Effect of Kinesio Taping Along With Functional Activation Pattern on Gait Parameters and Dynamic Balance in Stroke Patients

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease caused by ischemia or hemorrhage of the brain tissues. Chronic stroke patients usually present compensatory movement of the hip, knee and ankle instead of having normal movement. Stroke survivors face difficulty in clearing off the ground. This abnormality results from weakness of ankle dorsiflexors or excessive activity of plantar flexors. Ineffective ankle dorsiflexion may result in an abnormal gait pattern. The focus of stroke rehabilitation is largely on the recovery of impaired movements and functions as it often leads to balance impairment, impaired postural control, mobility and gait abnormalities. Various approaches have been used to improve these long-term disabilities. Two out of those are taping and functional activation. Taping is used to improve motor control, postural stability and joint alignment adjustment. This happens through facilitation of ankle dorsiflexors, whereas functional activation improves gait and balance.In chronic movement disability, deficits of foot and ankle proprioception are most highly associated with falls. The disturbance in motor function can cause muscle weakness, spasticity, and a decrease in the ability to maintain balance, as well as abnormal gait patterns. There are different imaging modalities (magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography) used for the confirm diagnosis of stroke.

In a recent study, application of Kinesio tape has been reported to improve balance ability and gait performance. It restricts the excessive movements on the joints. It also acts as a facilitator helping the weak muscle to perform movement. In our study, we will apply Kinesio tape to the Tibialis Anterior Muscle (Prime dorsiflexor) and to the gastrocnemius. KT is a thin, air permeable, water resistant and elastic adhesive tape which can be stretched to up to 120-140% of its resting length. The protective effect provided by KT is purportedly related to its ability to improve proprioception by stimulating mechanoreceptors located in muscle, tendon, joint capsule or skin.Therefore, strengthening of muscle and improvement of range of motion of the ankle are also required to improve balance and gait ability.

Activation of the tibialis anterior muscle in particular enables enough dorsiflexion to prevent the toes from dragging on the ground during the swinging phase. According to recent studies, the application of Kinesio tape can reduce the hyperactivity of the gastrocnemius and increase the activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) in the correction of foot drop (such as neutralizing the foot), and aid in the correction of equinus deformity, with a more positive effect on joint angle and walking ability in stroke patients with foot drop. Applying a Kinesio tape to the lower extremity during post-stroke rehabilitation is reported to relieve lower-extremity spasticity, improving lower-extremity motor function, improving balance, and enhance ambulation and gait parameters in patients.

This will be a randomized controlled trial and will recruit patients through convenience sampling. Diagnosed patients of Stroke will be confirmed for inclusion through Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The patients will be divided into 2 groups. Group 1 will receive conventional treatment and Group 2 will receive taping and functional activation along with Conventional Treatment. This treatment will be given for 30-40 mins for 3 days a week for 4 continuous weeks. The outcome measures will be 6 Min walk test (test- retest reliability for those require an assistive device to walk (ICC = 0.914, TUG (timed up and go) for mobility, Berg Balance Scale (for balance and fall risks), OGA (Observational Gait Analysis) for gait parameters (cadence, gait velocity, step length) before and after the interventions. The data will be analyzed using SPPS software version 25.