Fibular neuropathy frequently manifests as foot drop, muscle weakness, altered gait, and sensory loss, all of which severely reduce mobility and quality of life. There is still uncertainty regarding the efficacy of kinesio taping (KT), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), and functional strength training (FST) in combination. Although PNF improves neuromuscular coordination, KT provides proprioceptive input, and FST increases strength and mobility, there are no set treatment guidelines and little research has compared these modalities. In order to contribute to evidence-based rehabilitation techniques for people with fibular neuropathy, this study attempts to assess whether adding PNF to FST and KT improves functional outcomes compared to FST and KT alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
48
Participants will undergo 8 weeks of supervised treatment, 3 sessions per week (24 sessions). Each session includes a warm-up with stretches, range-of-motion exercises, and Functional Strength Training (mini hops, stair climbing, ramp walking, sit-to-stand). Kinesio Taping will be applied from the foot's dorsum along the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus with 25-50% stretch for ankle support and dorsiflexor facilitation, re-applied every 3-4 days. In addition, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) lower-limb D1 flexion/extension patterns with manual resistance will be performed in 3 sets of 5 repetitions, lasting 35-40 minutes per session.
Participants will undergo 8 weeks of supervised treatment, 3 sessions per week (24 sessions). Each session includes a warm-up with stretches, range-of-motion exercises, and Functional Strength Training (mini hops, stair climbing, ramp walking, sit-to-stand). Kinesio Taping will be applied from the foot's dorsum along the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus with 25-50% stretch for ankle support and dorsiflexor facilitation, re-applied every 3-4 days. No PNF techniques will be applied.
UIPT, UOL, Lahore
Lahore, Pakistan
Change in dorsiflexor muscle strength measured by Manual Muscle Grading (MMG)
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0), Mid-point (Week 4), and Post-intervention (Week 8)
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