• Ozge Ece Gunaydin, Ersen Ertekin, and Gurkan Gunaydin.
• PhD, PT. Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2022 Jan 1; 141 (3): e2022257e2022257.

BackgroundRounded shoulder (RS) posture causes neck and shoulder pathologies. Mechanical correction taping (MCT) is often incorporated into postural corrective therapies; however, its effects on muscle stiffness are unclear.ObjectiveWe investigated the effect of MCT with different tape fabrics, along with exercise, on upper trapezius and pectoralis minor muscle stiffness and the posture of sedentary workers.Design And SettingA randomized controlled study was performed at Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey.MethodsThe study included 39 workers with RS posture. Two intervention groups (performance tape: PT and classic tape: CT) were taped twice a week and administered a home exercise program for 4 weeks. The control (C) group performed only home exercises. RS was measured using an acromion-testing table (AT), stiffness using shear wave elastography ultrasound, and shoulder angle (SA) using a smartphone application at baseline and 4 weeks. Time and group interactions were determined using 3 × 2 mixed analysis of variance.ResultsIntragroup analyses revealed a significant main effect of time on AT distance (η2 = 0.445) and SA (η2 = 0.325) in the PT and C groups (P < 0.05) and left upper trapezius stiffness (η2 = 0.287) in the CT and C groups (P < 0.05). In the post hoc analyses, no difference was noted between the groups from baseline to 4 weeks (P > 0.05).ConclusionScapular MCT added to postural exercises did not show any difference between the intervention groups and controls in terms of muscle stiffness and posture in sedentary workers.

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