Pain Relief of Kinesiology Tape on the Thoracolumbar Region of Equine Rehabilitation Patients
Open Access
- Author:
- Pavsek, Hope
- Area of Honors:
- Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Danielle Smarsh, Thesis Supervisor
Robert John Vansaun, Thesis Honors Advisor
William Burton Staniar, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- kinesiology tape
equine
pressure algometry - Abstract:
- Back pain is a significant cause of loss of performance in equine athletes. To manage back pain, there are both pharmacological and interventional therapy treatment options. Kinesiology tape (KT) is an interventional therapy often used for pain relief and mechanical support in human medicine. In horses, KT is used primarily for analgesic effects. However, there is little to no research to prove the efficacy of kinesiology tape usage for analgesia in horses. The objective of this study was to determine if there is an analgesic effect from kinesiology taping the thoracolumbar region of the horse. It was hypothesized that when compared to a control, the KT would have a greater reduction in pain levels. Nineteen horses of varying breeds received an application of either control tape or KT; after tape removal, horses underwent a washout period of 7 days, followed by the application of the second type of tape. Pressure algometry was used to measure changes in pain levels from a baseline measurement done before each taping, immediately following tape removal, and 24- and 48-hours post-tape removal. A mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze data, with significance set at P<0.05. Results revealed a significant improvement (P<2e-16) in pain levels for the KT compared to the control regardless of the order of application of control and KT. Significant interactions (P<0.05) were found between the order of treatments and the type of treatment, and between the time measurements were taken and the treatment. There is a possible impact of the confounding variables of desensitization or sensitization to the pressure algometer. Further research is necessary to investigate the longevity and mechanism of the analgesic effect of KT. Although the findings are preliminary, these results suggest that KT may be an additional tool to help treat thoracolumbar pain in the equine athlete.