Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the changes in plantar foot force distribution (i.e., the percentage of force and force distribution under the rearfoot and forefoot) and plantar pressure pain sensitivity maps in professional futsal players after long-term low-dye taping (LDT). The subjects (n = 25) were male futsal players (age 23.03 ± 1.15 years). During the experiment, a nonelastic tape was applied on the plantar foot surface according to the standards of LDP. The experimental protocol consisted of a 3-day cycle during which the plantar foot force distribution (FFD) and plantar pressure pain threshold (PPT) were measured: (1) before the tape was applied, (2) 24 h after application, and (3) 72 h after application. The results revealed a significant decrease in the force distribution under the rearfoot (p ≤ 0.001) and forefoot (p ≤ 0.001) on the right and left sides. Moreover, the results showed an increase in the plantar pressure pain threshold in all regions of the foot (p ≤ 0.001). The results of this study suggest that plantar fascial taping can be an effective method for normalizing the force distribution on the foot and reducing the plantar pain threshold. The findings provide useful information regarding the prevention of and physical therapy of lower extremity injuries in soccer and futsal.
Highlights
Futsal is an indoor version of soccer in which players need to perform multiple sprints, and it is characterized by high-intensity work phases [1]
Since the foot force distribution (FFD) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) data could not be collected simultaneously due to practical issues in using both types of equipment, the order of testing was structured to minimize the length of time required for testing
The present study has shown that the use of low-dye taping (LDT) resulted in the optimization of the force distribution and an increase in the pressure pain threshold under the feet after 72 h of tape application
Summary
Futsal is an indoor version of soccer in which players need to perform multiple sprints, and it is characterized by high-intensity work phases [1]. Junge and Dvorak [1] showed the epidemiology of injuries in FIFA Futsal World Cups between 2000 and 2008. Their observations indicated that the ankles and the feet/toes were the most injured body parts with the highest absence rate (17.6% of total injuries and 17.9% of absence). The injury risk factors are related to excessive loads causing excessive foot pronation, tibial stress syndrome, or plantar fasciitis [3]. Excessive forces during running and futsal/soccer training cause overuse injuries in the foot and ankle because the plantar foot force distribution (FFD) under the rearfoot and forefoot increases, Appl.
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