EFFECTS OF KINESIO TAPING ON HIP ABDUCTOR MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHY ACTIVITY IN ATHLETES WITH CHRONIC ANKLE INSTABILITY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

ObjectiveAthletes with chronic ankle instability tend to develop hip abductor muscle weakness. Kinesio taping may help this muscle perform its functions, thus preventing injury. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Kinesio taping on hip abductor muscle strength and electromyography (EMG) activity.SubjectsA total of 34 athletes, mean age 22.08 years (standard deviation 2.71 years) participated in the study.MethodsA pre-test–post-test experimental design was used. For the experimental group, Kinesio tape, and for the control group, Micropore tape, was applied over the gluteus medius muscle. Gluteus medius muscle strength and EMG activity were noted in supine and during the single-leg squat test (SLST), respectively, before and after the intervention. Strength was measured through maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) force with a handheld dynamometer, and muscle activation measured through EMG.ResultsIn the experimental group, there was a significant increase in gluteus medius strength, by 10.27% (p = 0.00), and a significant decrease in EMG activity (p = 0.00), by 8.38%. In the control group, there was a significant increase in gluteus medius strength, by 2.89% (p = 0.01) and a not statistically significant decrease in EMG activity, by 0.80% (p = 0.15).ConclusionKinesio taping is effective in increasing hip abductor muscle strength in athletes with chronic ankle instability.LAY ABSTRACTAthletes with chronic ankle instability tend to develop hip abductor weakness, which further predisposes them to injuries in the lower limb and hinders their athletic performance. Kinesio taping may help this muscle perform its functions. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Kinesio taping, applied over the hip abductors, on muscle strength and activation. A total of 34 athletes with chronic ankle instability were recruited to the study. Kinesio taping was found to be effective in increasing the strength of the hip abductor muscle and reducing its activation. Kinesio taping can be used by athletes with chronic ankle instability to prevent injury to the lower limb, for rehabilitation, and to enhance their athletic performance.Key words: ankle injury, hip abductors, Kinesio taping, muscle strength, electromyography

One of the most common injuries, occurring not only in sports, but also in everyday activities, is ankle sprain (1, 2). Incomplete recovery of ankle sprain is very common, and the majority of individuals after initial ankle sprains experience residual symptoms, such as repeated sprains, pain, and a sensation of “giving way” (3). This condition is called chronic ankle instability (CAI) (4). CAI is highly prevalent in high-school/ collegiate athletes, and occurs in up to 70% of athletes with initial ankle sprains (5–8). CAI is associated with reduced health-related quality of life, reduced physical activity levels, and suboptimal functional levels (9). In individuals with chronic ankle sprains the ipsilateral hip abductor muscles are weak in comparison with the uninjured side (10, 11). Beckman & Buchanan observed a significant delay in muscle activation of the gluteus medius (GM) in individuals with CAI (12).Weak hip musculature and comparatively stronger hip adductors further predispose the ankle joint to sprains, because hip joint stability and hip musculature strength are crucial for foot positioning during the heel strike phase of the gait cycle and overall proper gait mechanics (11, 13). This becomes a vicious cycle, in which CAI causes hip abductor muscle weakness and weak hip abductor muscles cause ankle injuries. Therefore, to prevent future problems in the foot and ankle complex in such individuals, this vicious cycle should be broken, either through strengthening the weak hip abductors or by reinforcing the actions of these muscles. Application of Kinesio tape (KT) (3B Scientific®tape, Burnham-on-Sea, UK) is also a method for improving muscle functions, and thus can be used to reinforce the actions of hip abductors. KT is a thin elastic tape that has stretchability up to 120–140% of its original length, and hence provides less mechanical constraint during movement. KT is considered to prevent injuries during sports and to reduce muscle spasms, swelling, and pain (14).A recent study has examined the effects of KT on hip abductor muscle strength in athletes with and without functional ankle instability (FAI) and reported an increase in muscle strength after application of KT (15). However, in that study, KT was applied over both the peroneus longus and the GM, not over the GM only. To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the effects of KT on muscle strength and electromyography (EMG) activity of GM when KT is applied over the GM only.The aim of this study was to examine the effects of KT on muscle strength and EMG activity of GM in athletes with CAI. If KT is found to have significant effects on muscle strength and EMG activity then it can be used to improve lower limb kinematics, improve athletic performance, prevent and treat lower limb injuries. It has been hypothesized that muscle strength would increase and EMG activity of GM decrease after the application of KT over GM in athletes with CAI.     

Perception of experimental pain is reduced after provoked waking from rapid eye movement sleep

Patients with chronic pain often complain of pain when they wake at night, but the accuracy of their perception of the pain after waking at night is unknown. While cognitive functions are reduced for a short time after waking from sleep, a situation known as sleep inertia, it is unclear how sleep inertia may affect the perception of pain. We investigated the effects of sleep inertia on the perception of experimentally induced pain. Fourteen male volunteers were exposed to a randomized thermal heat stimulus of 43.1 °C ‘hot’ and 46.5 °C ‘hurting’ during provoked waking from Stage 2 sleep, slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Subjects rated their pain on awakening on a Visual Analogue Scale at 30 s after awakening and each minute thereafter for 5 min. We found no change in pain perception over the 5‐min period irrespective of temperature used or sleep stage. However, perceived pain when awoken abruptly from REM sleep was significantly lower than the awake score for both the hot (P = 0.0069) and hurting (P = 0.0025) temperatures. Pain perception when woken from Stage 2 sleep or slow wave sleep was not significantly different from perception when awake. Our findings indicate that sleep inertia reduces pain perception when awoken abruptly from REM. This suggests that patients who wake up in pain either perceive accurately the pain they are experiencing, or at worst underestimate the level of pain if woken from REM sleep.     

Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of the Frontal Bone — A Case Report

A rare case of aneurysmal bone cyst of the frontal bone in a 33 years old male is presented with a brief review of the literature.     

Sonographic Evaluation of Chest Masses in Children

The sonographic appearances of 12 intrathoracic masses in children are presented. Seven out of 12 masses were malignant and presented with opaque hemithorax on chest X-ray. Different types of masses encountered were: Lymphoma, Neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, metastatic Ewing's sarcoma, Teratocarcinoma, Pseudotumor of the lung, Neuroenteric duplication cyst, Bronchogenic cyst and tubercular mediastinal lymph nodes.