Kinesiology Taping: Uses, Benefits, Causes and Types

By tagore
Posted January 15, 2025

Kinesiology Taping: Uses, Benefits, Causes and Types

What is Kinesiology Taping?

Kinesiology taping refers to the therapeutic technique of placing specialized elastic tape to the skin in certain patterns to give support to muscles and joints without impeding movement.

The tapes could be said to act almost like the elastic properties of the human skin, so that it supports without restricting normal motion for healing. Kinesiology taping is now used extensively in sports medicine to ease pain, decrease swelling, and improve circulation toward the healing of injuries.

In addition, kinesiology taping can help to correct posture, enhance muscle function, and thus prevent injuries by supporting the soft tissues of the body. The tape is usually left on for a few days and can withstand sweat, showers, or baths.

Types of Kinesiology Taping

There are several types of kinesiology taping techniques, each having different applications depending on the condition treated and the desired response. The following describes a few common types:

Muscle Technique: Support and relaxation of muscles are achieved by this technique, often applied over or around the muscle belly. Muscle fatigue is reduced; circulation improved; and pain or cramping alleviated.
Ligament-Tendon Technique: Tape applied around the joint or along the tendon to assist or stabilize the ligament or tendon without compromising the available range of motion. This is used for cases such as sprains or strains.
Fascial Technique: Deals with fascia or connective tissue and is designed to release tension or tightness manifested in the back, shoulders, or neck. Relieves pain and improves mobility.
Lymphatic Drainage Technique: This application assists in the drainage of lymphatic fluids, stimulating the skin surface to reduce swelling or inflammation. Use in patients with edema and post-surgical swelling.
Postural and Alignment Techniques: A mid-strength application encourages correction of postural distortions in the spinal column or joints or muscles, thus relieving strain and encouraging more efficient movement mechanics.

Uses of Kinesiology Taping

Taping in kinesiological terms can be broadly categorized as follows:

Pain Relief: It is effective against pain associated with muscle strains, joint pain, and chronic pain.
Decreasing Swelling: It reduces edema and inflammation, especially after an injury or surgical procedure.
Muscle Support: It supports muscles under extreme strain or fatigue but does not restrict motion.
Stability in Joints: It supports ligaments and joints to help prevent further injury or instability.
Improved Circulation: Increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which supports healing.
Postural Correction: It helps improve posture and body alignment.
Enhances Performance: It maximizes efficiency and range of motion to facilitate athletic performance and recovery.

How Does Kinesiology Taping Work?

Kinesiology taping relies on an elastic tape similar to the skin in elasticity. Applied to the skin, the tape lifts it slightly, creating space between the skin and the underlying tissues and thus improving blood flow and decreasing pressure upon the pain receptors, which helps with pain relief and healing.

The elastic properties and tension of the tape also provide support to muscles, joints, and ligaments without restricting movement as they allow the body to perform its natural range of motion. kinesiology tape applies support to muscles and joints, relieving strain, preventing further injury, and enhancing muscle function.

Additionally, kinesiology tape helps lymphatic drainage, reducing swelling and inflammation.The tape stays for several days, whereupon it continues working after the initial application with prolonged support and relief.

What Are the Benefits of Kinesiology Taping

Kinesiology taping does have its advantages, as noted below:

Pain Reduction: It alleviates pain through lifting the skin and reducing pressure on tissues and pain receptors beneath the skin, thus relieving conditions such as muscle strain, joint pain, or a chronic condition.
Reduced Swelling and Inflammation: It supports lymphatics and circulation to reduce swelling and inflammation after injury or surgery.
Enhanced Muscle Function: It can enhance muscle performance and reduce fatigue, while also aiding muscle recovery by supporting muscles without restricting their full range of motion.
Joint Stability: Whenever needed, kinesiology tape offers extra support to the ligament and joint structure in order to avoid further injury during movement and aid in improving stability, especially for those with joint instability.
Maintaining Better Posture and Alignment: Kinesiology tape supports healthy posture and encourages proper body alignment, thereby relieving muscle and joint stress.
Increased Athletic Performance: Kinesiology taping helps athletes work better and recover faster by improving range of motion and supporting muscles and joints.
Non-Invasive, No Drugs: It naturally offers pain relief through natural means, which is an excellent alternative to drugs or other treatments for musculoskeletal problems for a lot of people.

How to apply kinesiology taping?

Kinesiology tape is applied using various steps, and the technique will depend on the condition being treated. General steps in the kinesiology tape procedure include:

1. Skin Preparation

Cleaning the skin: The area should be clean, dry, free of oils, lotions, and hair so as not to affect the adherence of the tape.
Trimming excess hair: Shaving or trimming any hair around the area can help the adhesion of the tape and prevent discomfort for the client during tape removal.

2. Cutting the Tape

Measuring the tape: Cutting the tape according to the given length would be the norm. In most instances, the tape should be a little longer than the area being treated to ensure full coverage. Some persons prefer pre-cut strips.
Rounding the edges: Round off the corners of the tape with scissors for better adherence and reduced peeling.

3. Apply the Base (Anchor) Piece

Anchor placement: The first part of the tape is placed on the skin without any stretch (the "anchor"), which is usually at one end of a muscle or joint that is being treated. For example, when taping the knee, you start from the top of the knee or just below it.

4. Apply the Tape with Stretch

Taping the area: Stretch the kinesiology tape for the desired correction. For muscle support, stretch the tape 25-50% for mild tension. Stretch more for ligament support if needed; stretch less for other reasons.
Follow the muscle/joint path: The tape is then placed along the muscle fibers or else around the joint in such a way as to follow its natural motion. For example, taping a muscle would generally follow the direction of that muscle, or if taping a joint, wrap to support movement.

5. Final Anchor

Do not stretch the tape at its end: The end of the tape (the anchor) should be placed without stretch to facilitate good adherence.

6. Rub the Tape

Activate the adhesive: Once the tape is applied, gently rub it along the length of the hand to help with adhesive activation for adhesion and secure placement.

7. Check the Position of the Tape

Make sure the tape is not too tight and allows movement. If the tape feels uncomfortable or too tight, remove it and try again with a lighter stretch.

8. User Instructions for Wearing Kinesiology Tape

As long as the tape is intact, kinesiology tape can be on the body for several days, even while exercising, showering, or swimming.

Conclusion

Tagore Hospital in Jaipur provides high-quality health care, along with using the most modern treatments available to support recovery and well-being of our patients. Kinesiology taping can provide many benefits, from relief of pain and reduction in swelling to enhancing the function of muscles and joints to recover from an injury and gain mobility much more quickly.

Our team of experts makes sure that each patient receives care, which is as personalized as possible and provided with compassion and attention to his needs. Be it surgery, chronic pain management, or simply enhancing athletic performance, Tagore Hospital in Jaipur is always here to help guide you along your path to health. We will be dedicated to using the latest techniques to ensure the best care for our community.