earticle

영어

Purpose: We sought to examine whether using the rhythmic stabilization (RS) technique before proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) wrist taping affected pain and grip strength in patients with wrist pain to provide a basis for the application of PNF taping. Methods: The study consisted of 41 badminton enthusiasts (aged 20–40 years) who reported discomfort and pain due to overuse of their wrists. The subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=20) or a control group (n=21). In the experimental group, PNF wrist taping was applied after application of the PNF RS technique, and PNF wrist taping was applied after stretching in the control group. The tape was applied five times a week for 3 weeks. Pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Grip strength was measured using a dynamometer. The paired t-test was performed to compare grip strength and pain within the groups before and after the intervention. Covariance analysis was conducted to compare differences between the experimental group and control group. The level of significance was set as α=0.05. Results: Within-group changes in grip strength and VAS were significantly different in the control group and experimental group (p<0.01). Grip strength and VAS showed more improvement in the experimental group than in the control group (p<0.01). Conclusion: PNF wrist taping after stretching and the PNF RS technique both significantly reduced pain and improved grip strength in club badminton players with wrist pain. These improvements were significantly greater in the experimental group in which the PNF RS technique was applied. The results suggest that PNF may be considered useful to improve grip strength and reduce wrist pain.