Effect of ankle taping and bandaging on balance and proprioception among healthy volunteers

Abstract

Background Ankle sprains are one of the most frequent injuries between athletes. After an ankle injury, 72% of patients will experience some degree of functional impairment (proprioception, ankle stability, and balance), which leads to changes in sporting and occupational activities. In the literature, there is no enough information about how bandaging and taping can afect the ankle sprain treatment and rehabilitation process. Method Seventy-four healthy participants, the age range was 18–30 years old participated in this study. The participants were divided into two groups (taping, and bandaging groups). Proprioception and balance have been measured four times (before using tap, 20 min after using tap, 24 h after using tap, and after removing the tap). Results In both groups (bandaging group and taping group), proprioception and balance signifcantly increased immediately after using tape and bandage, after 24 h of using tape and bandage, and after 48 h using tape and bandage when compared to the baseline measurements. There were no signifcant diferences in proprioception and balance between groups. Conclusion Ankle tape and bandage can signifcantly improve balance and proprioception in the uninjured ankle during the entire interval of their use.