalancing them in the order they appeared in the study. The results identified better SEBT scores in the KT tape condition relative to Standard tape condition. However, Baseline measurements were also better than Standard tape condition, but no different than the KT tape condition. No significant findings were identified in static postural control measurements. The VAS results identified significant findings in both tape conditions relative to Baseline and Control conditions. Also, the fatigue protocol failed to identify significant results in dynamic and static postural control. In conclusion, the lack of significant findings does not support the use of KT tape to improve postural control.