Efficacy of plantar tactile sensation and balance in patients with subacute stroke following plantar kinesio taping: a randomized, cross-over preliminary study.

Background: Kinesio tape (KT) is known to enhance tactile sensation. In stroke rehabilitation, KT is often used alongside conventional therapy (CT) to improve balance recovery.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of plantar KT in enhancing plantar tactile sensation (PTS) and balance ability in subacute stroke patients.

Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 22 subacute stroke participants were randomly assigned to receive no taping, paretic plantar KT, or bilateral plantar KT, with a 24-h washout period between each condition. All participants underwent 30 min of CT. The primary outcome was PTS, involving tactile sensitivity in five areas on the plantar surface and the contact area with the ground of the paretic foot. The one-leg stand (OLS) time, functional reach test (FRT), and timed up-and-go test (TUG) were employed as secondary outcomes.

Results: Paretic plantar KT application led to significant increases in the contact area, OLS, FRT, and TUG test times. Particularly, bilateral plantar KT showed significantly greater improvement in PTS compared to paretic plantar KT. Additionally, bilateral plantar KT significantly improved OLS (p < 0.001, η² = 0.575), FRT (p < 0.001, η² = 781), and TUG (p < 0.001, η² = 0.771) times compared with paretic plantar KT.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that plantar KT improved PTS and balance ability in stroke rehabilitation. The findings suggest that bilateral plantar KT as an adjunct to CT may have a beneficial effect on balance recovery in patients with subacute stroke.

Trial registration: Clinical trial KCT0009048.