Comparing Effects of Kinesio and Dynamic Tapings in Postpartum Women With Pelvic Girdle Pain

Overview

About 45% of pregnant women and 25% of women postpartum suffer from Pelvic girdle pain. Pain is often reported to be localized between costal margin and gluteal fold with or without radiation to lower limb or symphysis pubic. Kinesio taping (KT) is the application of an elastic tape, for treating musculoskeletal conditions through enhancing muscle strength, relieving spasms, pain and edema, improving blood circulation and lymph reflux, as well as stabilizing joints. However, with limited evidence and a lack of well-designed study, the effects of KT in postpartum women with PGP remains unclear. Compared with KT, the dynamic taping(DT) is recently developed and has stronger elastic resistance and recoil. The DT may have better effects than the KT, although this notion has not been examined. In this study, we make a hypothesis that PGP women in the DT group would have better improvements on pain, disability, quality of life, and PFM functions than that in the KT group and control group.

The main purpose for this study are to investigate the effects of KT and DT on pain, disability, physical functions, and quality of life, as well as PFM functions in postpartum women with PGP. 60 postpartum women with PGP will be randomized into one of the three groups:(1) kinesio taping group,(2) dynamic taping group (3)control group, and receive 4 weeks intervention. All participants will receive 3 assessments at the baseline, immediately after first taping session, and after 4-week interventions. The outcome measures will include Visual Analog Scale measures of pain intensity, Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire/ Oswestry Disability Index/ Patient specific functional scale measures and Global rating of change score. for disability. The quality of life will be measured by 36-item Short-Form Survey， The Physical functions include Active Straight Leg Raise Fatigue task , Time up and go test,10-meter walk test. The PFM functions will be measured by Modified Oxford grading scale and Perineometer. It is expected that PGP women in both the KT group and DT group will have more improvements than the control group. But the DT group will have even more improvements than the KT groups.