Muscular Pain & Kinesio® Taping

Case Study Full Name: Muscular Pain & Kinesio® Taping The Effect of Kinesio Taping® on Muscular MicroDamage Following Eccentric Exercises By: Nosaka, K. (1999). The Effect of Kinesio Taping® on Muscular Micro-Damage Following Eccentric Exercises. 15th Annual Kinesio Taping International Symposium Review. (pp. 70-73) Tokyo, Japan: Kinesio Taping Association   Introduction:  Recently, Kinesio Taping® has been used for reducing pain related to musculo-skeletal injuries, this has led to its frequent use in many exercises and sport related scenes. It has also been thought that Kinesio Taping® could improve sports performance based on muscular functions. If you do an inexperienced or unpracticed exercise, a few hours after doing that exercise you will experience a severe muscular pain (Delay Onset of Muscle Soreness = DOMS) and lowering of the muscle function. If Kinesio Taping® were effective, it would prevent and efficiently improve pain relief, strength loss, and enzymatic activities. The purpose of this study was to apply an eccentric exercise to the brachium flexor group in order to cause a delay onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). The study would compare the difference of the DOMS effect, with and without Kinesio® Tape applied to the skin.   Results: All the measurements had an acceptable variance between the exercises (graph 1 to 5). However, the only measurement that met the acceptable standard was the muscle strength test (graph 1). However, all the measurements demonstrated a tendency that T (Treatment with tape) controlled the muscle damage and assisted in the recovery.   Discussion: Based on this study, why there was an improvement only to MIF is still unclear. Also for the measurements that did not achieve an acceptable standard, one of the largest cause of error may be based on the individuality of the subjects. Therefore, we will still need to do further research based on this topic using a larger amount of subjects in order to conclude further effects.