AzTrials
AzTrials

Bell's PalsyNCT07436624

Kabat Rehabilitation Versus Kinesiology Taping in Bell's Palsy

A study testing Conventional Facial Therapy and Kabat Rehabilitation in people with Bell's Palsy and Facial Paralysis, run by University of Lahore at 1 site in Pakistan.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of Kabat rehabilitation versus kinesiology taping, both combined with conventional therapy, on facial asymmetry and functional disability in patients with unilateral Bell's palsy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 30 to 50 years
Conditions the study is for
Bell's Palsy, Facial Paralysis
What is being tested?
Conventional Facial Therapy and Kabat Rehabilitation
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
38 participants
Where
1 sitePakistan
Study dates
11 Dec 2025to 12 Apr 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 30 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age between 30-50 years Both genders Unilateral Bell's palsy House-Brackmann grade greater than 3 Sufficient physical and mental ability to follow instructions

Who cannot join

  • Facial skin lesions or contraindications for procedures Cranial or facial trauma within past 3 months Prior episodes of facial paralysis Craniofacial deformities or degenerative diseases Head and neck malignancy Active infection History of upper motor neuron lesion

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Pakistan1 site

  • University of Lahore Teaching Hospital

    Lahore, Punjab Province

Other trials in Pakistan

About this study

Official title: Effects of Kabat Rehabilitation Versus Kinesiology Taping Combined With Conventional Therapy on Facial Asymmetry and Functional Disability in Patients With Unilateral Bell's Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of Kabat rehabilitation versus kinesiology taping, both combined with conventional therapy, on facial asymmetry and functional disability in patients with unilateral Bell's palsy. A total of 38 participants will be recruited from the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups using a lottery method. Outcomes will be assessed using the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System and the Facial Disability Index at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.

Read the detailed description

This single-blinded randomized clinical trial will be conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Lahore. Participants aged 30-50 years diagnosed with unilateral Bell's palsy will be recruited using purposive sampling. After obtaining informed consent, 38 eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two parallel groups using the lottery method.

Group A will receive conventional therapy (facial massage and electrical muscle stimulation) combined with Kabat rehabilitation using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques.

Group B will receive conventional therapy combined with kinesiology taping applied according to a standardized protocol targeting affected facial muscles.

Treatment will be administered for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week, with each session lasting approximately 40 minutes. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 27.0.

Being tested
Conventional Facial Therapy, Kabat Rehabilitation
Keywords
Kabat Rehabilitation, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, Kinesiology Taping, Facial Asymmetry, Sunnybrook Facial Grading System, Facial Disability Index, House-Brackmann Scale, Physiotherapy
Medical subject headings
Bell Palsy, Facial Paralysis, Facial Asymmetry

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Conventional Facial TherapyOther

    Also called Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Facial Massage

    Conventional therapy will consist of facial massage and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). Massage techniques will include light stroking, tapping, and kneading of affected facial muscles for approximately 5 minutes. Electrical muscle stimulation will be delivered using interrupted galvanic current with a pulse width of 150 μs, frequency of 1-10 Hz, and intensity of 2-5 mA for 15 minutes. Small surface electrodes will be placed on key facial muscles including frontalis, zygomaticus major, orbicularis oris, and mentalis. Total duration of conventional therapy will be approximately 20 minutes per session.

  • Kabat RehabilitationOther

    Also called Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

    Kabat rehabilitation will be administered using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques. Manual resistance will be applied to stimulate contraction of affected facial muscles through three fulcrum points (upper, intermediate, and lower). Each muscle group (frontalis, corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi, procerus, orbicularis oris, and mentalis) will perform 10 repetitions for 2 sets. The Kabat component will last approximately 20 minutes per session. Treatment will be provided 5 sessions per week for 8 weeks.

