The Effect of Yoga Practice on Cervical Tactile Acuity and Body Awareness.

Body-mind-based holistic methods of relaxation and improved well-being, such as yoga and meditation, improve body awareness and have often been used to enhance quality of life and the ability to cope with pain. We aimed to compare tactile sensory acuity and body awareness in healthy sedentary individuals who practiced yoga regularly and in control participants who had not practiced yoga. Participants were 60 individuals, aged between 18 and 35 years who were divided into two groups according to whether they had previously practiced yoga. We used the two-point discrimination (TPD) test to determine participants' tactile acuity, as measured with a digital calliper at the C7, C5, C3, C1 and T1 spinal segments and with the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ). The TPD measurements of individuals who practiced yoga and meditation had a lower discriminatory threshold compared to those who had not practiced yoga (p < .001), and the self-reported BAQ score of yoga practitioners was higher than that of the controls (p < .001). We found a positive correlation between the length of the prior duration of yoga experience and self-reported body awareness (r = .567, p < .001). There was a significant negative correlation (r = -.379, p = .015) between the C5 segment and the TPD measurements, but not for the other cervical spinal segments (p > .05). There was a negative correlation between the length of prior yoga practice and the TPD measurements in all cervical segments (p < .001). The most negative correlation was found at the C7 segment (r = -.844, p < .001) and the least negative correlation was found at the C3 segment (r = -.669, p < .001). These data suggest that yoga and meditation practices may improve well-being and diminish pain by increasing body awareness and tactile sensory acuity in the cervical region.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Kinesiology Taping and Rigid Taping on Ankle Kinematics During Drop Landing in Individuals with Lateral Ankle Injury.

BACKGROUND: Lateral ankle sprain is an injury that often occurs during sports or daily life activities. Athletic tape and kinesiology tape applications are among the external support treatment options especially for athletes to support the ankle and protect it from recurrent sprains. We sought to compare the kinematic stabilization effects of different ankle taping applications on the ankle joint during drop landing in individuals with a history of unilateral lateral ankle injury. METHODS: In this randomized controlled study, 30 volunteers with unilateral ankle injury were evaluated. The participants were asked to land on one leg on the involved side and the contralateral side from a 30-cm-high platform. The same practice was repeated after applying kinesiology tape and rigid tape to the injured foot. Kinematic analysis of the foot and ankle was performed by recording three-dimensional spatial position information at a speed of 240 frames per second using infrared cameras. RESULTS: The highest inversion angles of the involved foot at initial contact and 150 msec after initial contact were higher than those of the uninvolved side (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively). There was no significant difference in ankle kinematic values in the involved foot among kinesiology taping, athletic taping, and no taping applications (P = .74). CONCLUSIONS: People with lateral ankle sprains show reduced inversion during landing. There were no significant differences among kinesiology taping, athletic taping, and no taping on the injured foot in terms of ankle kinematics. Care should be taken when using taping materials as protective measures for sports activities.

The effect of elastic therapeutic taping and rigid taping on pain, functionality, and tissue temperature in lumbar radiculopathy: a randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: To compare the therapeutic effects of different taping materials and techniques on pain, functionality, and tissue temperature in patients with lumbar radiculopathy. Methods: Patients with lumbar radiculopathy were included in the study (n = 51). Patients were randomly divided into three groups, which were the elastic taping (n = 17), rigid taping (n = 17), and placebo taping groups (n = 17). All patients were enrolled in a physiotherapy and rehabilitation program that included thermotherapy, electrotherapy, and exercise five times a week for 2 weeks. The pain was measured before and after treatment using the Visual Analogue Scale. Functionality and quality of life were measured using the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. The tissue temperature of the treated area in the lumbar region was measured by digital electronic infra-red thermography. Results: After the treatment, pain, functionality, and quality of life were improved in all groups (p < 0.05). Elastic taping was more effective in decreasing pain and increasing functionality than placebo taping (p < 0.05), but no difference was observed between placebo taping and rigid tapping. Local tissue temperature did not change before and after treatment in the elastic taping group (p > 0.05). Tissue temperature increased in the rigid and placebo taping groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Taping therapy in patients with lumbar radiculopathy has a positive effect on pain and functional status. Elastic taping can be recommended for clinical use because its effect is superior in some recovery parameters and its ease of use.