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

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.