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Updated: Jun 23, 2025
Author Spotlight: Enhancing Upper Limb Rehabilitation in Stroke Patients Through Advanced Robotic and Neuromodulation Technologies
Published on: October 11, 2024
Effects of Kinesiotaping on upper limb function and daily activities in subacute or chronic stroke survivors: A
Chia-Hsin Chou1, Yan-Yuh Lee2, Po-Cheng Chen1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background:
Impaired upper limb function in stroke survivors is characterized by muscle weakness, increased muscle tone, contracture, or impaired motor control.
Objective:
We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Kinesio-taping application for functional recovery on the affected arm and forearm during rehabilitation.
Methods:
Forty-one patients eligible for this study were randomly assigned to either the Kinesio-taping group (n = 21), receiving Kinesio-taping intervention and conventional therapy, or control group (n = 20), receiving sham Kinesio-taping intervention and conventional therapy. The whole intervention lasted for 3 weeks. Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity, Barthel Index, the Stroke Impact Scale, and modified Ashworth scale were measured at 3 time points: baseline, post-treatment (3rd week), and follow-up (6th week).
Results:
In the Kinesio-taping group, there were significant differences in the upper extremity (p = 0.003), wrist (p = 0.000) and hand (p = 0.000) parts of the Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity between the three assessment times. On the other hand, the Barthel Index showed significant differences in both groups after therapy.
Conclusion:
Combining conventional rehabilitation with Kinesio-taping intervention may improve functional motor performance of both the proximal and distal parts of the affected upper extremity in stroke survivors, with potential benefits for activity of daily living.
