The efficacy of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis

SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, Volume 3, June 2022 ISSN 2815-164X 1 The efficacy of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis Ma. Fe M. Manguiat* Physical Therapy Department, School of Health Science Professions, St. Dominic College of Asia, Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines *Corresponding author: mafe_mangu[email protected] Abstract One common chronic joint disease that causes pain and deterioration is knee osteoarthritis (OA). One non-invasive treatment option for OA is physiotherapy, which includes different techniques. Research regarding current physiotherapy interventions is gathered in this article. Pain can be decreased by using knee taping with the goal of realigning the patella and alleviating soft tissue tension. The researcher used a descriptive method of research. The major tool in data gathering is a researcher-made checklist and questionnaire that showed the effects of elastic bandages and athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient. Most respondents said that it is responsible for minor side effects, most commonly mild skin irritation. It also shows the advantages of an elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis. Most of the respondents answered it improves the functional capacity and pain of individuals with osteoarthritis. It is unclear how bandages or taping could influence the patellofemoral joint's alignment and position. The improvement in a Joint Position Sense (JPS) task and the success of patellar taping may be explained by other simple sensory mechanisms that involve stimulation of the skin, tendons, and muscles rather than physical realignment of the joints. Keywords: Muscle taping; Knee osteoarthritis (KOA); Joint position sense; Knee pain. To cite this article: Manguiat, M. F. M. (2022). The efficacy of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis. SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, 3, 1-6. Introduction As the population ages, knee osteoarthritis has become more prevalent and is one of the main causes of obtaining medical and physical therapy services. Pain, joint tremor, swelling, and muscle weakness are among the common clinical signs and symptoms. These result in a decrease in physical functioning, including standing up from a seated position, climbing stairs, kneeling, and walking, as well as a higher chance of falling. Although there are several KOA treatment options available in the literature, physical therapy's non-pharmacological and non-surgical approaches are seen to be the most effective and are advised as a first line of treatment (Lim & Al-Dadah, 2022). Aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises are part of the treatment, and they have been reported to cause improvements in pain and performance among patients with KOA (Bryk et al., 2012). However, the recommended practice of these exercises is constrained by technical barriers due to the functional restrictions created by pain and muscular weakness, and occasionally they become dull, uncomfortable, and insufficient as a result. Other forms of therapy, including neuromuscular electro-stimulation (NMES), various manual therapy techniques, thermotherapy and cryotherapy procedures, as well as the use of knee sleeves and taping, have been related to the treatment of KOA to lessen discomfort. All these resources, except for knee sleeves, rely on the physical therapist's technical proficiency to be used. Knee sleeves may therefore be a simple self-use tool to manage pain during exercise, increasing its efficacy. Related studies show that using knee sleeves helps people with KOA with SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, Volume 3, June 2022 ISSN 2815-164X 2 their joint position sensation, discomfort, stiffness, and functioning (DeRogatis et al., 2019; Khosravi et al., 2021; Schween et al., 2015). To determine the therapeutic significance of elastic knee sleeves as a complement during an exercise-based treatment, this study seeks to evaluate the immediate effectiveness of these sleeves on the pain and functional ability of individuals with KOA. In this way, knee sleeves can mitigate discomfort and enhance functional ability during the suggested tests. The human knee withstands amounts of extreme weight-bearing stress when we walk or run. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process characterized by a variable degree of joint pain, tenderness, decreased range of motion (ROM), crepitus, occasional effusions, and inflammation. This affects the functional status of an individual with osteoarthritis knee. All this leads to an increase in the stress forces on the proprioceptors. Proprioceptors provide information about the rate of movement and degree of joint angulation. Thus, proprioceptive training is an important component of osteoarthritis knee rehabilitation. Proprioception increases the state of readiness of the joint, decreasing the chance of re-injury on return to daily activities. Every movement of the elastic bandage on the skin affects proprioceptive acuity and optimizes cutaneous feeling around the knee joint, which in turn improves proprioception and self-efficacy when doing daily tasks. Elastic bandages also give tactile impulses to skin receptors (Oliva et al., 2015). One common chronic joint disease that causes pain and deterioration is knee osteoarthritis (OA). One non-invasive treatment option for OA is physiotherapy, which includes different modalities. While the type of physical activity appears to