The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of knee taping on perceived pain, difficulty and stability during functional activities (squat, step-down, and stair up and down) in older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
A total of 50 older participants with knee OA participated in this study. The experimental group received non-elastic taping (NET) and the control group received sham taping. Perceived knee pain on an 11-point scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain), and difficulty (1 = no difficulty, 5 = extreme difficulty) and stability (1 = no unstable, 5 = extreme unstable) on a 5-point scale during functional tests (squat, step-down test, and stair up and down) were reported at baseline and post-taping application.
At post-taping, pain intensity, difficulty and stability during squat, step-down test, and stair up and down were significantly improved in the NET group. In the control group, there was significant decreased pain intensity during squat and stair up and down; however, there were no significant change of other variables. Compared with the control group, the NET significantly improved perceived pain, difficulty and stability during all tasks after the taping application.
The present study showed that NET application can improve perceived pain intensity, difficulty and stability during functional tests in older adults with knee OA. NET can be recommended to improve pain, stability and difficulty during squat, step-down, and stair up and down in older adults with OA. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1206-1210.