Effects of Kinesio Taping on Balance and Gait in Patients withStroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies inKorea

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Kinesio taping (KT) for balance and gait in patients with stroke through meta-analysis of studies conducted in Korea. @*Methods@#RISS, Science on, and DBPia were the three databases used to collect articles on KT. Keywords such as “Stroke,” “Kinesio taping,” “Elasticity taping,” and “Taping” were used to search for published articles. We systematically searched from the inception of each database to November 2020. Interventions and comparisons were KT and without KT. Outcome measures were the timed up and go (TUG) and 10-meter walking tests (10MWT). Consequently, six studies were selected for the second screening using meta-analyses. @*Results@#Based on the results of the meta-analysis, comparison between patients with and without KT showed that KT was effective for TUG (ES 2.51, 95% CI 2.12 to 2.90); however, it was not effective for 10MWT (ES 0.79, 95% CI -0.04 to 1.62). @*Conclusion@#The current evidence suggests that KT is more effective than without KT interventions for balance function in post-strokepatients. However, more well-conducted randomized controlled trials are required in the future.