K Taping

Currently, 4 types of tapes are available for Kinesio Taping Method applications for humans and 2 types for animals. Each clinician can choose the most appropriate type of tape based on the desired outcome and the client's skin condition. When an untrained individual considers taping, it is suggested to use Classic or Performance+ Tape.

K Taping

It is up to individual physiotherapists to use their judgement when choosing Kinesio Taping Method. The decision must be based on the physiotherapist's clinical experience and experience with taping gained by attending Kinesio Taping Method certification courses.

Aytara A, Ozunlua N, Surenkokb O, Baltacıc G, Oztopd P, Karatasd M. Initial effects of kinesio taping in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: A randomized, double-blind study. Isokinet Exerc Sci. 2011;19(2):135-142. doi:10.3233/IES-2011-0413

Lee K, Yi CW, Lee S. The effects of kinesiology taping therapy on degenerative knee arthritis patients' pain, function, and joint range of motion. J Phys Ther Sci. 2016;28(1):63-6. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.63

Montalvo AM, Cara EL, Myer GD. Effect of kinesiology taping on pain in individuals with musculoskeletal injuries: systematic review and meta-analysis. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. 2014;42(2):48-57. doi:psm.2014.05.2057

Gonzalez-Iglesias J, et al. "Short-term effects of cervical kinesio taping on pain and cervical range of motion in patients with acute whiplash injury: a randomized, controlled trial." JOSPT 39(7), 2009. 515-521.

This recent study demonstrated that teens (10-18y.o.) with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who received taping with specific tensioning had better outcomes in pain and quality of life scores when compared to those who received placebo taping.

The taping involved the application of one strip of K tape on the convex side with 50% tension from a caudal to cranial direction. The second strip of tape was applied on the concave side with 20% tension from cranial to caudal.

Reference: Atici Y et al The effect of Kinesio taping on back pain in patients with Lenke Type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled trial. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2017 May;51(3):191-196.

Smykla A, Walewicz K, Trybulski R, et al. Effect of kinesiology taping on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized single-blind controlled pilot study. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:767106. doi:10.1155/2013/767106

With advanced training in gynecology, urology, fertility, and pre/postpartum treatments, Sabrina is an expert in her field. She holds a B.Sc., Pht., and D.O. and brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to her K-taping courses. Learn from Sabrina and gain the skills you need to enhance your practice.

Equine kinesiology taping is a physiotherapy treatment and has various applications. It can be applied between competitive elements of many international equine events to speed recovery and improve endurance. In recreational riding, it alleviates discomfort from acute and chronic injuries. Veterinary professionals and equine physiotherapists use this technique on a daily basis to treat muscle injuries, biomechanical and postural dysfunction and aid performance and recovery time. It is particularly valuable in rehabilitation of horses.

The VetkinTape 2-day Equine kinesiology taping course provides the opportunity to learn about this fascinating and highly effective technique to improve the gait patterns of horses. Candidates will learn more about taping applications and how to use different tape techniques to work more efficiently.

The concept of KT originated from the tradition athletic taping. Traditional athletic taping, with thick, sticky, and firm material, has been developed since 1882. By restricting the ROM through immobilizing and stabilizing joints or muscle, the tape can prevent secondary injury effectively, reduce edema and pain, and completely immobilize the treatment area.

To confirm this effect, Kase [47] once researched the influence of taping on blood circulation. The participants were randomly tested through ultrasound under Doppler view for radial, superficial temporal, and dorsalis pedis artery before and after taping. It was found that the flow rate was increased immediately after KT.

Many articles have reported different conclusions of effects on taping, such as proprioception, placebo effect, warning message, or biomechanics. For example, treatment with additional KT method over exercise for patellofemoral pain syndrome could provide significantly better hamstring flexibility than the control group () [55]. On the other hand, a research of athletic tapes also showed that increasing cutaneous sensory feedback would improve ankle joint position perception () under non-weight bearing condition [56].

