Kinesiology Taping
Kinesiology tape (K-tape) is an exciting, effective and inexpensive therapeutic modality that mimics the healing/soothing benefits of human touch.
The first thing we do when we bang our head or elbow is gently rub or stroke the skin over the painful area. We all innately have come to know how this gentle stroking effectively soothes and relieves the pain produced by the impact.
Imagine a therapeutic treatment that mimics healing hands that are able to be worn over the injury for days!
Each application provides 3 to 5 days of continuous pain relief and healing.
This special tape has the same thickness and consistency of skin, and is made of breathable cotton and acrylic adhesive that is hypoallergenic.
The tape is water resistant thus allowing it to be worn while bathing and during sports over multiple days of continuous wear. It is very popular with professional and non-professional athletes of all types and even used while actively performing their sport to improve performance.
The science of how K-tape works has been around for over 25 years and it's prevalence and therapeutic importance has been growing exponentially.
The tape is applied on the skin overlying the painful injured muscle or joint in a manner to gently stretch or tug the skin. K-tape does not possess any medication thus its effectiveness relies purely on it's mechanical stimulatory effect on skin. It works naturally to reduce pain and promote healing! This is because skin is chock full of sensory nerves (light-touch and pressure receptors). The K-tape mechanically stimulates these sensory nerves over the injury thus effectively blocking pain by neurologically stimulating and altering the sensory input to the brain where pain is actually felt. The sensation of pain is physiologically blocked or gaited by the application of K-tape in the same way as gentle stroking and T.E.N.S units. This effect of reducing pain has the additional benefit of improving neuromuscular function as muscles of the injured part are activated accounting for improved range of motion and faster recovery.
Another major benefit of K-tape as it lifts the skin, is to improve circulation and lymphatic flow allowing for rapid healing.
In short, K-tape gently lifts the skin to increase blood flow, reduce pain and improved mobility.
The following painful conditions respond well to the application of K- tape:
- Sprains/strains to spine & extremities
- Arthritis pain (hip,knee,shoulder,neck & low back)
- Whiplash injury
- Carpal & tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Shin splints
- Neuropathy
- Pinched nerves (i.e. sciatica)
- Plantar fascitis
- Common sports injuries
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Runner's knee
- Rotator cuff syndrome
- Tendonitis / bursitis.
