Kinesio Taping^®

In Kinesio Taping® technique, therapists apply adhesive strips to the skin to aide in mechanical and functional corrections in muscles and joints. The technique involves the use of tape with 40% to 60% elasticity. The tape in question features durable four-day wearing periods that allow for more therapeutic effects than traditional taping. The tape used is latex free and hypoallergenic. Active patients will appreciate how the tape channels out air, sweat, and water to enhance skin breathing. Our therapists can vary the effects of the taping by applying the tape unstretched or pre-stretched; in various patterns; to skin that is unstretched or stretched.

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This technique has been connected with improved physical therapy results in focal dystonia, chronic low back pain, shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinopathy, and acute whiplash.^1-6 Because our patients can wear the high-grade tape for more significant time spans, structures can be affected to enhance treatment for problems one might not usually consider. Kinesio Taping gives our therapists an advantage in the treatment of:

• Lymphedema
• Edema
• Scars & adhesions
• Neurological conditions
• Shoulder conditions
• Hematomas
• Tendon, ligament, & joint injuries
• Retraining in healthier movement patterns
• Back pain
• Whiplash and neck injuries

Kinesio Taping at Primary Spine & Rehab offers a variety of mechanisms for improving circulation.  Therapists can apply the elastic tape to literally lift the skin and thereby provide relief from mechanical pressures on the peripheral circulatory system.  The elastic works as a pump.  By allowing appropriate movement in a muscle or joint, normal circulation is helped compared to other orthopedic protection strategies.  The Kinesio Taping Association used a Doppler machine to study the effects of Kinesio Taping on blood flow associated with specific medical problems.  They compared measurements taken with and without taping.  The authors measured improvement in arterial blood flow ranging from 21% to 61%.  Subsequent, independent research has verified that Kinesio Taping enhances normal decongestive therapy approaches for edema / lymphedema.^7,8

1. Pelosin E, Avanzino L, Marchese R, et al. Kinesio Taping reduces pain and modulates sensory function in patients with focal dystonia. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2013; 27 (8): 722-731.
2. Thelen M, Dauber J, Stoneman P. The clinical efficacy of Kinesio Tape for shoulder pain: a randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2008; 38 (7): 389-395.
3. Hsu Y, Chen W, Lin H, et al. The effects of taping on scapular kinematics and muscle performance in baseball players with shoulder impingement syndrome. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2009 Dec; 19 (6): 1092-9.
4. Gonzalez-Iglesias J, Fernandez-De-Las-Penas C, Cleland 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 clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2009; 39 (7): 515-521.
5. Kaya E, Sinnuroglu M, Tugeu I. Kinesio Taping compared to physical therapy modalities for the treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome. Clin Rheumatol. 2011; 30: 201-207.
6. Paoloni M, Bernetti A, Fratocchi G, et al. Kinesio taping applied to lumbar muscles influences clinical and electromyographic characteristics in chronic low back pain patients. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2011; 47: 237-244.
7.  Lipinska A, Sliwinski Z, Kiebzak W, et al. The influence of kinesiotaping applications on lymphoedema of an upper limb in women after mastectomy. Fizjoterapia Polska. 2007; 3 (4): 258-269.
8. Bialoszewski D, Wozniak W, Zarek S, et al. Clinical efficacy of kinesiology taping in reducing edema of the lower limbs in patients treated with the Ilizarov Method. Orthopedia Traumatologia Rehabilitacja. 2009; 1 (6): 46-54.