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Trial registered on ANZCTR

Registration number

ACTRN12612000074897

Ethics application status

Approved

Date submitted

13/01/2012

Date registered

16/01/2012

Date last updated

2/07/2013

Type of registration

Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs

Public title

The application of sports tape to change muscle activity during a computer task.

Scientific title

Does inhibition taping reduce muscle activity during a prolonged computer typing task in healthy individuals more than sham taping and no tape condition?

Secondary ID [1]

Nil

Universal Trial Number (UTN)

Trial acronym

Linked study record

Health condition

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:

muscle activity during a computer task

Condition category

Condition code

Musculoskeletal

Other muscular and skeletal disorders

Physical Medicine / Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy

Intervention/exposure

Study type

Interventional

Description of intervention(s) / exposure

Participants will be required to complete 3 x 15 mins of standard typing under three conditions applied to the dominant trapezius muscle (muscle on top of the shoulder): no taping; sham taping; inhibitory taping. For the inhibitory taping, a rigid tape will be applied from the anterior aspect of the mid clavicle across the body of the Upper Trapezius muscles to approximately the level of the seventh rib with a posterio-inferior force to bunch the Upper Trapezius muscle fibres. For sham taping, tape will be applied without tension on the same spot of the Upper Trapezius as the inhibitory taping. Activity of this muscle during the three typing conditions will be evaluated using surface electromyography (sEMG) (non-invasive). Participants will complete a baseline 15 minute typing task immediately prior to each 15 minute intervention period (i.e. 30 minutes typing in total).
Taping will be removed after 15mins of a typing task.
Wash-out period between the 3 x 15 min testing sessions will be 3 days at least.

Intervention code [1]

Rehabilitation

Comparator / control treatment

Arm 1: Sham taping (tape will be applied without tension on the same spot of the Upper Trapezius as the inhibitory taping)
Arm 2: Control (no taping)

Control group

Placebo

Outcomes

Primary outcome [1]

The Amplitude Probability Distribution Function (APDF) of muscle activity of the upper and lower trapezius
This is calculated from data collected using sEMG.

Timepoint [1]

during 15mins of a typing task before an intervention (ie, inhibition taping, sham taping or control) and during the intervention
The first 15 minute typing task will occur immediately prior to the 15 minute intervention period (i.e. 30 minutes typing in total).

Secondary outcome [1]

The proportion of the APDF of the upper trapezius to that of the lower trapezius
This is calculated from data collected using sEMG.

Timepoint [1]

Myoelectric data will be collected for 10sec prior to the intervention and then during the 15mins standard typing task and during each intervention (sham taping, inhibition taping and control).

Eligibility

Key inclusion criteria

Asymptomatic healthy individuals without any history of head, neck and shoulder pain or trauma for which the individuals have sought medical treatment

Minimum age

18 Years

Maximum age

60 Years

Sex

Both males and females

Can healthy volunteers participate?

Yes

Key exclusion criteria

Individuals with contraindication for taping (eg, skin diseases), symptoms which may affect a typing task (eg, carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, and neuromuscular disorders) or score of above 2 in the Neck Disability Index (NDI).

Study design

Purpose of the study

Educational / counselling / training

Allocation to intervention

Randomised controlled trial

Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)

Asymptomatic participants will be recruited via notices and flyers on university notice boards. Notices may also be placed on community notice boards in surrounding suburbs. The project will be advertised to students prior to lectures after having obtained the lecturers permission.
Participants will sign a consent form. Information on participants’ age, sex, relevant medical history, height and weight will then be collected. They will then complete two questionnaires, the NDI and a computer use questionnaire.
This study is a randomised cross-over design. Firstly, each participant will select one card from an envelope in which the order of the three interventions will be written (eg, Time 1: inhibition taping, Time 2: no tape, Time 3: sham taping). The participant gives this card to the attending researcher without viewing the contents. The envelope will contain 6 cards – corresponding to the number of possible combinations of the three conditions. The order of the intervention will be known to the therapist applying the tape only and the order of application will be blinded to each participant and the researcher undertaking the data analysis and collection.

Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)

Masking / blinding

Who is / are masked / blinded?

Intervention assignment

Crossover

Other design features

Phase

Type of endpoint/s

Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment

Recruitment status

Completed

Date of first participant enrolment

Anticipated

1/02/2012

Actual

Date of last participant enrolment

Anticipated

Actual

Date of last data collection

Anticipated

Actual

Sample size

Target

Accrual to date

Final

Recruitment in Australia

Recruitment state(s)

QLD

Recruitment postcode(s) [1]

4072 - University Of Queensland

Funding & Sponsors

Funding source category [1]

University

Name [1]

The University of Queensland

Address [1]

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country [1]

Australia

Primary sponsor type

Individual

Name

Hiroshi Takasaki

Address

Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country

Australia

Secondary sponsor category [1]

Individual

Name [1]

Venerina Johnston

Address [1]

Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country [1]

Australia

Other collaborator category [1]

Individual

Name [1]

Blane Delbridge

Address [1]

Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country [1]

Australia

Ethics approval

Ethics application status

Approved

Ethics committee name [1]

Medical Research Ethics Committee

Ethics committee address [1]

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4067

Ethics committee country [1]

Australia

Date submitted for ethics approval [1]

Approval date [1]

12/01/2012

Ethics approval number [1]

2011001309

Summary

Brief summary

Background: A primary source for the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders is prolonged muscle  activity. Cognitive work-load, visual load and repetitive low-load tasks during the use of a computer can increase Trapezius muscle activity, resulting in pain around the neck and shoulders. It is believed clinically, that inhibition McConnell taping  applied across muscle fibers can reduce muscle activity, potentially contribute to alleviation of muscle stiffness and pain. However, there are few high quality studies which have investigated the effectiveness of this taping with varying outcomes. Hence, a comprehensive study is warranted.
Study design:  Randomized Placebo Controlled Assessor Blinded Cross-over design
Subjects: Sixty asymptomatic volunteers will be recruited from university staff and students 
Measures: Myoelectric activity of the upper and lower trapezius will be recorded during 3 x 15 minutes computer work using surface electromyography. The EMG data will be analysed using the Amplitude Probability Distribution Function, which is appropriate for the assessment of muscle load during a prolonged functional task.
Procedures: All subjects will perform a 15 minute standardized computer task in 3 conditions, which will be separated by at least one week as a wash-out period, following a baseline assessment with the 15 minute standardized computer task in each timepoint. Order of the 3 conditions will be randomised. In Condition 1, a rigid tape will be applied from the anterior aspect of the mid clavicle across the body of the Upper Trapezius muscles to approximately the level of the seventh rib with a posterio-inferior force to bunch the Upper Trapezius muscle fibres. In Condition 2, a tape will be applied without tension on the same spot of the Upper Trapezius (Placebo tape). Condition 3 will be the control condition without any tape applied. On completion of the taping, a towel will conceal the taping from view. The effect of taping in each allocated condition will be statistically analysed with repeated measures ANOVA or Freedman tests.

Trial website

Trial related presentations / publications

Public notes

Contacts

Principal investigator

Name

Address

Country

Phone

Fax

Contact person for public queries

Name

Hiroshi Takasaki

Address

Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country

Australia

Phone

+61 7 3365 2275

Fax

h.takasaki@uq.edu.au

Contact person for scientific queries

Name

Hiroshi Takasaki

Address

Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4067

Country

Australia

Phone

+61 7 3365 2275

Fax

h.takasaki@uq.edu.au

No information has been provided regarding IPD availability

What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided

Results publications and other study-related documents

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No additional documents have been identified.

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