Kinesiotape: How Does It Work?

During the summer Olympics, you noticed many athletes wearing kinesiotape on a wide variety of body parts.  From shoulders, to abs, to calf muscles, this colorful tape has been worn on the track, volleyball court and countless other sporting venues.  As physical therapists, we have used this type of taping on hundreds of patients, and we have seen it help athletes and non-athletes alike. 

What is Kinesiotape?  

Kinesiotape, Rock tape and Physio tape are all similar products.  They are athletic tapes with elasticity similar to human skin and muscle tissues.  They have a fibrous pattern or weave that mimics the skin and are designed to be worn for several days without irritation.  The elasticity and pattern of the tape function to lift the skin away from the soft tissue underneath.  This allows for the following benefits:

• Muscle re-education.  This tape is designed to give a sensory input to the muscle which aids in correct firing of the muscle.

• Improved circulation of blood and lymph.  The stretch quality of this tape lifts and pulls the skin allowing greater amount of space and contraction of the underlying smooth muscle.

• Pain relief.  The constant contact to the skin provides a message to the brain that helps suppress the feeling of pain.

• Support of proper joint position.  By facilitating greater muscle contraction, the tape is able to provide increased muscular support to joints that need more stability.  These include shoulders, knees, feet and the spine.

Injuries that respond well to Kinesiotape: 

 In our clinical experience, Kinesiotape works well with the following conditions:

• Plantar Fasciitis

• Patellar or Achilles Tendonitis

• Shoulder Impingement

• Poor Posture/Scap dysfunction

• Low Back Pain

• Performance Enhancement

Kinesiotape isn’t just for athletes. 

 While usually associated with sports injuries and performance, Kinesiotape works well on patients of all fitness levels.  It can give sensory feedback to someone working a desk job that has horrible posture.  It can give immediate pain relief to an inactive person experiencing foot pain or someone with low tolerance to medications.  It has even been used successfully to help the abdominal muscles support a pregnant belly. 

If you would like to find out more about this type of taping, or to see if this treatment might help you or a loved one, please contact your closest AZOPT clinic.  One of our highly trained therapists would be happy to tell you more! http://www.azopt.net/