People often wonder what the benefits of taping a body part are. While in previous years rigid taping was used to support the joints where they were deemed “unstable”, new advances have resulted in the development of a different type of tape with unique properties.
Kinesiotape is an elastic form of taping that have many benefits. Like its predecessor (rigid tape) it can still assist the stability of the joint but in a different way. While rigid tape physically restricted unwanted movements in the joint, kinesiotape aims to improve the body’s awareness of the joint thereby increasing the activity of the muscles that stabilize the joint.
One of the other great features of kinesiotape is its ability to separate the layers of tissue to allow for the movement of fluid through a region. This is particularly useful when there is swelling in a region. The combined effects of compression with the lifting of the tissue layers aid the removal of excessive fluid from the area.
Have look at the picture to see the dramatic effects of a cross pattern taping technique demonstrating how the tape can help reduce fluid and bruising.