Taping, sports taping, athletic taping, kinesiology taping, and strapping all refer to a popular technique used by physiotherapists to support and stabilize joints and muscles. It’s often used by athletes to prevent or treat an injury, and, though it was invented over 50 years ago, it gained widespread popularity in more recent years for its effectiveness.
In this article, we’re going to explore the different types of taping, their uses, and their benefits.
Taping is commonly used to stabilize an injury to prevent further strain or to prevent an injury. It’s also used to relieve pain, improve joint stability, reduce strain, improve circulation and swelling, improve muscle fatigue, and more.
It can even be used to treat chronic issues such as migraines, headaches, carpal tunnel, and tendonitis.
Taping works by applying a specialized tape to offer support to a specific area. Different types of tapes provide different support.
The most common types of tape include Athletic Tape or Sports Tape, which is used to prevent injuries and provide joint stability, and Kinesiology Tape, which is a more flexible tape that provides light compression and pain relief while allowing a full range of motion.
There are also different methods of taping, like Mulligan Taping, a method of applying tape to aid movement, and McConnell Taping, which is often used to treat anterior knee pain.
Taping isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment, and while you can find how-to videos online, it’s something that is most effective when done by a professional.
Before applying the tape, you must make sure that the skin is healthy, meaning areas without broken skin or irritation like cuts, rashes, sunburns, etc. It’s also important to check the skin sensitivity of the person being taped and to ensure they’re not allergic to the tape being used.
It’s also important to make sure the area is free of hair ahead of time and cleaned before applying the tape.
When applying the tape, it’s important to make sure it goes on smoothly and isn’t impacting circulation.
Taping isn’t a magic fix for sore muscles or injuries, but it can be an effective aid when applied correctly. At Bryan College, our Taping Workshop is led by an experienced Registered Physiotherapist and is designed for other healthcare professionals who want to gain the skills to add taping to their practice.
Our workshop is a one-day class that covers the fundamentals of taping, proper application and when to use it effectively, and hands-on training focuses on key areas like the ankle, foot, wrist, elbow, and more.
Learn more or sign up online today!
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