Kinesiotaping Versus Functional Electrical Stimulation on Equinus Deformity

Kinesio Taping (KT) is commonly used in sport injuries, in neurology and oncology patients following the surgical protocols, and for paediatric rehabilitation to reduce pain, facilitate or inhibit muscle activity, prevent injuries, reposition joints, aid the lymphatic system, support postural alignment, and improve proprioception.7-9 Although its mechanism of action has not been fully understood, it is believed that activation of the cutaneous receptors could influence neuromuscular functions.10 The cutaneous sensory system provides preliminary information about limb positions and muscle forces to the central nervous system for monitoring and controlling limb movements, planning actions, and providing fluent movement.11 Common causes of unilateral spastic CP are middle cerebral artery infarct, hemi-brain atrophy, periventricular lesions, and brain malformations that disturb the integrity of the motor areas. Middle cerebral artery infarctions can particularly impair the somatosensory sy

This systematic review is the first to examine the effect of FES on activity in children with CP using only randomized trials.However, evidence was limited with only 5 trials being included. This limited evidence suggests that FES is effective, that is, it is better than no FES intervention, but that it is no more effective than activity training, that is, practicing the activity without FES will be just as effective. Furthermore, no evidence was found on whether any benefits are maintained beyond the intervention period because even though a follow-up measurement was reported for 2 studies, the authors failed to provide data. Even though the review was restricted to the highest standard of evidence, randomized trials, firm conclusions cannot be made. This is primarily because of the absence of group data (means and SD) in the papers, preventing a meta-analysis. This poor reporting is disappointing given that 3 of the 5 trials were published within the last 5 years. Therefore, we may b