[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Kinesio taping and spiral taping on menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome, to investigate the efficacy of the two types of taping as methods for alleviating menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 34 unmarried women. The subjects were randomly divided into a Kinesio taping group, a spiral taping group and a control group. Subjects with a regular menstrual cycle underwent taping a total of six times; twice a week for about three weeks, starting from 14 days before menstruation and continuing until its end. Degrees of menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome were measured before the application of taping. [Results] The results revealed that Kinesio taping had significant effects on menstrual pain, while spiral taping was effective at alleviating both menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome. [Conclusion] Both taping methods before menstruation brought significant relief to menstrual pain, which suggests that spiral taping is an effective method of alleviating premenstrual symptoms.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of relaxation exercises for the masticator muscles on the limited ROM and pain of temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 10 men and 31 women in their 20s and 30s. They were randomly divided into no treatment, active exercises and relaxation exercise for the masticator muscle groups. The exercise groups performed exercises three times or more a day over a period of four weeks, performing exercise for 10 minutes each time. Before and after the four weeks, all the subjects were measured for ROM, deviation, occlusion, and pain in the temporomandibular joint. [Results] ROM, deviation and pain showed statistically significant in improvements after the intervention in the active exercise and relaxation exercise for the masticator muscle groups. Deviation also showed a statistically significant difference between the active exercise and relaxation exercise groups. [Conclusion] The results verify that as with active exercises, relaxation exercises for the masticatory muscles are an effective treatment for ROM and pain in TMD. Particularly, masticatory muscle relaxation exercises were found to be a treatment that is also effective for deviation.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the changes in the myofascial pain and range of the motion of temporomandibular joint when Kinesio taping is applied to patients with latent myofascial trigger points of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 42 males and females aged 20 to 30 years (male 17, female 25). They were randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group, which would receive Kinesio taping. Kinesio taping was applied to the sternocleidomastoid muscle three times per week for two weeks. The pain triggered when the taut band or nodule was palpated was measured. Pain intensity was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). The range of motion of the temporomandibular joint was measured. In all subjects, VAS, PPT, and range of motion of the temporomandibular joint were measured before and after the intervention. [Results] In the experimental group, it was found that pain in the SCM was relived, as the VAS and PPT score decrease significantly and range of motion of temporomandibular joint increase significantly. In comparison between the groups, significant differences were shown in the VAS and PPT scores and in the range of motion of the temporomandibular joint. [Conclusion] Kinesio taping is thought to be an intervention method that can be applied to latent myofascial trigger points.

[Purpose] The Purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of spiral taping on proprioception in functional ankle instability. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-five participants in this study had discomfort in only one ankle and Cumberland ankle instability score of ≤23. ST was applied to the unstable ankle, and proprioception was measured baseline and 30 min later. Proprioception was measured using the active joint angle reproduction test. [Results] Plantar flexions of 10° (ES, 0.303) and 20° (ES, 1.369) and inversion 20° (ES, 0.998) showed a significant improvement. [Conclusion] Spiral taping improved on proprioception. Therefore, spiral taping may be an effective method for functional ankle instability.

Vision, proprioception and plantar sensation contribute to the control of postural balance (PB). Reduced plantar sensation alters postural response and is at an increased risk of fall, and eye movements reduce the postural sway. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the improvement of plantar sensation and PB after saccadic eye movement (SEM) and pursuit eye movement (PEM) in community-dwelling elderly women. Participants (104 females; 75.11 ± 6.25 years) were randomly allocated into the SEM group (n = 52) and PEM groups (n = 52). The SEM group performed eye fixation and SEM for 5 minutes, and the PEM group performed eye fixation and PEM for 5 minutes. The plantar sensation was measured according to the plantar surface area of the feet in contact with the floor surface before and after the intervention. Before and after SEM and PEM with the eyes open and closed, PB was measured as the area (mm 2 ), length (cm), and velocity (cm/s) of the fluctuation of the center of pressure (COP). The plantar sensation of both feet improved in both groups (p < 0.01). Significant decreases in the area, length, and velocity of the COP were observed in the eye open and close in both groups (p < 0.01). The length and velocity of the COP significantly decreased in the SEM group compared to the PEM group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SEM and PEM are effective interventions for improving plantar sensation and PB in elderly women, with greater PB improvement after SEM.

[Purpose] This study aimed to verify the change in range of motion of the temporomandibular joint on correction of scoliosis. [Subjects and Methods] This study examined 31 male and female participants in their 20s and 30s with a spinal curve degree of 10° or greater. The subjects performed therapeutic exercise based on the pilates exercise system, which is known to be effective in mitigating the spinal curve for patients with scoliosis. All participants completed an 8-week therapeutic exercise regimen to alleviate the scoliosis in which exercise was performed, the exercise was done three times a week for 8 weeks and each session lasted 60 minutes. Among them, 19 participants were selected as an experiment group, whose symptoms were mitigated significantly, and 12 participants who did not undergo the exercise were identified as a control group. All subject was assessed for spinal curve degree, apparent leg length discrepancy, and deviation and range of motion of the temporomandibular joint before and after the study. [Results] In the experimental group, the apparent leg length discrepancy and the deviation of the temporomandibular joint were significantly decreased after the exercise, and the ROM in the temporomandibular joint was significantly increased. In intergroup comparisons, all variables showed a significant difference. [Conclusion] The findings suggest that as the spinal curve degree decreases significantly, the range of motion and deviation in the temporomandibular joint showed a significant change, indicating that mild scoliosis may be a negative factor affecting the deviation and range of motion of the temporomandibular joint.

The aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) leg Kinesio taping on gait parameters and dynamic balance in chronic stroke patients with foot drop. A total 22 chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 11) and control groups (n = 11). All subjects underwent conventional therapy and gait training for 50 min. The experimental group additionally received KT of tibialis anterior muscle (TA) and hamstring muscles according to the PNF pattern. The control group received KT of only TA. The primary outcome measures that the gait parameter are gait velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length. Dynamic balance was measured by the timed up-and-go test (TUG) time and activity-specific balance confidence scale (ABC) as the secondary outcomes. All of the measurements were performed baseline and 24 h after intervention. Our results showed that the experimental group showed significant improvements in gait velocity, cadence, step length, stride length and TUG, and ABC score compared with the control group. We conclude that the short term effect of application of lower-leg KT according to the PNF pattern increased the gait ability and dynamic balance of chronic stroke patients with foot drop.

This study aimed to determine the effect of a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) pattern Kinesio taping (KT) application on the ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF-ROM) and balance ability in patients with chronic stroke. This crossover study included 18 patients with stroke. The subjects were randomly assigned to three interventions: barefoot, ankle KT (A-KT), and PNF-KT. The A-KT was applied to the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles, and subtalar eversion. The PNF-KT was applied on the extensor hallucis, extensor digitorum, and TA muscles. DR-ROM was measured using the iSen™, a wearable sensor. Balance ability was assessed based on static balance, measured by the Biodex Balance System (BBS), and dynamic balance, measured by the timed up and go (TUG) test and dynamic gait index (DGI). Compared with the barefoot and A-KT interventions, PNF-KT showed significant improvements in the ankle DF-ROM and BBS scores, TUG, and DGI. PNF-KT, for functional muscle synergy, improved the ankle DF-ROM and balance ability in patients with chronic stroke. Therefore, the application of PNF-KT may be a feasible therapeutic method for improving ankle movement and balance in patients with chronic stroke. Additional research is recommended to identify the long-term effects of the PNF-KT.