The Many Uses of Kinesio Taping

Kinesio tape is a type of athletic tape that doesn’t limit movement or function while it is being worn. The tape is a mixture of cotton and nylon designed to stretch the same way your skin stretches. It is strong enough to stay on even while you shower, sweat and go about your day.

Physical therapists use Kinesio tape to treat a lot of different problems that cause pain and dysfunction. Some of the most common uses include:

Improve Joint Pain

Kinesio tape recoils lightly, pulling your skin away from the tissues underneath. If your pain is caused by ligaments or tendons rubbing together, Kinesio tape can create just enough space to relieve that pain and allow tissues to move more smoothly in the joint.

Reduce Soft Tissue Pain

Your muscles, ligaments and tendons all send pain signals to your brain when they are too tight and too compressed. The pain can cause you to tense your muscles, which only makes the pain even worse. 

Kinesio tape can decompress these areas so that signals stop and tension eases. Overall, that helps relieve muscle tension and pain. It can even be used as a medication-free option to relieve muscle pain during pregnancy when the body’s posture changes.

Reduce Swelling Around Injuries

When you are injured, the area can fill with lymphatic fluids. Too much swelling can reduce blood flow to the area, which is necessary for proper healing. With just a little more space in the area, microscopic lymph channels can better drain the fluid away while blood vessels open up to deliver more blood cells. Kinesio tape may create just enough space to help improve healing and relieve pain related to injuries. 

Teach Muscles How to Move

Kinesio tape can make you more aware of certain areas of your body and how you are using the muscles in those areas. That’s why physical therapists use it to help you retrain a muscle after injury, to prevent injury or even to help stroke patients learn how to walk again. You can improve posture and technique just by using Kinesio tape to awaken your senses to that area of your body.

At Bon Secours In Motion, our physical therapists use Kinesio tape for all these issues and more. We work with you to find a way to relieve pain and swelling, help you heal from injuries and prevent injuries in the future. If you are interested in using Kinesio tape to improve your health or quality of life, please contact Bon Secours In Motion.