Experience in the use of kinesio taping for the relief of algomenorrhea in adolescent girls in a children′s rehabilitation hospital

Abstract

Introduction. The method of kinesio taping (Kenzo Kase, 1973) is actively gaining popularity among various medical specialists. This is due to the safety of the method and its proven effectiveness in certain pathological conditions and functional disorders. There are isolated publications showing the effectiveness of kinesio taping to reduce the manifestations of algomenorrhea.The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using the kinesio taping method for relieving pain in adolescent girls with functional algomenorrhea in a children′s rehabilitation hospital.Materials and methods. The material for the study was the results of observation of 38 girls aged 13 to 17 years, who were on inpatient treatment in the St. Petersburg Children′s rehabilitation center of orthopedics and traumatology «Ogonyok» and turned to the medical staff for help with painful mēnsēs in order to receive pharmacological correction (taking antispasmodics and/or NSAIDs), as well as with a request to change the rehabilitation program (cancellation of physical therapy or physiotherapy procedures for the period of pain). Based on the experience of Seyda Toprak Celenay and María Isabel Tomás-Rodríguez, in order to influence the severity of algomenorrhea syndrome in patients, kinesio taping of the suprapubic region was performed with a 5 cm wide cotton tape with a light tension in the range of 10–15 %. The intensity of the pain syndrome before and after kinesio taping was evaluated by the patient himself using a modified facial pain Scale [The Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) according to Von Baeyer C. L. et al., 2001], and an instrumental assessment of the intensity of pain sensations was additionally performed using a dynamometer-algometer «MEGEON 04300».Results. The method of kinesio taping allows you to exclude (in 58 % of patients) or reduce (in 16% of patients) the use of pharmacological drugs. The inverse relationship between the subjective assessment of the intensity of pain syndrome by patients and the reduction of pain syndrome was established: that is, the greater the intensity of pain, the less likely the analgesic effect from the use of kinesio tape. The decrease in the pain syndrome of the girls was noted in the period of 1–12 hours (on average 3 hours 51 minutes) from the moment of applying the kinesio tape. Unfortunately, in the remaining 26 % of cases, the kinesiotaping method was not effective.Conclusion. The kinesiotaping method is justified for use in patients with algomenorrhea and often allows you to exclude or reduce the intake of pharmacological drugs.