Effects of Kinesiology Taping in Stroke Patients

The Immediate Effects of Kinesiology Taping on the Trunk-Scapula-Shoulder Complex in Stroke Patients: A Placebo-Controlled Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if kinesiology taping works to treat stroke patients. The main question it aims to answer is:

Is kinesiology taping effective in stroke patients? Researchers compare kinesiology taping to a placebo (visually similar but has no effects) to see if kinesiology taping works immediately to treat stroke patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stroke; Upper Extremity Dysfunction
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Kinesiology Taping; Other: Placebo Kinesio Taping

Detailed Description

This study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of kinesiology taping (KT) on trunk control, posture, proprioception, and upper limb function in stroke patients, specifically focusing on the trunk-scapula-shoulder complex. A total of thirty-seven stroke patients participated in this placebo-controlled trial, where they were randomly assigned to either the KT group (n=19) or a placebo-controlled sham KT group (n=18). The KT group received kinesiology taping applied using facilitation and inhibition techniques, while the control group received sham taping without therapeutic tension.

The application of kinesiology taping to the trunk-scapula-shoulder complex in stroke patients resulted in immediate enhancements in trunk control, shoulder posture, and proprioception. However, it did not significantly improve upper limb function in the short term.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 37
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Istanbul, Turkey
    • Beykent University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Experienced a first-ever stroke
• Demonstrated a motor recovery level of Brunnstrom stages 3 or 4 in the affected upper limb
• No history of botulinum toxin-A therapy within the past three months
• Possess sufficient cognitive ability to understand and follow assessment instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with movement or functional limitations due to prior shoulder injuries
• Exhibited allergic reactions or skin sensitivities to taping
• Patients with any existing skin conditions

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Kinesiology Taping Group; Each taping method was carefully designed to address the unique muscle imbalances and functional deficits commonly seen in stroke patients.	Other: Kinesiology Taping; The treatment group received Kinesiology Taping around the trunk extensors, lower and middle trapezius, supraspinatus, deltoid muscle group, and serratus anterior muscle.
Sham Comparator: Placebo-Controlled Sham Group; Utilizing three 'I'-shaped strips placed superficially on the skin to ensure no therapeutic effects were achieved.	Other: Placebo Kinesio Taping; In the control group, kinesiology tape was applied without tension and in a manner that did not target specific muscle groups or respect the anatomical origin and insertion points.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Trunk Impairment Scale	The Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) is a validated assessment tool designed to evaluate trunk function in stroke patients, measuring static sitting balance, dynamic sitting balance, and trunk coordination through a total of 17 items. Each item is scored based on the patient's performance, with the highest score recorded from three repetitions. The TIS provides a total score ranging from 0 to 23 points, where a higher score indicates better trunk function.	Change of trunk impairment from baseline at the end of 24 hours of each kinesiology taping intervention.
Posture Evaluation	Posture was assessed using the Posture Screen Mobile (PSM) application, a reliable and valid software tool for posture analysis available on iOS and Android devices. In this study, a physiotherapist utilized an iPad camera to capture sagittal plane photographs of each participant, which were then digitized by marking specific anatomical landmarks. The PSM application calculated anterior and lateral translations, as well as angular displacements, overlaying a grid on the images to assist in accurate landmark placement.	Change of posture scores from baseline at the end of 24 hours of each kinesiology taping intervention.
Proprioception Evaluation	Trunk and shoulder proprioception were evaluated using the inclinometer, with participants positioned at 30° forward flexion of the trunk for testing. They were instructed to hold this position for 5 seconds and then return to a neutral position for another 5 seconds before attempting to reproduce the initial benchmark position, with up to five attempts allowed. Shoulder proprioception was assessed at 75° and 90° flexion.	Change of proprioception scores from baseline at the end of 24 hours of each kinesiology taping intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Motor Assessment Scale	The Motor Assessment Scale (MAS) was employed to evaluate upper-limb function in stroke patients, focusing specifically on three items: item 6 (upper-limb function), item 7 (hand movements), and item 8 (advanced hand activities). Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating better functional ability, resulting in a total score range of 0 to 18 for these three items.	Change of upper-limb function scores from baseline at the end of 24 hours of each kinesiology taping intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Beykent
• Investigators: Study Director: Burcu Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu, Assoc.Prof., Marmara University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 10, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 10, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): February 10, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): December 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 8, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stroke; trunk control; kinesiology taping
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Stroke
• Other Study ID Numbers: 108400987-244

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No