Taping therapy and Kinesiotape
What is taping?
Taping techniques can help in the rehabilitation of injuries and for injury prevention, It is often used to protect an athlete from re-injury whilst returning to sport. The principles of taping are pretty much the same for all applications. An anchor point is applied then support strips of tape restrict movement or provide support.
The role of tape is to limit movement in an injured joint to prevent excessive / abnormal movement. It will provide support to the muscles surrounding the joint that may be under additional strain due to ligament injury
Another benefit of taping is thought to be the enhanced proprioception that the tape provides during movement. For example, it can provide cutaneous feedback to the muscles to contracts in order to prevent injury - such as a weakened ankle that recurrently everts and sprains.
The beneficial effects of taping will depend on your injury. We aim to encourage some of the following benefits:
- Protection of injured soft tissue structure (ligaments, tendons, muscles, fascia)
- Encourtage normal movement and enhance biomechanics
- Quicker return to sport or work
- Pain reduction
- Improved stability of a joint
- Reduce risk of injury recurrence
- Provide enhanced proprioception (awareness of joint position)
We use taping as part of the treatment for conditions such as:
- Shoulder injuries
- Sports injuries
- Ankle sprains
- Knee pain
- Heel pain (plantar fasciitis)
- Tendonitis e.g. tennis elbow
- Repetitive strains injuries
- Muscle strains e.g. hamstrings strain
Kinesiology tape / Kinesiotape
The Kinesio taping method is designed to facilitate the body's natural healing process whilst supporting and stabilising the muscles and joints without restricting the body's range of motion. It is applied over muscles to reduce pain, relax overused tired muscles, and to support muscles in movement. It is a non-restrictive type of taping which allows for full range of motion.
Kinesio tape is used often applied for:
- Re-educate the neuromuscular system after injury
- Reduce pain
- Prevent injury / recurrence of injury
- Enhance proprioception whilst proving support during sports
- Enhance / optimise performance!