A pilot study of the initial effects of anti-pronation taping on electromyographic activity of lower leg muscles during walking

Abstract

Clinicians frequently use anti-pronation (AP) taping to relieve symptoms and improve function in the management of musculoskeletal pain and injury, yet the mechanisms behind this effect have not been fully explored. To date, the majority of the literature has focused on the mechanical effects of AP taping and little has been done to explore its possible neurophysiological effects. This pilot study set out to investigate the effect of the Augmented LowDye taping technique on the electromyographic (EMG) activity of muscles of the lower leg during walking. Five asymptomatic subjects, who exhibited clinically abnormal pronation during a visual assessment of gait, walked on a treadmill for ten minutes before and after the application of the taping technique. Bipolar intra-muscular electrodes were used to record the EMG of the tibialis anterior (TA), tibialis posterior (TP), gastrocnemius (GN) and peroneus longus (PL) during walking. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the EMG activity (peak amplitudes, duration of activity) for each muscle. The co-efficient of multiple correlations was calculated to evaluate the variability of muscle recruitment patterns within each subject. Visual comparisons of EMG activity during individual walking strides before and after the application of tape were also performed. Peak EMG activity decreased by 25% in TA and by 45% in TP following the application of tape. There were no significant differences in peak EMG activity of GN or PL, or in duration of EMG activity for any muscle. Results from this study suggest that neurophysiological changes could contribute to the mechanism behind AP taping.