Objective: This work aimed to explore the acute effects of athletic taping techniques on foot arch deformity and plantar pressure in young female adults with flexible flatfoot (FFT).
Methods: Twenty young female adults with FFT were recruited in the current study. Each participant was randomly divided into two taping groups, namely, augmented low-dye (ALD) and modified low-dye (MLD). The foot arch deformity and plantar pressure were measured at baseline, after taping and after 20 min of walking. The foot arch deformity was determined based on navicular drop distance (NDD) and resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP).
Results: Compared with baseline, the NDD values were significantly lower after taping. After 20 min of walking, ALD taping resulted in a lower NDD value than MLD (p < 0.001). ALD maintained a higher RCSP than baseline after 20 min of walking (p = 0.004). Furthermore, compared with baseline, medial midfoot force-time integration (p = 0.013) and contact area (p = 0.022) increased after taping with MLD, and peak pressure in the medial midfoot increased after walking for 20 min with MLD (p = 0.026). Peak pressure in the second to fifth toes significantly decreased after 20 min of walking with ALD compared with that after taping immediately (p = 0.002).
Conclusions: ALD and MLD taping could improve FFT arch deformity and plantar pressure distribution, prospectively changing peak pressure of the second to fifth toe area and medial midfoot after 20 min of walking, integrated contact area and force-time integration medial midfoot during walking in young female adults. Furthermore, ALD taping could improve FFT deformity more than using MLD after 20 min of walking. Thus, when treating FFT in young female adults, ALD taping should be considered adaptively to guide arch support production and correct midfoot pronation.
Keywords: Athletic tape; Flexible flatfoot; Foot arch deformity; Plantar pressure.
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