So What About Kinesio Tape?

I have been asked many times why I choose to use kinesio tape in session and the reasons are clear:  it just works.  It is a simple measure that has a huge impact.  With the proper knowledge of muscle and systems anatomy and after analyzing movement patterns and range of motion, your therapist can use this powerful tool to more quickly and effectively move you into a state of balance.  The great folks over at www.kinesiotaping.com 
(inventors of this life changing modality) really have encapsulated well the description of what it does and how in this brief excerpt from their site, and we'd love to show you how it works. 

The Kinesio Taping® Method is a definitive rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting. Latex-free and wearable for days at a time, Kinesio® Tex Tape is safe for populations ranging from pediatric to geriatric, and successfully treats a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and other medical conditions. The Kinesio® Taping Method is a therapeutic taping technique not only offering your patient the support they are looking for, but also rehabilitating the affected condition as well. By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, Kinesio® Tex Tape alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin.  This lifting affect forms convolutions in the skin thus increasing interstitial space and allowing for a decrease in inflammation of the affected areas.

Kinesio® Tex Tape is specifically applied to the patient based upon their needs after evaluation.  The findings of the clinical evaluation or assessment dictate the specifics of the Kinesio® Tex Tape application and other possible treatments or modalities.  With the utilization of single “I” strips or modifications in the shape of an “X”, “Y” or other specialized shapes as well as the direction and amount of stretch placed on the tape at time of application, Kinesio® Tex Tape can be applied in hundreds of ways and has the ability to re-educate the neuromuscular system, reduce pain and inflammation, enhance performance, prevent injury and promote good circulation and healing, and assist in returning the body to homeostasis.