Functional kinesiology-based therapeutic taping, or functional taping for short, is not your regular tough white-tape job that your high school coach used to patch you up in a pinch after rolling your ankle. Functional taping is a revolutionary new taping method which is rapidly sweeping the athletic world from the Olympics to the Professional sports leagues. However, it comfortable and effective for everyday complaints in all individuals.
Video demonstrating the benefits and uses of Kinesio Tape:
Kensio tape is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused or tired muscles during movement, and works on a 24-hour-a-daybasis. Its application has been used to treat everything from headaches to foot problems and all those between.
Specific application examples include these plus many more:
Rehabilitation from sports injuries
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Low Back Strain/Pain
Patella Femoral Pain Syndrome and other knee complaints
Shoulder Pain
Postural strain
The following are the many benefits associated with kinesio tape:
Pain Reduction: the unique features of the tape enhance sensory stimulation leading to decreased perception of pain by stimulating the skins natural pain relieving mechanisms. Results in the restoration of normal position sense and muscle activation patterns so that damaging and painful movements are avoided.
Enhances Rate of Healing: the tape gently grips and lifts the skin from the underlying tissues which improves lymphatic drainage clearing away cellular debris, enhances the microcirculatory flow which reduces swelling (and thus pressure pain and joint limitations imposed by the swelling) as well as carries away inflammatory chemicals by restoring adequate blood flow.
Early Rehabilitation: improved muscle and joint function allow a patient to achieve early pain-free range of motion as well as early initiation of strengthening and other rehabilitative exercises.
Improved Posture: Dynamically assists postural muscles and prevents their overstretching and overuse.
Structural Support: prevents harmful ranges of motion without a hard end feel but with a smooth controlled limitation.
Enhanced Performance: restores a muscles normal activation and function. Also indirectly improves performance by decreasing repetitive strain trauma, decreasing onset of muscular fatigue, and the reducing the occurrence of muscle cramping. Improved proprioceptive feedback enables proper biomechanics for use during activity.
Injury Prevention: re-establishes proprioception by adding additional neural feedback to the brain on joint position sense and thus functional joint stability. This will aid in preventing harmful paths of motion along with a smooth controlled limitation of potentially harmful end ranges of motion.
Therapy Between Treatments: with a typical application period of 3-4 days patients are maintaining treatment benefits between manual treatment sessions.
The Tape:
Comfort and durability: The tape is made from 100% high grade woven cotton allowing for comfort and air-permeability so each application can be worn for several days. Due to its moisture-wicking properties the tape is designed to survive sporting activities, sweating, and showering. The tape is latex-free and has a very light, mild, and hypo-allergenic heat activated adhesive.
Functional: The tape is unique in that it also has a large elastic component which has the same flexibility as human skin and muscles allowing for full, if not improved, range of motion in contrast to traditional sports taping which is wrapped around a joint strictly for stabilization and support over a short period of time. The tape is manufactured to be the same weight, thickness and elasticity as the skin and is therefore able to integrate with the body’s sensory system naturally providing important feedback on muscle stretch and joint position sense.
Rehabilitation exercise to re-educate the muscle’s, or other structure’s, function for optimal performance is often essential along with Functional Taping Methods and can be the key factor in preventing a recurrence in the future.
Chiromechanics is your Functional Taping provider for Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Thornbury, Meaford, Stayner, Nottawasaga, Creemore, Barrie, Midland, Owen Sound, Georgian Bay and Central Ontario
