Kinesiotaping of the shoulder complex in the prevention subluxation in patients after stroke

Abstract

Introduction: A stroke is one of the causes of disability in the world. The occurrence of a stroke leads to many complications in a patient’s physical and mental sphere. In patients after a stroke, whose muscle tone is reduced, a lower subluxation in the glenohumeral joint may be observed. The glenohumeral joint cannot be considered as an independent joint, but as the whole intricate shoulder complex. Materials and Methods: The study included the results of 40 patients after an ischemic stroke with a reduced muscle tone and muscle strength of an upper limb. In the examined group, an original application of Kinesiology Taping of the shoulder girdle was used. The examination evaluated the articular space of the glenohumeral joint, the relative length of the shoulder and the distance of the lower shoulder blade from the line of spinous processes. Results: In the whole examined group, lower subluxation was noted in 32,5% of patients. The study demonstrated that Kinesiology Taping affects the shoulder’s linear measurements and shoulder blade arrangement in people with reduced muscle tone after a stroke. The distance between the shoulder blade’s angle and the spine decreases, while the relative value of the shoulder’s length is reduced in people, on whom the application was used. Conclusions: The original Kinesiology Taping application turned out to be an effective preventive measure of a lower subluxation in the glenohumeral joint.