Evaluation of Kinesio Taping Applied to the Equine Thoracolumbar Spine: Clinical Response and Mechanical Nociceptive Threshold

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid 28040. Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

Kinesio taping (KT) is a technique extrapolated from human physiotherapy consisting of the application of an elastic tape to the skin to trigger analgesic, muscular, postural correction and circulatory effects. It is an easily applicable technique that has been developed in the field of equine physiotherapy over the last decade. The objective of this research is to evaluate the analgesic effect of KT applied to spinous processes of the horse measuring mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT). KT was applied on 5 spinous processes of 15 horses, in two different experiments, comprising KT with 50% tension (KTT) and KT with no tension (KTNT). Measurements were taken before application of the tape (M0), 60 minutes after (M1) and 24 hours after, following its removal (M2). Clinical assessment of sensitivity to palpation was conducted at M0 and M2. Outcomes obtained at M0 were compared to those obtained at M1 and M2, and between both tests (KTT-KTNT). A significant increase in the MNTs at M1 was observed in both tests but not maintained following its removal 24 hours later. Sensitivity to palpation decreased in practically all the spinous processes in both tests. No significant changes were observed in the comparative analysis between both tests. KT applied to spinous processes of the horse with and without tension causes an increase in the MNTs 60 minutes after application. This effect is not sustained following taping removal although there is a clinically significant decrease of the sensitivity to palpation of the spinous processes.

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