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The effects of connective tissue manipulation and Kinesio Taping on chronic constipation in children with cerebral
Ceren Orhan1, Ozgun Kaya Kara1, Serap Kaya1
1a Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation , Hacettepe University , Ankara , Turkey.
Insights
Connective tissue manipulation (CTM) and Kinesio Taping (KT) effectively treat constipation in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Both CTM and KT improve bowel function and quality of life, offering valuable additions to rehabilitation programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Gastroenterology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Constipation is a common issue in children with cerebral palsy (CP), significantly impacting their quality of life.
- Current management strategies for pediatric constipation may have limitations, necessitating exploration of alternative therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of connective tissue manipulation (CTM) and Kinesio Taping (KT) in managing constipation among children with CP.
- To assess the impact of CTM and KT on the quality of life for pediatric patients with CP experiencing constipation.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 40 children with chronic constipation (Rome III criteria).
- Participants were assigned to CTM, KT, or a control group.
- Outcome measures included bowel diaries, Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDsQL).
Main Results:
- Both CTM and KT groups showed statistically significant improvements in defecation frequency, duration, BSFS, VAS, and PEDsQL scores compared to the control group.
- Effect sizes (ES) indicated substantial improvements in the CTM and KT groups across all measured parameters.
- No significant difference was found in the effectiveness between CTM and KT.
Conclusions:
- Connective tissue manipulation (CTM) and Kinesio Taping (KT) are equally effective physiotherapy interventions for pediatric constipation in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- These methods can be successfully integrated into bowel rehabilitation programs.
- CTM and KT offer valuable, interchangeable treatment options for clinicians managing constipation-related symptoms and improving quality of life in this population.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of connective tissue manipulation (CTM) and Kinesio Taping® (KT) on constipation and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Method:
This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Forty children diagnosed with chronic constipation based on Rome III criteria were randomly assigned to CTM group [6 females, 7 males; 8 y 6 mo (SD = 3y 4 mo)], KT group [7 female, 7 male; 8y 7 mo (SD =3y 5 mo)] or control group [6 female, 7 male; 8y 3 mo (SD = 3y 6 mo)]. All patients were assessed with 7-day bowel diaries, Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDsQL). Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon's signed-rank, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to determine intra-group and inter-group differences. The level of significance was p < 0.05.
Results:
Among the CTM, KT, and control groups, there were statistically significant differences regarding the changes in defecation frequency (2.46, 3.00, 0.30, ES 1.16, p < 0.001), duration of defecation (5.07, 5.35, 0.15, ES 2.37, p = 0.003), BSFS (1.84, 2.14, 0.07, ES 0.91, p < 0.001), VAS (4.83, 3.87, 0.23, ES 1.98, p < 0.001), and PEDsQL total scores (7, 14, 8.36, -0.85, ES 4.08, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
This study revealed that CTM and KT seem equally effective physiotherapy approaches for the treatment of pediatric constipation and these approaches may be added to bowel rehabilitation program. Implications for rehabilitation CTM and KT have similar effectiveness in alleviating the constipation-related symptoms and improving quality of life in children with CP. CTM and KT can be integrated into bowel rehabilitation programs. Considering the characteristics of patients, these treatment options can be used as an alternative of each other by physiotherapists.
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