Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation

Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation

Comparison of Two Facilitative and Inhibitory Taping Models on Active Pain and Spatiotemporal Parameters of ACLR Male Soccer Players

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
B Shariati Sabet 1, 2
S.K Mousavi Sadati 2
B Divkan 2
1 Department of Physiotherapy, Babol University, Mazandaran, Iran
2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, East Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22038/jpsr.2025.86936.2691
Abstract
Purpose:
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four major ligaments in knee joint. This study aimed to investigate the effects of facilitatory and inhibitory kinesiotaping on pain and spatiotemporal parameters during walking in soccer players with ACL reconstruction (ACLR).
Methods:
This quasi-experimental study involved 30 male soccer players with patellar tendon autograft ACLR, randomly assigned into two groups (facilitatory taping, n=15; inhibitory taping, n=15) using random number generator software. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, and spatio-temporal parameters were measured with a motion capture system during a 10-meter walking task. Facilitatory and inhibitory taping were applied to the quadriceps muscles of the respective groups. To compare within-group and between-group differences, dependent t-tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used, respectively, with SPSS26 software at a significance level of P<0.05.
Results:
Both facilitatory and inhibitory taping significantly reduced pain during squatting (P=0.001 in both groups). However, no significant effects were observed on spatio-temporal walking parameters (walking speed, cadence, stance phase, step length, double support time, and forward movement initiation time) in ACLR soccer players (P>0.05). Additionally, no significant differences were found between the facilitatory and inhibitory taping groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Two facilitative and inhibitory taping models on the quadriceps muscles have been able to influence the amount of pain during movement of ACLR male soccer players. However, the two models have not influenced the spatiotemporal parameters of walking. Therefore, it is recommended that further studies could be conducted in this field.
Keywords
Facilitative and Inhibitory Kinesio Tape
Pain
Biomechanics
ACLR
Soccer
  1. Pahnabi G, Akbari M, Ansari NN, Mardani M, Ahmadi M, et al. Comparison of the postural control between football players following ACL reconstruction and healthy subjects. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2014; 28: 101- 107.
  2. Mohtadi NG, Chan DS, Dainty KN, Whelan DB. Patellar tendon versus hamstring tendon autograft for anterior cruciate ligament rupture in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011(9). CD0059-60.
  3. Lyman S, Koulouvaris P, Sherman S, Do H, Mandl LA, et al. Epidemiology of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: trends, readmissions, and subsequent knee surgery. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009; 91(10): 2321-2328.
  4. Motififard M, Akbari Aghdam H, Ravanbod H, Jafarpishe MS, Shahsavan M, et al. Demographic and Injury Characteristics as Potential Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study. J Clin Med 2024; 13(17): 50-63.
  5. Roush JR, Bay RC. Prevalence of anterior knee pain in 18–35 year-old females. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2012; 7(4): 396-403.
  6. Manoharan A, Selvaraj P, Ramachandranath VA. Prevalence of anterior knee pain in 20-40 years old adults attending ortho OPD in a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu. Int J Orthop 2016; 2: 244--247.
  7. Chantrelle M, Menu P, Crenn V, Grondin J, Daley P, et al. Consequences of anterior knee pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A 2015–2020 cohort study. PLoS One 2023; 18(1): e0280146.
  8. Weiss R, Re L, Rintz K. Incidence of anterior knee pain after treatment for anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Arthroscopy 1993; 9(1): 366-367.
  9. Kim S, Kim D, Park J. Knee joint and quadriceps dysfunction in individuals with anterior knee pain, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and meniscus surgery: a cross-sectional study. J Sport Rehabil 2020; 30(1): 112-119.
  10. Park J, Hopkins JT. Induced anterior knee pain  immediately  reduces   involuntary   and   voluntary quadriceps activation. Clin J Sport Med 2013; 23(1): 19-24.
  11. Marques FdS, Barbosa PHB, Alves PR, Zelada S, Nunes RPdS, et al. Anterior knee pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Orthop J Sports Med 2020; 8(10): 23-29.
  12. Diermeier TA, Rothrauff BB, Engebretsen L, Lynch A, Svantesson E, et al. Treatment after ACL injury: panther symposium ACL treatment consensus group. Br J Sports Med 2021; 55(1): 14-22.
