Effects of arch taping on pronation of the foot while walking on a treadmill

Abstract

This study compared two types of medial longitudinal arch taping techniques for their effects on pronation of the foot while walking on a treadmill. The four hypotheses are: a) arch taping of the right foot will reduce the angle of pronation of the right foot compared to the right foot control (control was a dummy tape job applied to the foot), b) LowDye taping of the right foot will reduce the angle of pronation for of the right foot compared to the right foot control, c) arch taping of the left foot will reduce the angle of pronation for the left foot compared to the left foot control, and d) LowDye taping of the left foot will reduce the angle of pronation of the left foot compared to the left foot control. High speed cinematography was used to film the subjects (n = 20) as they walked on a treadmill. The two taping techniques did not significantly reduce the angle of pronation (p>.0125). One comparison of the four studied proved to be significant. Left Control Compared to Left Arch Tape (t = 3.40) was the only comparison with statistical significance, but with a mean difference of 1.6 degrees the researcher felt that it offered no practical significance (5 to 10 degrees of difference would offer practical significance). The researcher found that the use of athletic tape as applied to the foot in the present study does not affect the angle of pronation. Further studies are necessary to examine what arch taping actually does to the foot to support its usefulness in athletic training.