Physical Therapy Services
Kinesio® Taping
Rehabilitative taping that supports muscles and joints through full range of motion.
Kinesio® Taping
Kinesiology Taping is a precise rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints. This technique allows the body’s normal range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting.
Kinesio tape is latex-free and hypoallergenic which makes it “skin friendly” for patients with sensitive or fragile skin such as patients with diabetes, fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis. You can wear it for multiple days at a time. Because it is heat-activated, you can even wear it in the shower or pool without it peeling off. It is safe for patients of multiple age groups ranging from pediatric to geriatric, and it successfully treats a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and other medical conditions. Kinesiology Taping is a therapeutic taping technique that not only offers patients the support they are looking for, but also provides rehabilitation. By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, kinesiology tape alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. This lifting affect forms convolutions in the skin thus increasing interstitial space and allowing for a decrease in inflammation of the affected areas.
If you want to learn more about Kinesiology Taping and see if it is right for you, please contact us today at (718) 714-6995 to set up an appointment for your own evaluation.
How This Works
What kinesio® taping treatment involves
Kinesiology tape is an elastic cotton tape applied over skin along or around a muscle or joint. Unlike rigid athletic strapping, which restricts movement, it stretches with you — the intention is to support and give feedback to the area while still allowing the body’s normal range of motion.
Application takes a few minutes at the end of a session. Your therapist decides the direction, tension and pattern for the area being treated, prepares the skin, and applies the strips. Because it is heat-activated it adheres more firmly once it has been rubbed down and warmed, and it is designed to stay on for multiple days, including through showering and swimming.
What to Expect
Your visits, step by step
Applied as part of a session
Taping is normally the last few minutes of a treatment, after the hands-on and exercise work — it is used to extend the effect of what was done in the room, not as a visit on its own.
Skin preparation
The area needs to be clean and dry, and very hairy areas may need trimming for the tape to adhere. Your therapist positions the joint or muscle before applying, since the tension is set relative to that position.
Wearing it
It stays on for several days at a time. You can shower and swim in it; pat it dry rather than rubbing. Your therapist will tell you when to remove it and what to look for in the meantime.
Reassessment at the next visit
How the area felt while taped is useful information, and it guides whether the pattern is repeated, changed or dropped.
Benefits
What kinesio® taping treatment is used for
- Used to provide support and stability to muscles and joints while still allowing normal range of motion.
- Used to extend soft tissue treatment beyond the clinic session, since the tape stays on between visits.
- Latex-free and hypoallergenic, which is why it is used on patients with sensitive or fragile skin, including people with diabetes, fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis.
- Applied across a wide age range, from paediatric to geriatric patients, and for orthopaedic, neuromuscular and neurological conditions.
Results of an injury vary from person to person. What is appropriate for you is decided at your evaluation — call (718) 714-6995 and we can talk it through.
Common Questions
Kinesio® Taping FAQs
Does the tape hurt to wear or remove?
Wearing it should not hurt — you may feel a light pulling on the skin, which is the tape doing its job. Remove it slowly, in the direction of hair growth, ideally after a shower when the adhesive has softened. Take it off and tell us if you get itching, burning or a rash.
How long does it stay on?
It is designed to be worn for multiple days at a time. Because it is heat-activated it survives showering and swimming without peeling straight off. Your therapist will tell you when to remove yours.
Can I get it wet?
Yes. You can shower and swim with it on. Pat the tape dry afterwards rather than rubbing at the edges.
Is it suitable for sensitive skin?
The tape is latex-free and hypoallergenic, which is why it is used with patients who have sensitive or fragile skin. Tell your therapist about any skin conditions or adhesive reactions before it is applied.
Can I just buy the tape and apply it myself?
The tape is widely available, but where it is placed, in which direction and at what tension is chosen from what your examination found — and that is the part that makes it specific to your problem. Call (718) 714-6995 if you would like an evaluation first.
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