Kabat Rehabilitation Versus Kinesiology Taping in Bell's Palsy

February 21, 2026 updated by: Sidra Zaman, University of Lahore

Effects of Kabat Rehabilitation Versus Kinesiology Taping Combined With Conventional Therapy on Facial Asymmetry and Functional Disability in Patients With Unilateral Bell's Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of Kabat rehabilitation versus kinesiology taping, both combined with conventional therapy, on facial asymmetry and functional disability in patients with unilateral Bell's palsy. A total of 38 participants will be recruited from the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups using a lottery method. Outcomes will be assessed using the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System and the Facial Disability Index at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This single-blinded randomized clinical trial will be conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Lahore. Participants aged 30-50 years diagnosed with unilateral Bell's palsy will be recruited using purposive sampling. After obtaining informed consent, 38 eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two parallel groups using the lottery method.

Group A will receive conventional therapy (facial massage and electrical muscle stimulation) combined with Kabat rehabilitation using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques.

Group B will receive conventional therapy combined with kinesiology taping applied according to a standardized protocol targeting affected facial muscles.

Treatment will be administered for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week, with each session lasting approximately 40 minutes. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 27.0.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
38

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan
        • University of Lahore Teaching Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age between 30-50 years Both genders Unilateral Bell's palsy House-Brackmann grade greater than 3 Sufficient physical and mental ability to follow instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

Facial skin lesions or contraindications for procedures Cranial or facial trauma within past 3 months Prior episodes of facial paralysis Craniofacial deformities or degenerative diseases Head and neck malignancy Active infection History of upper motor neuron lesion

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Kabat Rehabilitation + Conventional Therapy
Participants will receive conventional therapy (massage and EMS) combined with Kabat rehabilitation (PNF techniques) for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week.
Other: Kabat Rehabilitation
Kabat rehabilitation will be administered using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques. Manual resistance will be applied to stimulate contraction of affected facial muscles through three fulcrum points (upper, intermediate, and lower). Each muscle group (frontalis, corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi, procerus, orbicularis oris, and mentalis) will perform 10 repetitions for 2 sets. The Kabat component will last approximately 20 minutes per session. Treatment will be provided 5 sessions per week for 8 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
Experimental: Kinesiology Taping + Conventional Therapy
Participants will receive conventional therapy combined with kinesiology taping for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week.
Other: Conventional Facial Therapy
Conventional therapy will consist of facial massage and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). Massage techniques will include light stroking, tapping, and kneading of affected facial muscles for approximately 5 minutes. Electrical muscle stimulation will be delivered using interrupted galvanic current with a pulse width of 150 μs, frequency of 1-10 Hz, and intensity of 2-5 mA for 15 minutes. Small surface electrodes will be placed on key facial muscles including frontalis, zygomaticus major, orbicularis oris, and mentalis. Total duration of conventional therapy will be approximately 20 minutes per session.
Other Names:
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation
  • Facial Massage

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Facial Asymmetry (Sunnybrook Facial Grading System)
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks
Scores range from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate better facial symmetry.
Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional Disability (Facial Disability Index - FDI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks
Assesses physical and social well-being related to facial function. Higher scores indicate better function.
Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Lahore

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Atif, M. M., Hussain, K., Naeem, I., Asghar, Z., Batool, F., Butt, S., & Khalil, A. (2024). Prevalence of Recurrent Bell's Palsy: Prevalence of Recurrent Bell's Palsy. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences, 50-54.
  • Athawale, V. K., Bawiskar, D. P., & Phansopkar, P. A. (2021). Rehabilitation of a Patient with Bell's Palsy. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, 10(20), 1551-1555.
  • Amjad, A., Iqbal, M. H., Jamil, A., Kamran, S., Maqbool, S., & Akbar, M. (2024). Comparative Effects of Kabat Rehabilitation and Kinesiotaping on Functional Disability, Synkinesis and Patient Satisfaction in Patients with Bell's Palsy. Journal Riphah College of Rehabilitation Sciences, 12(1).
  • Alqahtani, S. Y., Almalki, Z. A., Alnafie, J. A., Alnemari, F. S., AlGhamdi, T. M., AlGhamdi, D. A., Albogami, L. O., & Ibrahim, M. (2024). Recurrent Bell's palsy: A comprehensive analysis of associated factors and outcomes. Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, 01455613241301230.
  • Alanazi, F., Kashoo, F. Z., Alduhishy, A., Aldaihan, M., Ahmad, F., & Alanazi, A. (2022). Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell's palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. PeerJ, 10, e14076.
  • Al Najim, M. M., & Marah, L. D. H. A. (2025). Identifying Key Risk Factors for Bell's Palsy and Insights from a Retrospective Analysis. Central Asian Journal of Medical and Natural Science, 6(2), 586-593.
  • Al-Hasan, H. K. J., Al-Salim, A. A., & Haji, S. A. (2023). Prevalence of facial nerve palsy in the neuro-medicine private clinic. Romanian JouRnal of neuRology, 22(2), 137.
  • Ahmed, S., Shahid, A., & Waheed, A. (2023). Effectiveness of Kabat Exercises along with Mirror Therapy in Bell's Palsy. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research, 3(2), 1288-1293.
  • Adhikari, S. P., Chaudhary, M., & Dev, R. (2020). Kabat interventions integrated with facial expressive and functional exercises for better and speedy recovery in bell's palsy; a pre-post design. Journal of Chitwan Medical College, 10(4), 71-76.
  • Abioke, U. B., Anosike, W., Olaniyi, A. O., Okwuowulu, I. L., Mandal, M., Eze, C. Y., Abioke, U., Anosike, W. O., Okwuowulu, I., & Eze, C. Y. (2025). Physiotherapy Management of Bell's Palsy in an Elderly Patient: A Case Report. Cureus, 17(7).

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 11, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 13, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 12, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 21, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 21, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • UOL/IREB/25/15/03/35

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because this study was conducted as an academic research project. The informed consent obtained from participants did not include provisions for public data sharing, and the dataset contains sensitive personal health information. Data will be stored securely and

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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