Comparison between the effects of tibialis posterior versus fibularis longus Kinesio taping on foot posture, physical performance, and dynamic balance in young women with flexible flatfoot

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of the tibialis posterior Kinesio taping and fibularis longus Kinesio taping on the foot posture, physical performance, and dynamic balance in young women with flexible flatfoot. METHODS: Twenty-four subjects were recruited for the study. They were randomly divided into groups (A = 12, B = 12). In group A, Kinesio taping was applied on the tibialis posterior, and in group B, Kinesio taping was applied on the fibularis longus and remained for 30 min. Outcome measures were the navicular drop test (NDT), foot posture index (FPI), timed up and go (TUG) test, and Y-balance test. The pre- and post-treatment results were compared for each group; between-group differences were determined as well. RESULTS: For group A, NDT, FPI, and TUG test changed significantly (P = 0.01, P = 0.001, P = 0.006, respectively). For group B, the FPI score decreased (P = 0.03), and the Y-balance test in the anterior direction improved significantly (P = 0.01). Any variables have not shown a significant difference between groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Kinesio taping of the tibialis posterior and fibularis longus can improve foot posture in young women with flexible flatfoot. Also, physical performance and dynamic balance improved by Kinesio taping of the tibialis posterior and the fibularis longus, respectively. In addition to the tibialis posterior, we found that the fibularis longus muscle can be considered a therapeutic target for managing flexible flatfoot in healthy young women.