The effect of taping on maximum plantar pressure and ground reaction force in people with flat foot after applying a fatigue protocol

Background: People suffering from flat foot show more movements in hindfoot and midfoot joints as compared to the others. The anti-pronation tapings are supposed to provide temporary external support for the medial longitudinal arch. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two types of anti-pronation taping on the lower limb kinetics in flat foot people before and after performing a physical fatigue protocol. Methods: 20 male and female with flat foot aged 22.39 ± 2.02 years old were studied under three conditions (untaping, reverse-6 taping and low-dye taping) either before or after fatigue states. The maximum plantar pressure and ground reaction force were measured by an RSscan foot scan system during walking. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed after applying two types of taping (reverse-6 vs. low-dye taping) in the maximum plantar pressure perceived in metatarsus 1 (P = 0.016) and lateral heel (P = 0.044). In the post-fatigue conditions, there were significant differences between the two taping types in metatarsus 4 (P = 0.024). The maximum ground reaction force in toe 1 (P = 0.001), toe 2-5 (P = 0.001), metatarsus 5 (P = 0.001), and medial heel (P = 0.001) was significantly different between reverse-6 and Low-dye tapings. Conclusions: The results indicated that the low-dye and reverse-6 taping types can reduce the pressure on the medial side of the foot, and push it towards the lateral side. It is therefore suggested using taping as an effective treatment for redistribution of the pressure and force in sole of the foot in people with flat foot.