The effect of the Kinesio taping at the leg on compensatory movement during walking in individuals with stroke

Abstract

In walking of individuals with stroke, they usually present compensatory movement of the hip, knee, and ankle, instead of having normal movement. These problems may reduce the ability of daily living activities and increase the risk of fall. Therefore, present study aimed to investigate the effect of the Kinesio taping at the leg on compensatory movement during walking in individuals with stroke. Fourteen individuals with stroke participated in the study, classified into 11 males and 3 females. Their mean age was 57.42 ± 12.25 years and mean onset was 9.00 ± 5.57 months. Participants were assessed gait performance by using 3D motion analysis system at pre- and post-taping. Techniques of taping included 1) functional correction technique for the ankle dorsiflexion and pronation 2) inhibition technique at the ankle plantarflexors muscle. Averaged data from 3 gait trials were used in the analysis. The results showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) of gait speed, affected step length, single support time, and the ankle dorsiflexion after applying kinesio taping. In conclusion, the Kinesio taping may improve some gait performance but may not enough to reduce gait compensation significantly. Hence, a larger number of participants and long-term study is needed to investigate the effect of KT.