Kinesiology Tape: 3 Myths vs. Facts explained by medical professionals

Kinesiology tape used to treat injuries is often a hotly disputed and vastly misunderstood topic of conversation in the sports medicine world. You’ve probably heard conflicting arguments and might be wondering what the truth is about kinesiology tape. Let’s set the record straight and tackle the common myths and facts about kinesiology tape:

Myth: Kinesiology Tape is only for athletes

Fact: Kinesiology Tape can be beneficial to all types of patients.

While Kinesiology Sports Tape is regularly seen on professional athletes, it can help a wide variety of patients. In fact, 85% of Kinesiology Taping techniques were developed for non-athletic uses. I have personally utilized Kinesiology Taping methods to assist my patients with postural correction, muscle facilitation, and inhibition, joint support, and to help reduce pain and inflammation. I’ve witnessed positive results for patients of all ages and at varying activity levels. Kinesiology Taping is appropriate for all stages of treatment. It can be used for acute injuries, chronic issues, and even to prevent re-injury.

Myth: Anyone can apply Kinesiology Tape

Fact: Only certified professionals should apply it

Many people believe that anyone can apply Therapeutic Tape because it seems like a simple technique. In reality, the correct application is complicated and requires a more in-depth knowledge of human physiology. While you can find self-help videos on the internet claiming it is easy to apply, this is most often not the case, and the tape itself is ineffective if applied incorrectly. Many Taping techniques require specific patient movements during the application, or they require a certain percentage of tension to be applied to the tape in a specific direction. This makes it very challenging to apply without medical training and knowledge of the underlying anatomy. Prior to taping, a professional diagnosis is essential. Patients who might benefit from Kinesiology Taping are recommended to first have a PT evaluation to assess the problem accurately.

Myth – Kinesiology tape provides solely a placebo effect

Fact: The effect of properly applied tape goes far beyond a placebo.

Not only is there evidence that sport tape is effective, there are several studies that have shown that its effectiveness is not just as a placebo.  

In this study, patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to either the experimental group (therapeutic kinesiology taping with tension) or the control group (sham kinesiology taping without tension) and had no way of knowing which group they were a part of.  Torque, stair climbing, and pain during stair climbing were all measured pre and post-tape application and researches noted significant improvement in all measures in only the group that received actual, therapeutic tape application.

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