Besides, some researchers reported that KT method would improve the ROM of neck [57] and lower trunk [58]. For example, Osterhues [59] researched the effect of taping on those who suffered from acute whiplash injury. The study group showed a significantly greater decrease in pain immediately () and also significant increase in ROM in all directions. Osterhues [59] treated patients of patella bony dislocation with KT based on the concept of stimulation to mechanical receptors of skin from taping and found that the balance and motor control were better than previous status. When performing the kneeling down or eccentric contraction of leg under-weight bearing, visual analogue scale (VAS) was decreased.

The input of stimulation for facilitation and inhibition mentioned above can be achieved through taping. By changing proprioception, biofeedback from correct movement pattern, and training or rehabilitation in high intensity, the target muscle groups and coordination can be improved. Then let the patient perform similar suitable movement after removing the tape.

The concepts mentioned above can be compatible with the hypothesis proposed by Kase about the space, movement, and cooling effect of taping. Increasing the space of fascia to improve the circulation can remove the heat produced from inflammation. Pain sensation can be diminished due to reduction of the pressure on nociceptors. The theory is similar to that of treatment for MPS [2, 68, 69]; therefore we hypothesize that KT method can block the vicious circle of energy crisis. Figure 2 showed the possible KT mechanism for the relief of myofascial pain.

The basic principle of prescription of KT for myofascial pain focuses on the patterns of facilitation and inhibition. When the tape applies on the muscle from its origin to the insertion site, it can provide the effect of facilitation to the muscle contraction [47]. On the other hand, when taping from insertion to origin, inhibition and relaxation of muscle spasm will be the effect [47] which is most useful for myofascial pain and muscle spasm.

Besides, no suitable machine or image data can confirm the effect of taping at anytime and anywhere. With the functional improvement of ultrasound, certain landmark could be tracked more easily. By using sonography, we can exactly define the depth, certain muscle, and surrounding tissue and note the twitch response during injection. We can not only avoid injury from treatment but also increase the specificity of the target tissue for taping. For example, in cases with epicondylalgia after KT method application, Liu and his colleagues [80] reported improvement of epicondylar muscles sliding in ultrasonic image when wrist was moving. Since the flexibility of tissue correlates with the pathologic status, sonoelastography can be used for identifying the location and may be considered for researching of outcomes after taping.

In clinical practices, KT method was applied in sports injuries, postoperative complications, various pain problems, and many other conditions. The tape is simple to carry out, economic, and less traumatic. In treatment of patient with MPS who cannot be rehabilitated regularly, some researchers suggested taping through self-application as a new therapy [70]. However, self-application of tape may be difficult in some aspects including the limited knowledge in anatomy or biomechanics, the inadequate knowledge in trigger point examination, the lack of experience of taping method, the requirement of using both hands, and the location of the MTrP (such as rhomboid muscle). Therefore, most people cannot tape by themselves. In order to obtain a better effect, it is also necessary to combine therapeutic exercise, postural changing, and adjustment of daily living. Finally, we considered that KT method could be applied as another choice of MTrP therapy but could need more researches to confirm the effectiveness.

The Use Of Kinesiology Tape has been a common part of sports massage therapy since the 1970s. Athletes make use of kinesiology taping to help them build muscle strength and recover from injuries at a faster pace.

Adding kinesiology taping to the established massage therapy routine of patients with chronic conditions can result in a range of benefits, from the increased removal of lactic acid and the softening of scar tissue and fascial adhesions to the added muscle stability and an extension of the natural pain relief associated with massage therapy.

Kinesiology taping can also be used to complement physical therapy routines. The addition of kinesiology tape can help to keep muscle groups that have been stretched flexible for longer periods of time and assist in warming down where traditional warm-down exercises are not possible.

By adding in kinesiology taping as a complementary technique, alongside other massage therapy methods, a massage therapist can offer their clients increased healing, greater muscle flexibility and a decrease in swelling and persistent pain.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the direction of kinesiology tape application influences quadriceps activation. This study compared taping techniques with outcome measures selected to assess quadriceps muscle activation. The outcome measures included EMG, isokinetic strength, and functional hop and jump performance. 041b061a72