Kinesio tape may boost walking after stroke – small trial underway
NCT ID NCT07192484
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether kinesio tape, applied to the ankle and foot, can improve walking, balance, and muscle function in people who had a stroke and have foot drop. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to receive either standard physical therapy or standard therapy plus kinesio taping. The tape stays on for two days, and researchers measure walking speed, balance, and muscle activity before, right after, and two days later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- kinesio tape
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, low-cost way to improve walking and balance for stroke survivors with foot drop.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with no blinding, so results may be biased. The tape is only worn for two days, so any benefits may be short-lived.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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20 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 20 and 80 years; * First unilateral stroke; * Stroke onset between at least 1 week and 1 year; * Ability to continuously walk 10 meters with or without assistive devices; * Presence of foot drop on the affected side during the swing phase due to insufficient ankle dorsiflexion; * Brunnstrom stage of the affected lower limb ≥ 3; * Presence of mild spasticity in the affected ankle plantar flexors, with a Modified Ashworth Scale score ≤ 2; * Ability to follow simple commands Exclusion Criteria: * Other neurological disorders or unstable medical conditions; * Skin allergies that interfere with the use of tape; * Visual field defects; * Cognitive impairment, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \< 24; * Pusher syndrome; * Ankle contracture; * Hemispatial neglect; * Poorly controlled hypertension or cardiovascular disease; * Any other disease, apart from stroke, that may affect balance or gait.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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