THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF KINESIO TAPE ON THE SKIN TEMPERATURE OF THE UPPER TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

The aim of the study is to verify the short-term effects of Kinesio Tape on the skin temperature of the upper trapezius muscle in asymptomatic subjects. Twenty-five university students were submitted to application of Y shaped Kinesio Tape over the upper trapezius muscle. Thermographic data was captured with and without KT and exported to FLIR Tools software, where the minimum, maximum and average of the skin temperature of the region between the strips was obtained. Paired t test were used to compare the outcomes of baseline with KT condition. There was no difference on the minimum (p = 0,283), maximum (p = 0,783) and average (p = 0,377) of the skin temperature of the upper trapezius muscle between the strips of KT. Therefore, there was no effect of Kinesio Tape over the skin temperature of the upper trapezius muscles in asymptomatic subjects. Future studies should try to evaluated areas below the strips or around involved areas and with different methodologies to evaluated KT effects on skin temperature.