The Effect of Kinesiotape on Flexion-Extension of the Thoracolumbar Back in Horses at Trot.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Kinesiotape is widely used in equine practice based on the premise that it stimulates mechanoreceptive and proprioceptive pathways to alter neuromuscular activity and movement patterns, yet evidence supporting its efficacy remains limited. Ericson and colleagues employed optical motion capture to measure thoracolumbar flexion-extension ROM in eight horses during trotting at preferred speed, using a paired experimental design where each horse was assessed both with and without kinesiotape applied to the abdominal muscles. Contrary to expectations, the study found no statistically significant differences in sagittal plane ROM of the thoracolumbar spine between taped and untaped conditions (p < 0.05), although individual horses demonstrated variable kinematic responses suggesting heterogeneous movement strategies in response to the stimulus. Whilst these findings suggest kinesiotape does not produce measurable, consistent changes in spinal biomechanics during trotting, the authors acknowledge considerable individual variation that warrants further investigation with larger sample sizes and refined methodologies. Given kinesiotape's popularity in clinical settings, equine professionals should interpret its proposed benefits cautiously until more robust evidence elucidates the mechanisms by which it might influence locomotor function in horses.

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Key Findings

• •No statistically significant change in flexion-extension of the thoracolumbar back with kinesiotape application (p < 0.05)
• •Individual horses demonstrated variable movement strategies in response to kinesiotape stimulation
• •Optical motion capture detected subtle kinematic changes despite lack of statistical significance

Conditions Studied

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