Immediate Effects of Ankle Eversion Taping on Balance and Gait in Recovering Stroke Patients: A Pre- Post Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Poststroke decrement in balance and gait ability disturbs daily routine of patients and increases the risk of falling. Several factors contribute to it, foot drop being one primary cause. Therefore, treating foot drop seems to be a representative approach to retain balance and gait, and the most common available options of treatment are first functional electrical stimulation (FES) and second ankle foot orthosis (AFO). However, FES and AFO are costly, inconvenient, and unattractive. Hence, to avoid these reasons, taping as an ailing method is used, because it is easily applicable and inexpensive. Aims: The aim of this study is to study and compare the effect of ankle eversion taping (AET) on balance and gait ability before and after its application. Settings and Designs: This study was conducted in the outpatient department of physiotherapy (O. P. D. 16) S. S. G. hospital, Vadodara, A pre-post experimental study. Subjects and Methods: Stroke diagnosed 50 patients participated in this study. AET consists of two stages: first of which is the application of tape for posterior talar glide and second stage is eversion taping which places ankle in more everted (neutral) position. Pre- and post-intervention assessment after an hour of an intervention scores of Berg Balance Scale and dynamic gait index were assessed and analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Paired t-test was to find out the efficiency of AET on balancing and gait ability in recovering patients of stroke. Results and Conclusions: Obtained P value for both the two outcomes was P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval, suggesting high significant effect. AET is effective in improving balance and gait and its parameters in recovering stroke patients.