What’s Blue, Pink, or Black, and wrapped all over? Can it help with healing an injury?
By now you have seen strips of brightly colored tape adorning the arms, legs, and torsos of many top athletes. But more than just fashion is driving this trend. The tape is called Kinesio tape. Many athletes believe it helps them reduce their injury risk, improve their performance, and treats all sorts of aches and pains.
Kinesio Tape is a relatively new type of rehabilitation tool developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase that is used to treat a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological, and medical conditions. This taping method, which was developed in the 1980s after many years of research, has just recently become popular and has shown results that would have been unheard of using older methods and materials.
Kinesio Tape works in conjunction with the muscles of your body instead of against them, unlike many other popular methods of taping. Kinesio Tape has a texture and elasticity very close to living human tissue and microscopically lifts the top layers of skin to accomplish:
• pain reduction
• muscular re-education
• performance enhancement
• injury prevention
• improved circulation
• faster healing
Kinesio Tape is commonly used on:
• Knees
• Shoulders
• Neck
• Shin splits
• Back
• Ankles
• Arms
• Hands
Mollie Coe, licensed Athletic Trainer at Indian River Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, has recently attended all three levels of courses available in Kinesio Taping. She states that since her attendance at these courses, she has implemented Kinesio Taping techniques into her rehabilitation plans working with patients in the clinic and at Inland Lakes high school.
Mollie has shared her knowledge with her coworkers and they have begun utilizing Kinesio Tape with many of their patients. Mollie states, “This new, popular taping method has become a vital part of some of our patient’s recovery plans and has expedited return to their favorite sports and activities.”
Many of our professional clinical staff members are trained in Kinesio Taping. If you would like more information or a free consultation to see if Kinesio taping can help you with your injury, please contact one of our facilities.
