Kinesiology tape may improve surgeon posture, decrease injury risk

Kinesiology tape improves a surgeon’s posture while preforming surgery and decreases long-term strain and risk for musculoskeletal injury, according to a poster presented at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meeting.

“Methodology to prevent work-related musculoskeletal injury amongst dermatologic surgeons is a crucial topic. ... Over half of all surgeons experience work-related pain,” Joanna Dong, MD, resident physician at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “Use of kinesiology tape (KT) to augment surgeon postural stability, ... when utilized regularly on high-volume surgery or procedural days in which excessive axial flexion, lateral flexion and rotation are anticipated, may serve to alleviate short-term musculoskeletal strain, prevent pain in the long term and preserve career longevity.”

In meta-analyses, KT use provided a non-inferior reduction in pain when compared with traditional rehabilitation modalities. Application to the back, neck, shoulders and arms, the regions with the highest rates of pain, in two paraspinal strips running parallel from mid-neck to mid-back and horizontally across the shoulders promotes correct posture during surgery. Further, KT may support lateral flexion and rotation as well as spinal movements, which are less frequently discussed in surgical ergonomics.

“The benefits of KT for the surgeon or proceduralist are multifold: 1) its elastic pull after application serves as a continuous tactile reminder for maintaining an upright and non-contorted posture, 2) correction of posture in the long term can provide durable freedom from work-related injury and 3) if effective for reducing pain, it is a time-saving option compared to traditional rehabilitation with less risks than analgesics,” the authors wrote.