Effect of balance taping using kinesiology tape for a hamstring muscle injury and traumatic knee pain in an amateur university football player: A case report

RATIONALE: Football players are at high risk for lower extremity injuries because they turn on an axis of rotation, turn while decelerating, and repeatedly jump and land. One of the most common sites of injury is the knee. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 25-year-old amateur university football player with pain in the knee medial area (Visual Analog Scale [VAS] score of 6/10), a hamstring muscle injury (VAS of 5/10), and a Tegner Activity Scale level of 3. DIAGNOSES: He was diagnosed as hamstring muscle injury and traumatic knee pain. INTERVENTIONS: Balance taping was used for 1.5 months (average, 16 h/d). OUTCOMES: The Tegner Activity Scale level increased from 3 to 9 after balance taping, indicating increased activity ability. VAS scores for pain in the medial area of the knee and hamstring muscle during knee flexion decreased from 6 and 5 to 0 and 0, respectively. Based on these improvements, the patient was able to resume playing. LESSONS: Balance taping is an effective treatment for football players with a hamstring muscle injury and traumatic knee pain.