Abstract
Background and Objectives: Spasticity is one of the factors that make it more difficult to control posture in stroke patients. Taping has been used to manage muscle stiffness in various musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, it has been used to decrease spasticity in stroke patients, but the effect of taping combined with therapeutic exercise is still unclear. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the sit-to-stand (STS) training combined with taping improves the ankle spasticity, muscle strength, gait speed, and quality of life in stroke patients. Material and Methods: The study recruited 40 stroke patients, who were randomly divided into two groups: the taping and STS training (TSTS) group (n = 20) and the STS group (n = 20). The subjects in the TSTS group underwent STS training with Kinesio taping on the tibialis anterior, calf and ankle joint, whereas the subjects in the STS group underwent only STS training. All participants underwent 30 sessions of STS training (30 minutes, 5 days per week for 6 weeks). The present study evaluated the spasticity of ankle plantar flexors by the mean of the composite spasticity score; the muscle strength and gait speed were evaluated using the handheld dynamometer and the 10-meter walk test, respectively, and the quality of life was assessed using the stroke-specific quality of life scale. Result: The TSTS group and the STS group showed significant improvements in spasticity, muscle strength, walking speed, and quality of life after the intervention (p < 0.05). The level of improvement in the TSTS group was significantly higher in spasticity, muscle strength, and walking speed compared to the STS group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that STS training is effective for decreasing spasticity in stroke patients and suggested that additional taping intervention further improved this effect. In addition, improvement of muscle strength and gait function was observed with a significant decrease of ankle spasticity.
Highlights
The sit-to-stand (STS) movement is an essential element in independent, day-to-day life [1], during which, the center of gravity increases and the base surface narrows [2].Stroke patients are more susceptible to falls and take more time to sit and stand, compared to healthy adults, owing to the impaired posture control [3,4]
There were no significant differences between two groups in the spasticity, muscle strength, walking speed, and quality of life at baseline, including general characteristics
The present study investigated the effects of STS training combined with taping on ankle spasticity, muscle strength of the lower extremity, gait speed, and quality of life in stroke patients
Summary
The sit-to-stand (STS) movement is an essential element in independent, day-to-day life [1], during which, the center of gravity increases and the base surface narrows [2].Stroke patients are more susceptible to falls and take more time to sit and stand, compared to healthy adults, owing to the impaired posture control [3,4]. Previous studies that employed STS training for the rehabilitation of stroke patients reported significant improvements with regard to the weight distribution [6] and postural sway [7]. Tung et al reported significant improvements in the posture control and lower limb muscle strength in stroke patients who conducted the STS training [8]. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the sit-to-stand (STS) training combined with taping improves the ankle spasticity, muscle strength, gait speed, and quality of life in stroke patients. Result: The TSTS group and the STS group showed significant improvements in spasticity, muscle strength, walking speed, and quality of life after the intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that STS training is effective for decreasing spasticity in stroke patients and suggested that additional taping intervention further improved this effect. Improvement of muscle strength and gait function was observed with a significant decrease of ankle spasticity
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