What is Physiotherapy Taping?
Physiotherapy taping, also known as athletic or kinesiology taping, is a type of therapeutic technique used for rehabilitation and for enhancing sport performance. First, strips of adhesive tape are applied to the skin with the location depending on the area of injury or the goal of the treatment. A physiotherapist can help you apply the tape and teach you how to tape yourself at home as well!
Why do people receive Physiotherapy Taping?
There are many benefits to using physiotherapy tape, we’ll describe some common applications of taping to help you understand why taping has become so popular!
- Stability or support: While watching professional athletes, you may notice tape around their bodies. The tape acts as an external support and adds stability to a joint or muscle, minimizing the risk of injury. For example, many athletes have had repeated ankle sprains resulting in laxity, (allowing excessive movement) at the ankle ligaments. They may use tape to provide the support that their ligaments can no longer give. This can help prevent too much turning in or out of the ankle and limit their risk of re-injury.
- Pain Relief: Taping can provide pain relief to an injured area. It can improve blood circulation to the area where tape has been applied, reduce pressure on injured tissues, and can modify our nerve receptors to reduce the sensation of pain. As a result, it is often a popular treatment choice for overuse injuries as well such as tennis and golfer’s elbow.
- Postural Correction: The tape may be applied in a certain alignment to help an individual correct poor posture such as slouching or rounded shoulders. For example, the tape is applied in an upright posture with high tension. Next, when a person slouches, they feel the tape pulling on them as a reminder to sit back up. In this way, taping can help reduce and prevent posture-related pain and discomfort.
- Improved Awareness: Another benefit of taping is by enhancing our sense of proprioception. In other words, proprioception is our body’s ability to know where it is in space and its relative position. For balance, this is a very important ability to have. This helps individuals connect more with their muscles and joints, improving their ability to move.
- Non-restrictive: One of the favourite things about tape from our patients is it is non-restrictive. Unlike a brace, the tape is very subtle and allows them to move freely. The tape can stay on for several days at a time and will eventually come off on its own.
Where can I find physiotherapy tape?
Tape is relatively easy to find. You may look for it online or at some drug stores, pharmacies, and health-related stores.
There are many different brands of tape that you can use. Some of them are more rigid while others are more flexible. If you are confused on where to start, you can seek help from a sports physiotherapist. They can teach you the techniques for your specific goal and ensure you perform the tape job correctly.
Looking for more help?
Look for PhysioNow! Sometimes a tape job isn’t enough to treat your condition and you want an expert opinion. We have experienced sports physiotherapists and athletic therapists that can assist you. Whether you want injury prevention, relief, or to enhance your performance, we have the skills to help you out. Book with PhysioNow today for your first assessment and treatment!
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