Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Kinesio taping for stroke patients with
hemiplegic shoulder pain. DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical
trial. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain within
6 months of stroke onset in the rehabilitation ward of a medical university hospital in Taiwan. METHODS: A 3-week intervention involving a conventional
rehabilitation protocol and therapeutic Kinesio taping was conducted with an
experimental group of 11 stroke patients. A control group of 10 stroke patients
underwent an identical conventional rehabilitation programme and sham Kinesio
taping on the hemiplegic shoulder. Numerical rating scale scores, Shoulder Pain
and Disability Index, ultrasound findings and pain-free passive range of motion
of the affected shoulder, were evaluated before and after the intervention.
Mann-Whitney test was used to compare within-group continuous variables before
and after the intervention. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyse the
differences and changes in values between study and control groups. RESULTS:
There was no statistical difference in demographic variables between the 2
groups. Both groups showed improvement in passive range of motion of the
shoulder, (mean numerical rating scale 2.36 (standard deviation (SD) 1.03)), and
mean Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (16.64 (SD 2.62)) after the intervention
(p < 0.001); however, no significant between-group differences were observed in
the numerical rating scale score, pain-free passive ROM, and ultrasound findings
for the shoulder after 3 weeks of treatment. Concerning the variables changes,
the therapeutic Kinesio taping group showed more improvement in the numerical
rating scale (p = 0.008), shoulder flexion (p = 0.008), external rotation (p =
0.006), internal rotation (p = 0.040), and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (p
< 0.001) than the sham Kinesio taping group. CONCLUSION: Stroke patients with
hemiplegic shoulder pain can experience greater reductions in Shoulder Pain and
Disability Index, pain, and improvement in shoulder flexion, external, and
internal rotation after 3 weeks of Kinesio taping intervention compared with sham
Kinesio taping. Kinesio taping may be an alternative treatment option for stroke
patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain.

Langue : ANGLAIS