Study groups in NCT07436624
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Kabat Rehabilitation + Conventional TherapyExperimentalParticipants will receive conventional therapy (massage and EMS) combined with Kabat rehabilitation (PNF techniques) for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week.
Receives: Other: Kabat Rehabilitation
Kinesiology Taping + Conventional TherapyExperimentalParticipants will receive conventional therapy combined with kinesiology taping for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week.
Receives: Other: Conventional Facial Therapy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Facial Asymmetry (Sunnybrook Facial Grading System)

    Scores range from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate better facial symmetry.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes (1)

  1. Functional Disability (Facial Disability Index - FDI)

    Assesses physical and social well-being related to facial function. Higher scores indicate better function.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Feb 2026
  2. Study start11 Dec 2025
  3. Primary completion13 Mar 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion12 Apr 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
38 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07436624
Sponsor's protocol ID
UOL/IREB/25/15/03/35
Status last verified
Feb 2026
First submitted
21 Feb 2026
Last updated
27 Feb 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared because this study was conducted as an academic research project. The informed consent obtained from participants did not include provisions for public data sharing, and the dataset contains sensitive personal health information. Data will be stored securely and

Publications

  • Atif, M. M., Hussain, K., Naeem, I., Asghar, Z., Batool, F., Butt, S., & Khalil, A. (2024). Prevalence of Recurrent Bell's Palsy: Prevalence of Recurrent Bell's Palsy. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences, 50-54.

  • Athawale, V. K., Bawiskar, D. P., & Phansopkar, P. A. (2021). Rehabilitation of a Patient with Bell's Palsy. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, 10(20), 1551-1555.

  • Amjad, A., Iqbal, M. H., Jamil, A., Kamran, S., Maqbool, S., & Akbar, M. (2024). Comparative Effects of Kabat Rehabilitation and Kinesiotaping on Functional Disability, Synkinesis and Patient Satisfaction in Patients with Bell's Palsy. Journal Riphah College of Rehabilitation Sciences, 12(1).

  • Alqahtani SY, Almalki ZA, Alnafie JA, Alnemari FS, AlGhamdi TM, AlGhamdi DA, Albaqami LO, Ibrahim M. Recurrent Bell's Palsy: A Comprehensive Analysis of Associated Factors and Outcomes. Ear Nose Throat J. 2024 Nov 25:1455613241301230. doi: 10.1177/01455613241301230. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 39587480

  • Alanazi F, Kashoo FZ, Alduhishy A, Aldaihan M, Ahmad F, Alanazi A. Incidence rate, risk factors, and management of Bell's palsy in the Qurayyat region of Saudi Arabia. PeerJ. 2022 Oct 6;10:e14076. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14076. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 36221264

  • Al Najim, M. M., & Marah, L. D. H. A. (2025). Identifying Key Risk Factors for Bell's Palsy and Insights from a Retrospective Analysis. Central Asian Journal of Medical and Natural Science, 6(2), 586-593.

  • Al-Hasan, H. K. J., Al-Salim, A. A., & Haji, S. A. (2023). Prevalence of facial nerve palsy in the neuro-medicine private clinic. Romanian JouRnal of neuRology, 22(2), 137.

  • Ahmed, S., Shahid, A., & Waheed, A. (2023). Effectiveness of Kabat Exercises along with Mirror Therapy in Bell's Palsy. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research, 3(2), 1288-1293.

  • Adhikari, S. P., Chaudhary, M., & Dev, R. (2020). Kabat interventions integrated with facial expressive and functional exercises for better and speedy recovery in bell's palsy; a pre-post design. Journal of Chitwan Medical College, 10(4), 71-76.

  • Abioke UB, Anosike W, Olaniyi AO, Okwuowulu IL, Mandal M, Eze CY. Physiotherapy Management of Bell's Palsy in an Elderly Patient: A Case Report. Cureus. 2025 Jul 15;17(7):e88045. doi: 10.7759/cureus.88045. eCollection 2025 Jul.

    PubMed 40821194

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Conventional Facial Therapy and Kabat Rehabilitation in people with Bell's Palsy and Facial Paralysis, run by University of Lahore at 1 site in Pakistan.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Pakistan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Facial Asymmetry (Sunnybrook Facial Grading System) (time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07436624, which also lists 10 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Feb 2026.

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