Gul Oznur Karabicak and Burcu Talu
Baskent University, Turkey
Inonu University, Turkey
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
This study aimed to compare the effects of kinesiotaping and neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES)on pain, and motor activity and function in patients with upper extremity hemiplegia. A total of 67 outpatients who acquired ischemic stroke with the upper extremity involvement were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to an NMES group, a kinesiotape implementation group, and a control group in addition to physiotherapy. Treatment duration was 4 weeks. Motor Activity Log28, Fugl�Meyer Sensorimotor Assessment Scale (FM), and visual analog scale (VAS) were used for the assessment. A significant improvement in FM (taping group, p � 0.001; NMES, p � 0.001; control group, p � 0.001) and motor activity scores was found in all groups, although this effect was superior in function for the taping group (p = 0.027). A significant decrease was found in the pain intensity both at rest (taping group: P � 0.007; NMES: P � 0.014), and with activity for the taping and NMES groups (taping: p� 0.010; NMES: p� 0.016), whereas no significant decrease was found in the control group either at rest or with activity (p = 0.054 for both). No reverse effect was reported. Data suggested that all treatment options were effective on motor activity and pain but kinesiotaping seemed to have a superior effect on function.
Gul Oznur Karabicak has completed his PhD at the age of 29 years from Hacettepe University and still works as a assistant proffessor in Baskent University Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department. She mainly studies on rehabilitation, exercise, orthapaedics.
