The Efficacy of an Acupuncture Protocol and Use of Taping in the Treatment of Spastic Upper Limb After Stroke

Fernanda Cechetti

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Stroke; Cerebrovascular Stroke

Treatments: Other: Acupuncture and Functional Taping; Procedure: Acupuncture; Other: Functional Taping

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02690493

935.288

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether acupuncture and taping are effective in the treatment of spastic upper limb after stroke.

Full description

Acupuncture and taping have emerged as treatment alternatives for many diseases with positive and satisfactory results.

Thus, acupuncture seeks to balance all physiological systems, using specific points on the body where needles are inserted.

In turn, the use of taping is associated to various benefits such as improved blood and lymphatic function. In addition, it assists in the correction of muscle function and in the decrease of pain for neurological suppression. The constant afferent mechanical and somatosensory stimuli are perceived in cortical level and may produce motor unit recruitment and contribute to neuroplasticity of the nervous system.

Thus, this research aims to analyze the effects of Acupuncture associated with Functional Taping on patients' upper limb with chronic hemiparesis after Stroke through a prospective, randomized intervention. Seventy-five patients will be evaluated before and after intervention with Acupuncture and / or Function Taping, divided into three groups (Acupuncture, Functional Taping and Acupuncture plus Functional Taping). The evaluation will consist of Isokinetic, Mini-Mental State Examination, Modified Ashworth Scale, Motor Activity Log, Wolf Motor Function Test and Visual Analog Scale of Pain. The results will be analyzed and presented descriptively, as of statistical comparisons of pre- and post-treatment and the relationship between the groups.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with stroke diagnosis for at least six (06) months, who present hemiparesis in upper limb;
• To accept participate in the study by signing theTerms of Consent;
• Do not have any cognitive impairment.

Exclusion criteria

• Do not follow the inclusion criteria;
• To present shoulder subluxation or dislocation, shoulder pain syndrome or amputations (with or without the use of aids);
• To present any allergic reaction due to use of bandage and/or do not adapt to treatment with needles.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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12 participants in 3 patient groups

Acupuncture Only

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will be treated with acupuncture only.

Treatment:

Procedure: Acupuncture

Functional Taping Only

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will be treated with taping only.

Treatment:

Other: Functional Taping

Acupuncture and Functional Taping

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will be treated with both acupuncture and taping at the same session.

Treatment:

Other: Acupuncture and Functional Taping