ZASTOSOWANIE KINESIO TAPINGU U PACJENTÓW Z ZAOSTRZENIAMI ASTMY OSKRZELOWEJ.

Background. Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways with periods of shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. An infection in pulmonary tracts, caused by athopy and allergic reaction to pollen allergens, leads to bronchial spasm and bronchial mucosa swelling, excessive secretion, and remodelling of bronchial wall. The topic of this research is the influence of Kinesio Taping application on particular lung volume and dynamic capacity parameters, as well as quality of life of patients with acute stage of asthma. Material and methods. 10 patients (6 women, 4 men) with acute stages of asthma were tested during research carried out in Public Hospital in Kup. The average age of patients researched was 56.5 years. Apart from pharmacological treatment in Pulmonology Department of the hospital, the patients were also subjected to standard pulmonary physiotherapy, which included: breathing exercises, chest percussion and efficient coughing training. Additionally, Kinesio Tex tape was used for all patients to increase efficiency, normalize additional breathing muscles' tone, and correct inspiratory chest positioning. Applications were preceded by spirography carried out with the use of Lungtest 1000 apparatus, produced by MES, which meets programming requirements set at European Respiratory Society (ERS) Conference in Copenhagen in 2005. FVC, FEV1, MEF25, MEF50, MEF75 and PEF parameters were used to assess lung activity. Tests were carried out 1 hour after Kinesio Taping application, 24 hours after, and on the day following the application. Modified Borg scale was used to assess dyspnea. Patients' ability to climb levels of staircase was used to assess functional efficiency. Results. Cough reflex and secretion increased 1 hour of Kinesio Tex application, which caused difficulty in carrying out spirography. 24 hours after applications, an improvement in patients' condition was observed. All spirometric parameters improved in relation to initial values. The ability to cover even surface distance increased, and 3 out of 10 patients were able to climb one level of staircase. The value of the parameters slightly decreased the following day, and the MEF25 parameter fell to the initial value. Patients' feeling of dyspnea decreased, on average, from 9 to 5.5 on modified Borg scale 24 hours after Kinesio Tex application and on the following day. Conclusions. The results, therefore, suggest the usefulness of Kinesio Taping in physiotherapy for patients with acute stages of Asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]