Effects of Taping on Lower Limb Function in Stroke Patients: A Literature Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally and is caused due to
defective blood supply to an area of the brain, resulting from a hemorrhage or an infarction, leading to severe brain
damage. Depending upon the area involved, the patient may exhibit loss of sensory or motor function, affecting
balance and gait; impaired cognition; visual and verbal deficits; and social problems. A stroke can occur at any
age, but the majority of the affected patients are above 60 years of age, which further contributes to impaired
balance and difficulty in performing activities of daily living. Rehabilitative measures include exercises along with
adjuncts, such as taping, to promote function in the affected extremity. Thereby, this literature review assesses the
effect of taping on lower-limb function in stroke patients.
METHODS: A thorough search was carried out through online databases such as PEDro, PUBMED, and Google
Scholar for the purpose of this literature review. Relevant articles were studied thoroughly, and the observations
have been presented in this paper.
CONCLUSION: Taping is an effective rehabilitative approach for improving lower extremity function in patients
with stroke. Further studies can increase the magnitude of this intervention.