Effect of Elastic Therapeutic Taping on Abdominal Muscle Endurance in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind, Crossover Trial

Mohammad R Pourahmadi; Rasool Bagheri; Elham Jannati; Ismail Ebrahimi Takamjani; Javad Sarrafzadeh; Holakoo Mohsenifar

doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.10.019

Effect of Elastic Therapeutic Taping on Abdominal Muscle Endurance in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind, Crossover Trial

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2018 Sep;41(7):609-620. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.10.019. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Authors

Mohammad R Pourahmadi¹, Rasool Bagheri², Elham Jannati¹, Ismail Ebrahimi Takamjani¹, Javad Sarrafzadeh¹, Holakoo Mohsenifar¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Physiotherapy, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. Electronic address: Rasool.bagheri@ymail.com.

PMID: 30098819
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.10.019

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effect of elastic therapeutic taping and sham taping of the abdominal musculature on maximum hold time of endurance tests in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP).

Methods: Twenty-six people with CNLBP and 26 asymptomatic individuals were included in this study. The CNLBP participants were allocated to an elastic therapeutic tape group or a sham tape group. Standard adhesive elastic therapeutic tape was utilized for facilitatory application in the elastic therapeutic tape group. The elastic therapeutic tape group received real elastic therapeutic taping on the transversus abdominis and internal obliques, and the sham tape group received sham elastic therapeutic taping application. For the sham group, the elastic therapeutic tape was positioned horizontally above the navel and applied without tension. After a wash-out period, each CNLBP participant was switched to the other group. Outcome measures included maximum hold time of supine isometric chest raise, supine double straight-leg raise, and abdominal drawing in maneuver.

Results: The CNLBP participants had lower maximum hold time compared to the asymptomatic individuals (P ≤ .01). Following taping, both groups showed an increase in the maximum hold time (mean difference = 4.43 - 50.69 seconds; P ≤ .02). Although there was no difference between the results of both groups (P ≥ .12), effect sizes were large for the elastic therapeutic tape group (Cohen's d = -1.93 to -1.00).

Conclusions: The results suggest that the maximum hold time of endurance tests was decreased in CNLBP patients compared to healthy participants. The application of both elastic therapeutic tape and sham tape to the transversus abdominis and internal obliques produced short-term improvement in abdominal endurance. There was no statistically significant difference between the results of elastic therapeutic tape and sham tape.

Keywords: Abdominal Muscles; Athletic Tape; Low Back Pain; Physical Endurance.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Abdominal Muscles / physiology*
Adult
Athletic Tape*
Chronic Pain / therapy*
Cross-Over Studies
Exercise Test
Female
Humans
Low Back Pain / therapy*
Male
Physical Endurance / physiology*
Single-Blind Method