When it comes to taping hands and feet I would always recommend the extra sticky RockTape, also called H2O.
Expect the tape to last from a few hours to a day depending on activities and temperature.
In this week’s blog and accompanying video we look at hand taping for hand pain and swelling.
I draw upon two pieces of independent published research and a report from one of my previous student’s.
Farhadian et al (2019). Researched the effect of kinesio taping (figure 1) on pain, range of motion, hand strength, and functional abilities in patients with hand osteoarthritis. They divided the 38 participants into two groups both of which used heat and performed hand exercises but only one group had the tape applied using the method shown in the image. The taping group reported enhanced outcomes when compared to the non-taped group. This adds to the common theme seen in the taping literature that tape plus exercise provides superior clinical outcomes when compared to exercise without taping.
Figure 1: Taping for OA Hand Pain
The next study from Roberts et al (2016), published in the The South African Journal of Physiotherapy, looked at the effect of taping the metacarpophalangeal joints or ‘knuckles’ and its effect on pain and hand function in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Their taping method is shown in figure 2. Although the results were positive - reporting reduced pain - the study had a weak design and as usual more research was recommended.
Figure 2: Taping for RA Hand Pain
The third technique was shown to me be a previous student who had used it to reduce pain from a swollen hand following an infection caused from an animal bite. Their patient had been referred from a GP and they were on antibiotics. The tape did not treat the infection, but it did significantly reduce hand pain and improve the ability to sleep. The technique is shown in figure 3.
Figure 3: Taping for Swollen Hand
In conclusion, RockTape can be cut and adapted to manage hand pain or swelling from a range of different causes, the extra sticky or H2O tape is recommended and its use should combine with other proven strategies like exercise and heat.
References:
Farhadian, M., Morovati, Z., & Shamsoddini, A. (2019). Effect of Kinesio Taping on Pain, Range of Motion, Hand Strength, and Functional Abilities in Patients with Hand Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. The archives of bone and joint surgery, 7(6), 551–560.
Roberts, S., Ramklass, S., & Joubert, R. (2016). Kinesio Taping® of the metacarpophalangeal joints and its effect on pain and hand function in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. The South African journal of physiotherapy, 72(1), 314. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v72i1.314.