TITLE:
Effect of Kinesio Taping on Hand Function in Hemiparetic Patients
AUTHORS:
Jonathan Galvão Tenório x Cavalcante, Maria do Desterro Costae Silva, Jessiane Tenório da Fonseca Silva, Clarissa Cotrim dos Anjos, Renata Sampaio Rodrigues Soutinho
KEYWORDS:
Stroke, Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Kinesio® Taping, Hands
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Neuroscience,
Vol.8 No.2,
May
22,
2018
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the second most frequent cause of
death in the world. Nevertheless, most victims do survive and need treatment,
and hand function is one that has to be dealt with in the rehabilitation
process. Kinesio®Taping (KT) is a bandaging method that can be applied along the muscle fibers
to provide stimulation. Studies have shown its efficacy in providing afferent
stimuli to weakened muscles, thus eliciting contraction with greater recruiting
of motor units and inducing neuroplasticity. Benefits to the paresthesia hand have not been
reported. Objective: Investigate the effects of KT on hand function in hemiparetic
patients. Material and Methods: An evaluator-blinded, randomized
clinical trial involving stroke victims was carried out in a physical therapy
outpatient clinic. One group underwent KT intervention and the other was a
control group. The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and the Box and Block Test
(BBT) were used as assessment tools. A data entry form was used in the Epi-info
7 software and descriptive statistics was thus calculated. The software BioStat
5.0 was employed when doing statistical tests. Associations were regarded as
statistically significant when p 0.05. Results: Eight individuals were randomly assigned to two groups. All those who had
received treatment with KT had spasticity improved by one point, but there was
no significant improvement in BBT. Conclusion: KT was effective when it
came to improving spasticity and it may be an option in rehab, but it had no
effect on gross manual dexterity. Nevertheless, it can be of help as part of a
functional training program.