What is Kinesiology Tape?

Have you seen all that bright tape on sporting athletes? ever wondered what it does? Kinesio tape is a highly specialised therapeutic tape designed to facilitate, inhibit and promote lymph drainage. Its properties can be utilised to optimise rehabilitation and encourage 'good' movement patterns following injury or pain. The tape can be applied with different tensions to target the areas required. The Research • It improves the brains position sense awareness (proprioception) • It can reduce pain • It can reduce swelling, inflammation and bruising • It allows Physiotherapists to correct 'altered' movement patterns, optimising symmetry and alignment • It can support joints undergoing rehabilitation and is great to use after surgical interventions Kinesio tape can be purchased as a roll, pre-cut strips, or specific injury cuts, the pre-cut strips allow you to apply more complicated lymphatic techniques, and also may be easier to use when you are getting to grips with the taping techniques. Kinesio Tape, whilst a wonderful adjunct to physiotherapy is best used in combination with a comprehensive treatment programme. Kinesio taping is often used in conjunction with soft tissue mobilisation and manipulation, joint mobilisations and exercise prescription to obtain the best results. Kinesiology tape is almost identical to human skin in both thickness and elasticity, which allows kinesio tape to be worn without binding, constricting or restriction of your movement. Kinesiology tape is often seen used for treating athletic injuries and a variety of physical disorders. For the first decade after its introduction practitioners in Japan were the main users of the therapeutic kinesiology tape. By 1988 the tape had been adopted by Japanese Olympic and professional athletes before spreading across the world. It can be used in conjunction with a multitude of other treatments and modalities within your clinic and is effective during the rehabilitative and chronic phases on an injury as well as being used for preventative measures. You would have noticed that more and more professional athletes use kinesiology taping improve their sporting performance, prevent injury and allow them to return to sport quicker.