## 4 Discussion  
This pilot study compared the effects of lifting with two adhesive tapes affixed to the trunk dorsum with different elastic properties (i.e., leukocyte vs. kinesio tape) on the peak lumbar flexion angle and lumbar proprioception. It was hypothesized that both tapes would reduce lumbar flexion from baseline to retention, and that the participants in the kinesio tape group would also improve lumbar proprioception. The small sample had  
Figure 4: Repositioning error from 60-degree target position over measurement times and repetitions (LT = leukocyte group; KT = kinesio tape group). Figure 3: Repositioning error from 30-degree target position over measurement times and repetitions. The difference was significant between pre- and post-lifting at repetition five in the kinesio tape group (LT = leukocyte group; KT = kinesio tape group). * indicates statistically significant differences. low statistical power; hence, we interpret the statistical results along with the effect sizes. Arguably, in such a small sample, effect sizes are more meaningful than statistical testing. The results showed that, despite not being statistically significant, both groups reduced lumbar flexion from baseline to retention (moderate reduction in the leukocyte group, and small reduction in the kinesio tape group) (Table 1, Figure 2). Furthermore, the kinesio tape group had a small-to-moderate reduction in the repositioning error in the 30-degree repositioning task, and the leukocyte group had a small reduction in the repositioning error in the 60-degree repositioning task (Table 2, Figures 3 and 4). The participants in both groups reduced their lumbar flexion angle. These results are in line with previous research that investigated the effect of leukocyte as a tactile feedback strategy during lifting [7; 11]. Even though kinesio tape has more elastic properties than leukocyte, the stimulus provided by the kinesio tape seems to have been strong enough to activate stretch sensitivity thresholds (due to reduced stretch sensitivity thresholds in flexed spine postures, see [PERSON] et al. [9]), allowing the participants to adjust the position of their lumbar spine. Importantly, we observed results with both tapes cut in half, and the effect could be stronger when the full tape is applied. The lower effect size in the kinesio tape group was driven by high standard errors. In addition, there was a significant difference in lumbar flexion between both groups. Thus, it remains unclear whether one tape is more effective than the other. Importantly, the results indicate that both tapes seem to be effective in reducing lumbar flexion during lifting. This study employed a repositioning task to measure participants' proprioceptive ability before and after the lifting trials with supplementary tactile feedback. The aim was to gain further insights into the mechanisms that underlie the effects of tactile feedback with tapes of different elastic properties. In the 60-degree task, the effect sizes indicate a higher reduction in the leukocyte group compared to the kinesio tape group. However, this task might not be ideal to assess lumbar proprioception. Several participants stated that they felt uncomfortable when performing this task because they had to bend forward so much that they had to concentrate on not falling over. In addition, it was difficult for some participants to see the visual feedback, and thus they had to extend their necks to see the display. Furthermore, anecdotally, this task seemed quite far off from the lifting movement. These problems did not occur in the 30-degree repositioning task, and therefore we consider this task as a more appropriate measurement of lumbar proprioception. The effect sizes suggest that kinesio tape reduced the repositioning error in the 30-degree task, and the difference between the pre- and post-lifting measurements was significant in the fifth trial.