  13. Balki S, Göktaş HE, Öztemur Z. Kinesio taping as a treatment method in the acute phase of ACL reconstruction: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc 2016; 50(6): 628-634.
  14. Gholami M, Kamali F, Mirzeai M, Motealleh A, Shamsi M. Effects of kinesio tape on kinesiophobia, balance and functional performance of athletes with post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a pilot clinical trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2020; 12: 1-10.
  15. Castro-Sánchez AM, Lara-Palomo IC, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Fernández-Sánchez M, Sánchez-Labraca N, et al. Kinesio Taping reduces disability and pain slightly in chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised trial. J of physiother 2012; 58(2): 89-95.
  16. Lee J-H, Yoo W-G, Lee K-S. Effects of head-neck rotation and kinesio taping of the flexor muscles on dominant-hand grip strength. J of Phy Ther Sci 2010; 22(3):285-289.
  17. Howe A, Campbell A, Ng L, Hall T, Hopper D. Effects of two different knee tape procedures on lower‐limb kinematics and kinetics in recreational runners. Scand j of med sci in sports 2015; 25(4): 517-524.
  18. Wong OM, Cheung RT, Li RC. Isokinetic knee function in healthy subjects with and without Kinesio taping. Phys Ther Sport 2012; 13(4): 255-258.
  19. Labianca L, Andreozzi V, Princi G, Princi AA, Calderaro C, et al. The effectiveness of Kinesio Taping in improving pain and edema during early rehabilitation after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective, Randomized, Control Study. Acta Biomed 2021; 92(6). e2021525.
  20. Cuijpers P, van Straten A, Bohlmeijer E, Hollon S, Andersson G. The effects of psychotherapy for adult depression are overestimated: a meta-analysis of study quality and effect size. Psychol med 2010; 40(2): 211-123.
  21. Naik RB, Singh U. A review on applications of chaotic maps in pseudo-random number generators and encryption. Ann Data Sci 2024; 11(1): 25-50.
  22. Samakosh HMN, Maktoubian M, Doost SPR, Oliveira R, Badicu G, et al. Active and sham transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) plus core stability on the knee kinematic and performance of the lower limb of the soccer players with dynamic knee valgus; two-armed randomized clinical trial. AIMS neurosci 2025; 12(3):3-12.
  23. Samakosh HMN, Oliveira R, Shahabi S, Sarvarifar B, Gorji SM, et al. Effects of high-intensity training and electrical stimulation on pain, disability, knee kinematic and performance in patellofemoral pain: a randomized controlled trial. Retos: nuevas tendencias en educación física, deporte y recreación 2024 (55): 978-991.
  24. Mohammadi Nia Samakosh H, Brito JP, Shojaedin SS, Hadadnezhad M, et al. What Does Provide Better Effects on Balance, Strength, and Lower Extremity Muscle Function in Professional Male Soccer Players with Chronic Ankle Instability? Hopping or a Balance Plus Strength Intervention? A Randomized Control Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2022: 10(10):19-42.
  25. Harput G, Tok D, Ulusoy B, Eraslan L, Yildiz TI, et al. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the anterior cruciate ligament-return to sport after injury (ACL-RSI) scale into Turkish. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthrosc 2017; 25: 159-164.
  26. Henrickson J. Effects of Multisensory Perturbations on Gait Kinematics and Spatio-Temporal Parameters in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability: University of Nebraska at Omaha 2018.
  27. Mosey T, Brown W, Watts D, Giblin G. Reliability and validity of the “Elite Form” 3D motion capturing system. J Aust Strength Cond 2018; 26: 6-14.
  28. Guner S, Alsancak S, Koz M. Effect of two different kinesio taping techniques on knee kinematics and kinetics in young females. J Phys Ther Sci 2015; 27(10): 3093-3096.
  29. Keselman HJ, Huberty CJ, Lix LM, Olejnik S, Cribbie RA, et al. Statistical practices of educational researchers: An analysis of their ANOVA, MANOVA, and ANCOVA analyses. Rev Educ Res 1998; 68 (3): 350-386.
  30. Chen P, Wang L, Zhou W, Wang L. Efficacy on knee function of Kinesio taping among individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review. Plos one 2024; 19 (2): e0299008.
