Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| [b] People First Bo’Ai Rehabilitation Clinic, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| [c] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Yu-Chi Huang, MD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 123 Dapi Road, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 7 731 7123 (ext. 6286); E-mail: hyuchi@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Impaired upper limb function in stroke survivors is characterized by muscle weakness, increased muscle tone, contracture, or impaired motor control. OBJECTIVE:We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Kinesio-taping application for functional recovery on the affected arm and forearm during rehabilitation. METHODS:Forty-one patients eligible for this study were randomly assigned to either the Kinesio-taping group (n = 21), receiving Kinesio-taping intervention and conventional therapy, or control group (n = 20), receiving sham Kinesio-taping intervention and conventional therapy. The whole intervention lasted for 3 weeks. Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity, Barthel Index, the Stroke Impact Scale, and modified Ashworth scale were measured at 3 time points: baseline, post-treatment (3rd week), and follow-up (6th week). RESULTS:In the Kinesio-taping group, there were significant differences in the upper extremity (p = 0.003), wrist (p = 0.000) and hand (p = 0.000) parts of the Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity between the three assessment times. On the other hand, the Barthel Index showed significant differences in both groups after therapy. CONCLUSION:Combining conventional rehabilitation with Kinesio-taping intervention may improve functional motor performance of both the proximal and distal parts of the affected upper extremity in stroke survivors, with potential benefits for activity of daily living.
