Comparison of distal versus proximal-distal kinesio taping effects on gait initiation profile in athletes with functional ankle instability

Objective. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of two application methods of kinesio taping on gait initiation (GI) profile of athletes with and without functional ankle instability (FAI): 1) distal (applied on the peroneus longus muscle), 2) proximal-distal (applied on gluteus medius and peroneus longus muscles). Methods. Experiment consisted of a test-retest study of the immediate - term effects of the two methods of kinesio taping in two separate weeks on GI profile in 15 athletes with FAI and 15 healthy athletes. Participants performed bare feet GI on a force plate which captured center of pressure (COP). The GI profile was separated into three phases (anticipatory, weight transfer, and locomotive) and two directions (anteroposterior, mediolateral). The averages of 3 trials were used for analyses. Multifactorial repeated measure ANOVA were used for comparison of the two application methods and both group of participants. Results. There weren't any significant result for factor effect and group effect for all of the 9 variables of the study (P > 0.05). Also, we did not observe any significant group by factor interaction effects (P > 0.05), indicating that each group respond to the interventions in a similar pattern. Conclusion. The distal or proximal-distal application of kinesio taping had no impact on GI profile of athletes with and without FAI. We concluded that it is better to assess the long-term effects of kinesio taping in the ore challenging environment and tasks.