  31. Azimi A, Dizaji SR, Tabatabaei F-s, Safari S, Amroodi MN, et al. Effect of Postoperative Kinesio Taping on Knee Edema, Pain, and Range of Motion After Total Knee Arthroplasty and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JBJS reviews 2024; 12(3): e23.00221.
  32. Baltaci G, Ozunlu Pekyavas N, Atay OA. Short-time effect of sterile kinesio tape applied during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on edema, pain and range of motion. Res Sports Med 2023; 31(5): 550-561.
  33. Elrosasy A, Abo Zeid M, Abbas AW, Eldeeb H, Eljadid GY, et al. What is the impact of Kinesio taping on anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis? Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 2024; 34(4): 2213-2222.
  34. Ataş A, Abit Kocaman A, Karaca ŞB, Kasikci Çavdar M. Acute Effect of Kinesiology Taping on Muscle Activation, Functionality and Proprioception in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Percept Mot Skills 2024; 131(2): 446-468.
  35. Pelosin E, Avanzino L, Marchese R, Stramesi P, Bilanci M, et al. Kinesiotaping reduces pain and modulates sensory function in patients with focal dystonia: a randomized crossover pilot study. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2013; 27(8): 722-731.
  36. Prescott SA, Ratté S. Somatosensation and pain.  Conn's Translational Neuroscience: Elsevier 2017.  517-539.
  37. Öztürk G, Külcü DG, Mesci N, Şilte AD, Aydog E. Efficacy of kinesio tape application on pain and muscle strength in patients with myofascial pain syndrome: a placebo-controlled trial. J Phys Ther Sci 2016; 28(4): 1074-1079.
  38. Ozmen T, Aydogmus M, Dogan H, Acar D, Zoroglu T, et al. The effect of kinesio taping on muscle pain, sprint performance, and flexibility in recovery from squat exercise in young adult women. J Sport Rehabil 2016; 25(1): 7-12.
  39. Song C-Y, Huang H-Y, Chen S-C, Lin J-J, Chang AH. Effects of femoral rotational taping on pain, lower extremity kinematics, and muscle activation in female patients with patellofemoral pain. J Sci Med Sport 2015; 18(4): 388-393.
  40. Yeung SS, Yeung EW. Acute effects of kinesio taping on knee extensor peak torque and stretch reflex in healthy adults. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016; 95(4): e2615.
  41. Ataabadi PA, Abbasi A, Shojaatian M, Letafatkar A, Svoboda Z, et al. The effects of facilitatory and inhibitory kinesiotaping of Vastus Medialis on the activation and fatigue of superficial quadriceps muscles. Sci Rep 2022; 12(1): 134-151.
  42. Tabatabaee M, Cheraghifard M, Shamsoddini A. The effects of kinesio taping of lower limbs on functional mobility, spasticity, and range of motion of children with spastic cerebral palsy. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatr Neurosurg 2019; 55: 1-6.
  43. Nokhodchi N, Hosseini M, Attaran Iraj Z, Rahimi A. The Effects of Kinesio-tape through Facilitation of Hamstring and Inhibition of Quadriceps on Biomechanical Variables affecting Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury When Landing in Active Healthy Young Women. J Adv Sport Technol.  2020; 4(2): 104-113.
  44. Zhang S, Wang L, Liu X, Wang G, Chen P. Effects of Kinesio taping on lower limb biomechanical characteristics during the cutting maneuver in athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Plos one 2024; 19(3): e0299216.
  45. Fereydounnia S, Shadmehr A, Moghadam BA, Moghadam ST, Mir SM, et al. The Effects of Lower Extremity Kinesio Taping on Temporal and Spatial Parameters of Gait Initiation in Semi-professional Soccer Players with and Without Functional Ankle Instability. J Mod Rehabil 2021; 15(3):178-188.
  46. Wu C-K, Lin Y-C, Chen Y-L, Chao Y-P, Hsieh T-H. The Influence of Dynamic Taping on Landing Biomechanics after Fatigue in Young Football Athletes: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Crossover Trial. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11(6): 6-31.
Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation
Volume 14, Issue 3
Autumn 2025
Pages 29-41