Do you remember watching the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing where volleyball player Kerri Walsh wore some unusual black tape on her shoulder? The tape is called kinesio tape and it has gained popularity outside the sports world for a variety of conditions from back pain to TMJ.
Kinesio tape is not like other athletic tape such as the type used for McConnell taping. Kinesio tape is stretchy and provides light support during movement. Regular athletic tape is rigid and is intended to restrict movement.
Kinesio tape was invented in Japan 30 years ago. It is a latex-free hypoallergenic cotton tape that is the thickness of the outer layer of skin. It is intended to stay on the skin for two to five days and can be worn during a shower.
Kinesio tape, which can be purchased in all kinds of colors (the color doesn’t make any difference), can be self-applied with guidance from instructions or an online tutorial or by a skilled Kinesio tape practitioner who is knowledgeable about the anatomy and motion of the muscles being taped.
There are several theories about how Kinesio tape works. Kinesio tape pulls the upper layer of the skin, the dermis, away from the muscle layer below allowing for a space to be created. In this space, lymph flow is thought to be improved as well as permitting reduced pressure on nerve endings that are sending impulses to the brain.
“Kinesio Tape alters the information that these receptors send to the brain and causes a less reactive response in the body,” according to Medicine.net, which may contribute to less pain and allow the body to return more easily to regular movement.
Other actions kinesio tape is thought to perform are to increase muscle contraction to improve strength and performance, assist in joint alignment, reduce stress on tendons and ligaments, and improve both blood circulation and lymphatic fluid flow.
Medicine.net even reports that kinesio tape has been found to help improve scars and improve contractures in some patients.
There has been research that demonstrates the benefits of kinesio tape but the data has been variable and the groups tested small.