Affiliations: Sports Injuries Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Matt Greig, Sports Injuries Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK. Tel.: +44 0 1695 584848; Fax: +44 0 1695 584812; E-mail:matt.greig@edgehill.ac.uk
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prolonged exercise and joint position sense are
considered aetiological risk factors for shoulder injury in overhead
sports.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of a neoprene
sleeve and kinesiology tape (KT) in mediating the effect of exercise on
shoulder joint position sense.
METHODS: 25 overhead sports participants (women - 10, men - 15)
completed 30 maximal isokinetic repetitions at 120°/s of three
shoulder exercise protocols: 9090 (seated 90° shoulder abduction, 90° elbow
flexion), modified neutral (seated 45° shoulder abduction, 90° elbow flexion
in the scapular plane) and diagonal (seated GHJ flexion, abduction, external
rotation and extension, adduction and internal rotation). Absolute error in
active reproduction of passive positioning was assessed pre- and
post-exercise at 10°/s. This was conducted for end range internal
and external rotation, and mid-range.
RESULTS: A repeated measures general linear model revealed no
significant main effect for gender or exercise in any test position. A main
effect for support condition was observed pre-exercise in the KT condition,
with JPS significantly (p< 0.01) impaired (5.30 ± 2.16°)
relative to baseline control scores (4.11 ± 2.81°) in end
range external rotation at the 9090 position.
CONCLUSION: Results indicated that neither neoprene nor
kinesio-tape were more effective in limiting the effects of exercise on
joint position sense (JPS). Healthy, un-injured overhead athletes may not
need to consider taping or supportive device, indeed KT application was
observed to impair JPS in specific movements.
Keywords: Joint position sense, kinesiology tape, neoprene sleeve, exercise, shoulder
