Short-term effect of spiral taping on the pain and walking performance of individuals with chronic ankle instability.
Chae-Gil Lim
PMID 28626319WHAT IT FOUND
In 25 participants with chronic ankle instability, after spiral taping, pain during walking was lower and Timed Up and Go times were shorter 30 minutes later.
There was no control group, so this is a short-term change, not proof the tape caused it.
Key findings
01Pain during walking decreased after spiral taping, with VAS score changing from 4.03 ± 1.42 to 1.98 ± 1.56 and reported change -2.06 ± 0.90 (p<0.01, ES=1.37).
02Walking performance improved after spiral taping, with Timed Up and Go time changing from 9.23 ± 0.63 seconds to 8.75 ± 1.02 seconds and reported change -0.49 ± 0.30 seconds (p<0.01, ES=0.76).
03The study was a single-group pre-post design with only 30 minutes of follow-up and no control group, so it cannot show that spiral taping caused the changes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used a single-group pre-post design with no control group, so improvement could be due to factors other than the tape. Outcomes were measured only 30 minutes after taping, so long-term effects are unknown. Participants were 21- to 30-year-old university students who could walk independently, so the results may not apply to older adults or people with more severe ankle instability. The sample size calculation reported a required sample size of 25 with a power of 0.08, so the planned statistical power is not clear. The paper did not describe how blinding was maintained in a single-group design.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that spiral taping caused the improvement or that it should replace other treatments. The study measured the same 25 participants before and after taping with no control group, so natural change, the testing situation, or other factors could have contributed to the result.