have no impact on the outcome of treatment, there is substantial evidence that exercise has short-term positive effects on pain and function. All delivery methods—individual, group, and at-home exercises—are successful; however, implications may be expanded by therapist interaction. To optimize results over a lengthy period, attention must be paid towards improving exercise adherence. Pain can be decreased by using knee taping with the goal of realigning the patella and relieving soft tissue tension. The implementation of knee braces in patients with knee OA is also supported by information (Callaghan et al., 2012). Although clinical trials have not found symptomatic benefits, biomechanical investigations demonstrate that lateral wedge shoe insoles prevent knee strain. Individual shoe characteristics could influence knee load, and so the impact of altered shoe designs is currently of interest (Hoitz et al., 2020; Paterson et al., 2017; Shaw et al., 2018). Manual therapy may be helpful, but it should not serve as a treatment in and of itself. As a result, there is enough data to suggest that physiotherapy therapies help lessen pain and enhance function in people with knee OA, even though the study is not conclusive (Page et al., 2011). The goal of applying strapping or strong adhesive tape is to straighten the patella and alleviate sore soft tissue. In addition to helping with participation in other highly advised therapies, such as resistance and cardiovascular land-based and aquatic workouts, taping is an efficient pain-relieving technique for knee osteoarthritis. Prior to uncomfortable activities like exercise, tape is applied; nevertheless, depending on the durability of the adhesive, the tape may remain attached for days or weeks. It might be essential to shave the skin before putting on tape, which should be conducted 12 hours beforehand. Before putting the tape on, it is to make sure the skin is well cleansed and dried. To reevaluate the patient’s level of pain once the tape is applied, a therapist should ask them to undertake a symptom-provoking activity, such as stepping down, before applying the tape. Using tape to reduce discomfort immediately can yield better results by sitting or resting on the edge of a chair with the leg elevated and the thigh muscles relaxed. The combination of treatments may reduce the patient’s pain depending on the choice. The patella and the medial and lateral knee regions should be covered by applying many strips of hypoallergenic tape across the knee area (Handbook of Non-Drug Intervention (HANDI) Project Team, 2013). This study aims to determine the elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of patients. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following: 1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents (age and gender)? SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, Volume 3, June 2022 ISSN 2815-164X 3 2. What is the effect of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of patients? 3. What is the advantage of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of patients with osteoarthritis? Methodology The present study utilized a quantitative non-experimental research design that included the description, recording, analysis, and interpretation of existing conditions, as well as the analysis of data collected and recorded. The descriptive method of study was employed by a researcher. The descriptive method’s objective is to collect, assess, classify, and tabulate data regarding the situation, practices, beliefs, procedures, trends, and cause-and-effect relationships. An appropriate and useful interpretation of the data is then made using statistical techniques. Based on their usefulness and relevance to the current study, the collected data and information were examined and assessed. Questionnaires were the main tool the researcher used to collect data. In line with this, Gliner et al. (2016) stated that the goal of the descriptive research is to explain the current circumstances or patterns of behavior of the individuals, groups, or organizations that are typically the subject of the study. Additionally, it is focused on the existing state and relationships, as well as present behaviors, beliefs, points of view, attitudes, procedures that have an impact, and emerging trends. Sampling and Participants Taking several separate observations from a similar probability distribution without involving any actual population is referred to as random sampling. Every item in a probability sample has a known chance of being included in the sample. Fifty (50) athletes from selected schools were identified as respondents to answer the questionnaire based on their knowledge, ideas, and observation. Data Analysis The following procedures were implemented in gathering necessary data or information. The researchers searched for and traced the contact information of the respondents. After searching and tracing, the researchers asked a favor from the respondents to answer the sets of questionnaires needed for the study. After the distribution, the answered questionnaires by the respondents were retrieved immediately after the respondents answered the questionnaires. Then the data from the answered questionnaire were transferred to a sheet of paper so that a complete set of responses from each item can be tallied. The data gathered were tabulated and were interpreted through frequencies and percentages for analysis and comparison purposes to find out how effective the elastic bandage and athletic tape were in reducing pain and swelling of the patients with