Objective: To evaluate the effect of inhibition and facilitation taping techniques on the activity of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus.
Design: Repeated-measures design.
Setting: Laboratory in an educational institution.
Subjects: Thirty healthy females aged between 18 and 23 years.
Intervention: Subjects were tested during the application of inhibition tape, facilitation tape and no tape to vastus lateralis in random order.
Main outcome measures: Electromyographic activity of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus during stair descent was recorded using bipolar surface electrodes.
Results: Electromyographic activity of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus during the application of inhibition tape or facilitation tape did not alter significantly compared with no tape condition.
Conclusions: Taping designed to inhibit or facilitate muscle activity via sensory stimulation does not affect vastus lateralis or vastus medialis obliquus activity in healthy subjects. Further investigation is required to find a means of muscle taping that could be recommended as an intervention for patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.