Introduction

In this book we have set out to provide a set of techniques that utilise therapeutic taping as an adjunct to treatment for various musculoskeletal conditions. This chapter summarises some of the significant published research related to the use of taping techniques. While all of the techniques in this book have been used clinically and with anecdotal or clinically observed positive outcomes associated with their use, only a comparatively small number have been explicitly examined in well-conducted published research studies. However, as much as has been possible with the current evidence, we have attempted to produce this book with an evidence-informed approach, utilising the highest levels of evidence where possible, and sound clinical rationale and reasoning for techniques without published evidence. It is our hope that the gaps in the evidence serve as a stimulus for further research and refinement of knowledge which will in turn result in a stronger evidence-based approach.

History of therapeutic taping for musculoskeletal conditions in the literature

Documented use of adhesive strapping tape as an adjunct to medical treatment goes back to at least as early as 1895 when Dr Virgil Gibney published an article in the New York Medical Journal titled ‘Sprained ankle: a treatment that involves no loss of time, requires no crutches, and is not attended with an ultimate impairment of function’ (Gibney 1895). In this article the author described a basket weave technique using strips of adhesive plaster as a treatment for ankle sprains.

In 1940 Walter Galland published an article in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in which he carefully described a technique that was based on the ‘Gibney boot’, as he called the technique described by Gibney, but augmented by additional oblique strips of tape with the aim of limiting lateral movements of the calcaneum into either supination or pronation (Fig 2.1). His evidence for the described technique’s superiority to the original Gibney basket weave taping was limited to a well-reasoned argument that limiting lateral calcaneal motion would reduce the strain on the injured calcaneofibular or calcaneotibial ligaments, and further supported ‘on the basis of long experience with this dressing’ (Galland 1940).

According to Berkowitz and Bottoni (2006) Gibney’s basket weave technique described in 1895 subsequently found more widespread use as a method of injury prevention, though when this practice started is not clear from the available literature. However, the use of taping and bandages to protect the wrist and fingers of boxers was definitely well established by the early 1900s as evidenced by several contemporary photographs. Advertisements for strapping tape directed to American footballers appeared in the 1930s so the use of taping and strapping as an injury prevention technique in sports does appear to have gained rapid acceptance, which has continued until the present day.

However, while taping for acute injury management and injury prevention has been used by physical therapists/physiotherapists, athletic trainers and sports trainers for many years, published research for its effectiveness as an adjunct to treatment is limited up until 1986.

In 1986 Jenny McConnell published an article titled ‘The management of chondromalacia patellae: a long term solution’ (McConnell 1986) in which the author described the use of a taping technique to correct the alignment of the patella, for the twofold purpose of reducing patellofemoral pain, and also for facilitating the action of the vastus medialis as a long-term solution for correction of one of the underlying causes of patellofemoral pain.

This novel approach to treatment precipitated the publication of several articles that sought to investigate the effectiveness of adhesive tape as an adjunct therapeutic tool in the management of a range of musculoskeletal conditions. As a result, an increasingly large catalogue of taping techniques for musculoskeletal conditions is now available to the therapist, some of which are well supported by a sound evidence base. As mentioned above, while the scientific evidence supporting the techniques in this book varies, it is our hope that the gaps in the evidence serve as a stimulus for further research and refinement of an even stronger evidence-based approach.

Literature review of the effects of taping and the current evidence

As mentioned in the introduction, the primary aim of this chapter is to summarise the evidence relating to the known and proposed effects of adhesive tape as a therapeutic tool. For this purpose an extensive literature review was conducted with the goal of identifying studies that have utilised taping or strapping in the management of musculoskeletal conditions. Databases searched included the Cochrane Library, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Medline, Ovid, Pubmed, Scopus and SportDiscus. The main keywords searched were ‘tape, taped, taping, strap, strapped, strapping, brace, braced, bracing’ as well as various other search terms specific to the treatment of injuries and conditions that commonly involve taping as a component of treatment. In addition, a manual search of articles referenced by other authors was also undertaken.

The abstracts of the articles identified in the search were reviewed and articles relevant to therapeutic taping for musculoskeletal conditions were obtained in full. All papers of relevance were further reviewed and a summary of the main applicable findings of the key studies are included in this literature review. In addition, the relevant papers pertaining to region-specific techniques are included in the ‘Evidence’ section of each technique in Chapters 4–6.

While reading the review of the evidence on taping discussed in this and subsequent chapters the reader should bear in mind that although a multitude of studies were identified, there is still a need for more high quality research related to the use of tape as a therapeutic tool. While we identified several hundred relevant studies it is apparent that:

In addition, more research is required into the reproducibility and accuracy of the application of taping techniques, as well as any effects associated with the skill level and experience of the therapist applying the techniques.

In the pages that follow we will discuss some of the studies identified in the literature review. Also, at the end of the book we have included Appendix 1, a summary of the literature that directly relates to taping techniques described in Chapters 4–6. The purpose of this table is to give the reader the opportunity to identify the extent and quality of the available research that relates to each of the techniques described in this book.

The intended purposes and possible effects of taping techniques

The studies identified in the literature review that describe the intended purposes and effects of tape can be broadly grouped into the following main categories:

Some of these intended purposes could be achieved as a result of a combination of the following broadly described possible effects of tape:

The following sections in this chapter discuss some of the findings identified in the literature review that relate to some of these categories and effects.

Pain reduction

Pain is one of the most frequent reasons patients present to therapists for treatment. Several studies have concluded that tape as an adjunct to treatment of musculoskeletal conditions does effectively decrease pain. If a therapist can reduce pain with tape it provides an opportunity to more adequately direct treatment to removal of the underlying causes of the condition.

However, the mechanism, or mechanisms, as to how tape assists in pain reduction is not fully established, but is likely related to a reduction of the...