The Effect of Taping on Shoulder Kinematics and Posture in Patients with Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

Taping is commonly used in the conservative treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome. However, the underlying mechanism of taping and its effect on kinematics are not yet understood and there is little evidence to support its use. There are two main taping techniques used in physical rehabilitation, Rigid and Elastic taping. In this study, a motion capture system was used to track reflective markers attached to the thorax, humerus, the scapula locator and to two clusters attached to the thoracic and lumbar spine. An observer used the scapula locator to track the movement of the scapula whilst maintaining low pressures on the three scapular landmarks. Bilateral elevation and lowering in the scapular and sagittal planes were measured before taping and after the application of the Rigid and Elastic taping techniques, Visual Analogue Scale was used as a measure of pain intensity during motion. The results showed that both taping techniques had similar effects on the shoulder kinematics although the magnitude of these changes varied between techniques and across subjects. Rigid taping in particular increased the glenohumeral rotation and reduced upward rotation leading to an increase in the scapoulohumeral rhythm. Pain intensity was more reduced by Elastic tape application in both planes but this did not seem to be correlated to the changes in kinematics.