Case Study: The Long-Term Effects of Kinesio Tape on Hallux Valgus - Week 7

My apologies for slacking on my foot updates.  I've been keeping to my taping schedule, but haven't managed to remember to take regular measurements.  Christmas happened, and then I had Holiday Brain and didn't get my act together until this past week.  (I am still suffering from Holiday Hips and Holiday Thighs and Holiday Butt.)

I also have no new pictures.  (If you'd like to see pictures, feel free to read the first two posts.  Click here and here.)

Anyway, here's a review followed by the most recent measurements.

WEEK 0

Starting Measurements (11/21/11)

L MTP:  35 degrees valgus
R MTP: 30 degrees valgus

Measurements after Taping

L MTP:  15 degrees valgus
R MTP:  20 degrees valgus


WEEK 2
Measurements with tape on (12/7/11)

L MTP 21 degrees
R MTP 18 degrees

Measurements with tape off

L MTP 25 degrees
R MTP 22 degrees

After I'd had the tape off for a full 24 hours, I re-measured.  Then I measured one more time with new tape on.

Measurements after 24 hours

L MTP 28 degrees
R MTP 28 degrees

Measurements with new tape applied

L MTP 24 degrees valgus
R MTP 20 degrees valgus



WEEK 7
Measurements with tape on (1/12/12)

L MTP 28 degrees valgus
R MTP 27 degrees valgus

Measurements with tape off

L MTP 29 degrees valgus
R MTP 25 degrees valgus  (???)

Measurements after 24 hours

L MTP 28 degrees valgus
R MTP 23 degrees valgus (!!!)

Measurements with new tape applied

L MTP 26 degrees valgus
R MTP 22 degrees valgus

A few observations regarding these most recent measurements:

*The numbers aren't continuing in a steady and consistent decline.
*My left toe isn't changing at all, and in fact, seems to be getting a little worse.
*My right toe...I don't know what it's doing.  Those are some weird numbers.  It showed less valgus after the tape was removed.

My left toe seems to be plateauing.  It had the greatest changes right off the bat, whereas my right toe didn't do much.  Now the right one is suddenly showing all kinds of improvements.  I'm measuring the same way each time to be consistent, but I will admit that I have a hard time palpating my metatarsals and lining up the goni accordingly.

Still, there have been changes.  My left toe continues to show a 7 degree decrease (with the tape off), which was the same as five weeks ago.  My right toe is now also showing a 7 degree decrease, but five weeks ago showed only a 2 degree decrease, so it continues to change.

I'm not sure how long I will continue taping my feet.  Next week will mark two months, but I haven't started any running yet and I want to see how the tape and running together affect my feet.  So I'll keep going for at least a few more weeks.  Maybe I'll shoot for the three or four month mark.  We'll see how I'm feeling when I get to the end of three months.  :)

In other news, I'm now officially a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP)!  I've taken and passed the test and have everything but the official certificate in hand.  Hoping that will come soon.  In the meantime, I continue to tape my patients on a daily basis, probably at least half of them.  We have a few regulars that ask for the tape at each treatment.  If I had to guess, I'd say 8 out of 10 patients feel immediate relief after being taped.  Some of those who don't have had trouble keeping it on, either because their clothes rub it off or they just take it off after they leave the clinic.  And a scant few keep it on but don't notice any difference.

I know I have a few PT classmates following these updates.  Here are some of the diagnoses I've taped:  LBP, DeQuervain's, lateral epidonylitis, shoulder instability, HAs, upper trap tightness, scoliosis, PFP, MCL strain, peroneal tendinitis, arthritis, muscle strain/pain, bruising, and swelling/edema (to name a few).  I recruited a friend at church this morning to be a guinea pig for me, and I'm super excited because I'm going to try taping her for her breathing and pregnancy.  Love trying new stuff!

God, please help me make good decisions today.

It's been a frequent prayer this week, because I'm back on the path to seeking weight loss and exercise.  A year ago, this path seemed easy to walk.  Now I'm returning and finding it broken and overgrown (words that also seem to describe me lately).  I don't understand why it's so much harder to make good choices now.  All I know is, despite my prayers, I can't seem to succeed.

This frustrates me greatly.  And as I look at it, I can see that this path shares ground with other journeys.  My quest to make new friends in a new place feels to be repeatedly failing.  My list of projects overwhelms me at times, so I cope by doing nothing.  My attempts at growing my faith are feeble at best and take me nowhere.  Spiritual disciplines I desire remain nothing more than desires for my lack of action.

Each of these "failures" weighs me down, and the lies creep in and take root.  (Maybe this is the source of the overgrown weeds that blocks my path.)  Each of these seem so very different from one another, yet it is the root of my sense of failure that ties them all together.  I can't help but think maybe if I could figure out the root, I could get all of the areas licked.

I think the root is my source of identity.  I desire value from appearance, size, friends, accomplishments, even my spirituality.  My sense of value isn't coming from the true Source.

But I hate that because it's cliche.  Every problem can be spiritualized and thus solved with a simple spiritual answer. Take care of it.  Move on.

So why isn't it that easy?  When I say to God, I need you to be my Source and Sustainer, why doesn't that solve all my problems?  When I ask for strength to make good choices for today, why do I continue to lose ground on my diet?  What is wrong with me that I can't get it figured out?

It's a daily battle.  I'm supposed to fail when I do it on my own.  My failures drive me to God.

Yes, but again, cliche.  I want something that works, something solid and tangible.  No more of this vapory-mist of ideas and concepts that slip through my fingers.

I know what the right answers are supposed to be.  I know what moving forward is supposed to look like.  Yet somehow, I remain stuck, watching the solutions swirl about me in a hazy dance.  And I can't help but return to wondering what is wrong with me.