Effect of Inhibitory Kinesio-tape of the Upper Trapezius on Lower Trapezius Muscle Excitation

Shoulder pain increases excitation (or activity) of the upper trapezius (UT) and reduces excitation in lower trapezius (LT). Despite inconclusive evidence, kinesio-tape (KT) is often used to modify muscular excitation within the UT and/or LT to help correct alterations in scapular position and motion associated with shoulder pain/injury. The objectives of the current study were to determine if: 1) inhibitory KT to the UT acutely increases muscle excitation (whole-muscle and spatial distribution) within the LT in healthy individuals; and 2) if loading the limb alters the magnitude of change in muscle excitation of the LT. We hypothesize that: 1) inhibitory KT application to the UT will immediately increase whole-muscle LT excitation, and result in an inferior shift in the distribution of excitation within the LT compared to no tape and sham-KT tape conditions; and 2) the magnitude of immediate increase in LT excitation with KT would be greater in the loaded condition. A repeated-measures, crossover design was used to determine the impact of KT applied to UT and load on muscle excitation of the LT. Participants were asked to perform a repeated arm elevation task during three different taping conditions: no KT, experimental KT and sham KT. Each taping condition performed the repeated arm elevation task during two loading conditions: no load and loaded with 2.3 kilograms. All six conditions were tested during one visit with the no load condition preceding the loaded condition for each taping condition. A baseline trial (no KT; N-KT) was performed first, followed by both an experimental-KT (E-KT) and sham-KT (S-KT) condition. The order of the E-KT and S-KT conditions were randomized and the order was counterbalanced. Testing for each tape condition lasted approximately 10-minutes for a total of 45-minutes per participant including screening, EMG set-up and clean-up. KT was applied to the UT and muscle excitation (EMG amplitude) was measured in the LT using one single 32-grid high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) electrode during a repeated arm elevation task.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Scapular Dyskinesis
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: kinesio-tape

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 21
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
      • University of Manitoba

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• right-handed individuals
• no current shoulder pain or pathology in the shoulder, neck, back.

Exclusion Criteria:

• recent history (<6 months) of injury or orthopedic disorder of the shoulder, upper back or neck (e.g. rotator cuff tears, disc pathologies, etc.)
• neurological or musculoskeletal disorder (e.g. epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, etc.)
• current pain in the shoulder, upper back or neck
• previous allergies or skin irritation to adhesives.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
• Masking: TRIPLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
OTHER: no-tape, experimental KT, sham KT; Participants were asked to perform a repeated arm elevation task during three different taping conditions: no KT, experimental KT and sham KT. Each taping condition performed the repeated arm elevation task during two loading conditions: no load and loaded with 2.3 kilograms. All six conditions were tested during one visit with the no load condition preceding the loaded condition for each taping condition. This trial consisted of a baseline trial (no KT; N-KT) that was performed first, followed by both an experimental-KT (E-KT) and sham-KT (S-KT) condition.	Device: kinesio-tape; Twenty-one individuals with healthy shoulders completed 10 repetitions of an arm elevation task during three taping conditions (no-tape, experimental KT, sham KT) and 2 loading conditions (no-load and loaded).
OTHER: no-tape, sham KT, experimental KT; Participants were asked to perform a repeated arm elevation task during three different taping conditions: no KT, experimental KT and sham KT. Each taping condition performed the repeated arm elevation task during two loading conditions: no load and loaded with 2.3 kilograms. All six conditions were tested during one visit with the no load condition preceding the loaded condition for each taping condition. This trial consisted of a baseline trial (no KT; N-KT) that was performed first, followed by both a sham-KT (S-KT) condition and experimental-KT (E-KT).	Device: kinesio-tape; Twenty-one individuals with healthy shoulders completed 10 repetitions of an arm elevation task during three taping conditions (no-tape, experimental KT, sham KT) and 2 loading conditions (no-load and loaded).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Whole-muscle activation	RMS measured using high-density EMG electrode grids	Measured during the arm elevation task

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Spatial distribution of muscle activation	shifts in excitation measured using high-density EMG electrode grids	Measured during the arm elevation task

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Trisha Scribbans
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Trisha Scribbans, University of Manitoba

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): January 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): July 1, 2020
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): July 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2021
• First Posted (ACTUAL): January 15, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): January 15, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2021
• Last Verified: January 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Shoulder; keniso tape (KT); upper trapezius; lower trapezius
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Movement Disorders; Dyskinesias
• Other Study ID Numbers: HS22668 (E2019:019)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No