Evaluation of the Effect of Kinesio Taping on the Plantar Arch Index of Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Background and Objective: Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive disorder of posture and motor status caused by various factors and can cause childhood disabilities and abnormalities like flat foot deformity. Kinesio Taping is a typical technique that helps relieve pain, relax muscles, and increase proprioception. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Kinesio Taping on the plantar arch index in children with diplegic cerebral palsy. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was performed on 20 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy aged 2 to 6 years in Zanjan-Iran rehabilitation centers. The children were examined in separate intervention and control groups. In the control group, common flat foot exercises were performed. In contrast, in the intervention group, the Kinesio Taping method was used in addition to the mentioned exercises, and finally, the data were analyzed. Paired samples T-Test and Independent T-Test were used to determine the effect of Kinesio Taping in reducing flat feet. Results: After statistical analysis, it was found that, although both groups showed significant results in their plantar arch indexes, the intervention group's results seemed more effective (p<0.05). Conclusion: Kinesio taping can be a safe, inexpensive, and accessible method to manage flat feet complications in children with diplegic cerebral palsy.