osteoarthritis. Ethical Consideration The authors obtained informed consent from the participants that is incorporated on a survey questionnaire. The researchers ensured that voluntary participation is encouraged by the respondents in this research. Furthermore, the protection of privacy and respect for the dignity of research participants was prioritized in this matter. SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, Volume 3, June 2022 ISSN 2815-164X 4 Results and Discussion Table 1. Demographic Profile of the Respondents in terms of Age (n = 50) Age Frequency Percentage 15-17 years old 10 20% 18-20 years old 35 70% 21 years old and above 5 10% In Table 1 which is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age, most respondents (70%) answered 18-20 years old, followed by 20% of the respondents who answered 15-17 years old, and the remaining 10% of the respondents answered 21 years old and above. Table 2. Demographic Profile of the Respondents in terms of Gender (n = 50) Gender Frequency Percentage Male 30 60% Female 20 40% Table 2 determines the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of gender. Sixty percent (60%) of the respondents are males, and the remaining respondents (40%) are females. Table 3. Effects of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of patient (n = 50) Effects Frequency Percentage Participant’s inherent knee proprioceptive ability 15 30% Assisting in participation in other strongly recommended therapies 10 20% Associated with negligible adverse effects which generally include minor skin irritation 25 50% Table 3 shows the effects of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of patients. Approximately half (50%) of the respondents said that it has been associated to insignificant side effects, most commonly mild skin irritation. This is followed by 30% of the respondents answered participants’ inherent knee proprioceptive ability, and the remaining 20% of the respondents answered assisted participation in other strongly recommended therapies. Table 4. The advantages of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis (n = 50) Effects Frequency Percentage I can aid in the practice of therapeutic exercises. 5 10% I can improve the functional capacity and pain of individuals with osteoarthritis. 40 80% Its clinical importance as an adjuvant during an exercise-based treatment. 5 10% Table 4 shows the advantages of elastic bandage to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis. Eighty percent (80%) of the respondents answered that it improves the functional capacity and pain of individuals with osteoarthritis. Both its clinical significance as an addition during an activity-based treatment and its ability to support therapeutic exercise practice were indicated by 10% of the respondents each. It is unclear how bandages or taping could influence the patellofemoral joint's alignment and position. The improvement in a Joint Position Sense (JPS) task and the success of patellar taping may be SDCA Journal of Physical Therapy, Volume 3, June 2022 ISSN 2815-164X 5 explained by other simple sensory mechanisms that involve stimulation of the skin, tendons, and muscles rather than physical realignment of the joints (Oliva et al., 2015). Thus far, every proprioception study has either assessed the ultimate result of skeletal muscle activation and joint motion using methods like JPS or it has analyzed variables along the efferent and afferent pathways. Bandage style and fitting are frequently evaluated based on patient satisfaction rather than effectiveness and proprioception. Hassan et al. (2002) evaluated two elasticated bandage fittings to determine whether a tighter elasticated bandage would have a more adverse effect than a looser one. Conclusion and Recommendations The study finds that elastic bandages may have a few modest side effects, most commonly mild skin irritation among other skin conditions such as insect bites and scrapes. It is also shown that people with osteoarthritis may have less pain and more functional ability with elastic bandages made of athletic tape, thus decreasing joint stress. The following recommendations are considered relevant and necessary to the study: 1. The athletes should determine the knowledge and attitude toward the use of elastic bandages and athletic tape. 2. The nurses should have insights or ideas on how the effectiveness of elastic bandages compared to athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis. 3. This study will serve as a guide to the government for them to use the elastic bandage as athletic tape in reducing pain and swelling of the patient with osteoarthritis. 4. This study will serve as a guide or reference to future researchers in conducting a study related to this topic. References Bryk, F. F., Jesus, J. F. D., Fukuda, T. Y., Moreira, E. G., Marcondes, F. B., & Santos, M. G. D. (2011). Immediate effect of the elastic knee sleeve use on individuals with osteoarthritis. Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia, 51(5), 440-446. https://www.scielo.br/j/rbr/a/FVpHtwsb3KhN4nP3VWNHMCy/?lang=en Callaghan, M. J., McKie, S., Richardson, P., & Oldham, J. A. (2012). Effects of patellar taping on brain activity during knee joint proprioception tests using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Physical Therapy, 92(6), 821-830. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20110209 DeRogatis, M., Anis, H. K., Sodhi, N., Ehiorobo, J. O., Chughtai, M., Bhave, A., & Mont, M. A. (2019). Non-operative treatment options for knee osteoarthritis. 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