Kinesio taping helps to stabilize injured areas for faster healing. While this method was popularized by athletes, it’s something that we use every day here for our patients at Louisville Medical Center. Taping applies light pressure to injured or strained muscles and tendons to improve movement within the surrounding tissue. The goals of Kinesio taping are:
- Pain reduction.
- Reduced swelling.
- Improved performance.
While some people simply buy tape at the store to try to recreate the benefits of Kinesio taping, do-it-yourself taping is typically ineffective. Chiropractors and physical therapists offering taping complete hours of training to be able to offer this treatment. Their backgrounds in physiology and musculoskeletal health allow them to strategically apply tape to support specific tissue groups. Dr. Nicholas Hamilton offers Kinesio taping here at Louisville Medical Center for our patients in Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and the surrounding Colorado communities. Book an appointment with us if you’re curious to learn more about how Kinesio taping can help with everything from injury recovery to enhanced athletic performance.
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What Is Kinesio Taping?
The Kinesio taping technique was developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase in the 1970s. You’ve probably seen Kinesio tape in action if you’ve ever noticed colorful strips of fabrics worn by athletes when watching sporting events. The therapeutic tape that’s applied during Kinesio taping is designed to be durable and resistant enough to provide support to musculoskeletal activity for several days at a time. While taping is for everyone, it can be especially beneficial for:
- People who work in jobs requiring hard physical labor or repetitive movement.
- People with desk jobs that cause them to live sedentary lifestyles.
- Golfers, runners, jogger, cyclists and other athletes.
- People with bad posture.
- People with poor sleeping posture.
- People with joint pain.
- People recovering from joint, muscle or tendon injuries.
Some research suggests that Kinesio taping may actually help to increase space in the joints. While small, this spacing can be extremely beneficial for reducing joint irritation in places like the knees and shoulders. It has also been shown to be effective for myofascial pain control. Increased flexibility also accompanies pain relief for many people who try taping. Lastly, this technique may actually help to improve blood flow and circulation. This might just be the most important benefit of all! The compression created by taping helps to boost the circulation of lymphatic fluids within the body. Reducing fluid buildup is important for creating a healthy, resilient body with supercharged healing abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kinesio Tape
Kinesio tape can be used throughout the body! It is most commonly used in the back, calves, elbows, hamstrings, knees, shins, shoulders and wrists. When you visit us here at Louisville Medical Center, we’ll develop a custom taping plan to help you get the support needed for pain reduction, improved circulation and overall body balance.
Yes, some people living with pain and injuries following accidents find that taping can help them to get relief from pain while reducing recovery time. However, taping should not be used as a substitute for getting proper medical attention for things like broken bones or whiplash. It is instead an option to naturally promote healing once you’ve ruled out an acute injury that requires medical attention
Most people wear tape for three to five days at a time before replacing the tape. We’ll create a treatment plan that allows you to maximize tape use!
Yes, this is a water-resistant tape that is approved for showering. However, it’s not intended to be submerged in extreme heat for long periods of time. We’ll provide you with guidelines for how to properly use your tape during your appointment!