Introduction: Delayed onset of muscle soreness is muscle pain that occurs after unaccustomed and strenous exercise or after any kind of muscle overload. Symptoms include muscle stiffness, painful movement, reduction in the range of motion, muscle swelling, disfunction of muscle associated joints, reduced muscle capacity for strenght development and increases in muscle damage and inflammatory markers in blood. Pain starts developing delayed and peaks between 48 and 72 hours after exercise. One of the newer method used for treatment of delayed onset of muscle soreness is a kinesio tape application that is bound to improve muscle recovery and relieve muscle soreness. Purpose: The purpose od the diploma work is review of literature on the effects of kinesio tape on the delayed onset of muscle soreness. Methods: The literature search was carried out in the PubMed and PEDro databases with the selected key words. The included studies were chosen based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Following the review of existing literature in the PubMed and PEDro databases, six studies were selected that met the criteria for inclusion in this diploma work. Four out of the included studies found that kinesio tape reduces delayed onset of muscle soreness. The authors in one study recommend the use of kinesio tape as a treatment method of delayed onset of muscle soreness, but the results were not statistically significant. One of the studies did not found any effects of kinesio tape on the delayed onset of muscle soreness. Discussion and conclusion: Some of the reviewed studies show that kinesio tape application affects delayed onset of muscle soreness. However because of the lack of evidence we cannot claim with certainty that kinesio tape relieves delayed onset of muscle soreness. The tape has potential to be included in treatment of muscle soreness but more research is needed for the kinesio tape to be part of evidence based physiotherapy.
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