HOW DOES KINESIO TAPE WORK?
When an area of the body is injured through impact or over-use, the lymphatic fluid builds up causing inflammation and swelling. This accumulation of lymphatic fluids may cause increased pressure on muscles and tissue which can cause significant discomfort or pain*.
It is believed that when applied correctly, Kinesio Tape lifts the skin, decompressing the layers of fascia, allowing for greater movement of lymphatic fluid which transports white blood cells throughout the body and removes waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria.
It is believed that Kinesio Tape helps in reducing pressure to the tissue, which may reduce discomfort or pain. In addition, it is also believed that correct taping can help provide support to muscles by helping the muscle to not over-extend or over-contract.
Types and Brands
There are over 50 different types and brands of kinesiology tape on the market today such as Kinesio tape, KT Tape, or RockTape. Some specific tapes are designed for sports performance, and others are designed for lymphedema and swelling management.
Specific Uses
There are many different uses for kinesiology tape. Your physical therapist can assess your current situation and injury to decide on the best use of the tape. He or she can also teach you how to cut the basic types of strips to use for your condition. Some common uses of kinesiology tape include:
Facilitation: Kinesiology tape can be used to help improve muscular firing and contraction patterns. This can lead to normalized muscular tone and can also help improve athletic performance.
Inhibition and pain management: Kinesiology tape can be used to help decrease pain and muscle spasm that may occur after injury. It can help decrease nociceptive input to the brain which can help decrease muscle guarding and protective spasm.
Support and stability: If you have a condition that requires a specific joint to be held in place,
kinesiology taping may be right for you. Conditions like patellofemoral stress syndrome, iliotibial band friction syndrome, or shoulder instability may benefit from extra support provided by kinesiology tape. The tape can support your joint while still allowing for some motion to occur.
Swelling management: If you have suffered an injury or have had surgery that results in increased swelling, kinesiology tape may help to decrease the swelling by decreasing pressure between the skin and underlying tissues. This provides a pathway for excess fluids that have accumulated since your injury to travel through. Kinesiology tape is sometimes used in lymphedema management or for superficial contusions.
Scar tissue management: After surgery or trauma, you may have a scar over the area that was injured. Sometimes the tissue underneath the scar binds to your skin and underlying fascia. This scar tissue can limit your normal mobility and range of motion. Kinesiology tape can be used to gently pull on scar tissue, providing a low intensity, long duration stretch to the tight collagen that makes up scar tissue
At Restore we use Kinesio tape for all the above reasons. Kinesio taping is covered by most insurances including Medicare.