Spiral Strapping for Improving Upper Limb Functions

Upper limb recovery after stroke is unacceptably poor with almost half of stroke survivors likely to regain some functional use. The rehabilitation process for upper extremity for individuals with stroke is of long duration and clinicians face the challenge of identifying a variety of assistive appliances that may be adapted and graded to facilitate this process. One of these appliances that is widely used in rehabilitation is splint and strapping. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of this modality in rehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke survivors.

Inclusion Criteria:The inclusion criteria were as follow:Participants were diagnosed as chronic stroke patients.Participants were selected to be in the spastic phase.The degree of spasticity in the affected upper limbs, was ranged between grades (1, 1+&2) according to Modified Ashworth Scale.Participants were all between 50 and 60 years old, of both sexes.Participants were cognitively able to understand and follow instructions.Participants had the ability to extend their wrist joints at least 20° and fingers 10° from full flexion. This range allowed participants to engage easily in performing a designed functional program.Exclusion Criteria:The exclusion criteria were as follow:Participants who were with any orthopedic condition or fixed deformity that interfere with the upper limb functions.Participants who were with spasticity of more than score 2 according to the Modified Ashworth Scale.Participants who had cognitive or perceptual problems.Participants with seizures, visual impairments, or auditory problems.Participants who had shoulder pain on a visual analogue scale of > 6/10.Participants who had Botulinum Toxin in the upper extremity musculature six months before baseline assessment.