The Effectiveness of Spider-Tech™ Kinesiology Taping and the McConnell Taping Technique on Neuromuscular Characteristics of the Vastus Medialis Oblique and Vastus Lateralis, Joint Kinematics, and Pain in Individuals with Patellofemoral Pain during Functional Task Performance

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most common overuse injuries diagnosed in patients who visit outpatient sports medicine clinics. Therapeutic taping is often used to address patellar tracking in an attempt to reduce PFP. Elastic therapeutic Kinesiology tape is a recent alternative treatment for PFP; however its use lacks scientific support. The purpose of study was to compare the effects of different therapeutic tapings (Kinesiology Tape, McConnell taping, and Sham tape) on neuromuscular characteristics (spinal reflex excitability of the VM and VL, normalized electromyography of VM, VL, GM, and BF, and VM/VL ratio), joint kinematics, and pain during functional task performance in thirteen individuals with PFP. The order of taping interventions was randomized. Significant reductions were detected for perceived pain during the single leg squat and stair ambulation under all conditions. There were no significant changes in the electromyography (nRMS and VM/VL ratio) during a stance phase of both gait and stair ascent/descent. Additionally, an ensemble curve analysis revealed no changes in joint kinematics during these phases. Finally, no changes were observed in spinal reflex excitability of VM and VL. It concluded that taping may positively affect perceived pain, but has no effect on neuromuscular or kinematic characteristics during functional performance in PFP patients