This is the 2d installment of a two-function serial on kinesiology taping. Click hither to read "The Art and Science of Kinesiology Taping, Function ane."

Kinesio tapingHow tape works

Considering that the skin contains more mechanoreceptors than whatever other function of our trunk, information technology should come up equally no surprise how combining manual therapy with a tactile feedback machinery similar kinesiology tape can take incredible results that last long afterward our clients get out our treatment tables. When taping athletes, I can literally invoke movement re-instruction—think posture correction, patterning corrections, and muscle activation;  reduce hurting and inflammation; and increase sports performance and recovery, all while reinforcing the piece of work done during manual therapy. All of this can be accomplished without restricting range of motion, and in virtually five minutes or less. Mutual ailments we see in our offices, such as rotator cuff injuries, whiplash, shin splints, articulatio genus issues, low back pain, upper trapezius pain and plantar fasciitis all can benefit from kinesiology taping.

We all desire solid enquiry and evidence to back up a handling modality before nosotros go experimenting on our clients. Paul Coker, P.T., medical manager for RockTape, based in the United Kingdom, offers primal scientific points for the role of kinesiology record in treatment. According to him,  the decompressive properties of tape provide three fundamental effects to consider: the fluid consequence, the mechanical effect and the neurological effect.

Fluid effect

The fluid effect is induced past the rubberband properties of the tape, which produce a vertical elevator of skin from the underlying tissue, thus decompressing the infinite between skin and muscle. Understanding fascia, you become the importance of this. This direct consequence on the subcutaneous layer promotes improved blood and lymphatic menses in the area where you apply the tape, thus creating speedy removal of injury waste products and hurting-generating chemicals, which in turn promotes healing. This sounds strangely similar the changes we aim to create through massage.

Mechanical effect

If I had a dollar for every time the discussion sensation was used in movement and massage settings, I would own movement labs all over the universe. We all know that torso awareness is critical for numerous reasons, and tape is the superhero of awareness.

Tape has longitudinal stretch backdrop of well-nigh 140 to 180 percent. These stretch properties are similar to those of skin, musculus and connective tissues. Tape taps into the body's stabilization system similar a metaphorical tap on the shoulder. By giving your clients a tool that provides a fiddling extra jump and awareness of stretch to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints, you've given them a tactile, mechanical feedback mechanism. As a bonus, it just might also play a role in restoring normal slide-and-glide mechanics between layers of tissue. That'due south awareness wearing a cape.

Neurological effect

The neurological effect of tape is impressive, but again, not surprising. The decompressive properties of tape reduce pressure and compression on nerve endings just under the pare, making fretfulness fire less, thus having a direct outcome on the pain gate. Practise yous have a client with really tight muscles? Tape the expanse to reduce the response to being stretched, and yous've helped create a less sore and tight muscle. Practise any of your clients accept weak, sore and injured tissue? Taping will help the torso's active stabilization by altering the activity and feedback from nerves in the pare and underlying tissue.

Research indicates kinesiology tape improves power and strength in uninjured muscles; reduces hurting and improves role in painful conditions like plantar fasciitis and patellofemoral pain; improves pain, range of motion and role in people with shoulder impingement; and raises the anaerobic threshold of muscle during endurance activity.

When not to tape

It is imperative to understand when non to use kinesiology tape. Tape's benefits can cause complications in some instances. At that place are five weather condition in which record would be considered contraindicated, which is where a thorough client medical history is essential. Those conditions are: deep vein thrombosis; kidney problems and renal insufficiencies; active cancer; infection; and congestive heart failure. Avoid these 5 conditions with your tape and be thorough with your intakes.

Try tape

Tape doesn't discriminate. The benefits of taping reach far beyond athletic settings. Whether your piece of work environment is in a spa or doing lymph drainage work, pregnancy work, pediatric therapies, neuropathy issues or equine massage, taping can brand a dramatic difference for both you lot and the clients you serve.

Right after I worked on my athlete with the pulled hamstring, mentioned in Part 1 of this series, I saw another client that day. He is a 75-twelvemonth-old post-middle-transplant patient with a 10-inch scar down the center of his breast. Right later I did manual scar tissue release therapy, I reinforced my piece of work with kinesiology tape on him, too.

He asked for the tiger stripe print. (His wife liked it.)

Stacey Thomas, LMT, SFMA, FMS, NKT, ART, CF-L2, has been a motion specialist since 1997, and licensed as a sports massage therapist since 2005. You can unremarkably find her educational activity a RockTape class, or speaking at national massage conventions.

Related Posts