One of the most important aspects of integrating kinesiology tape into your practice is knowing how to use it properly. This may sound like a simple statement, but the vast majority of applicators don’t actually know how to properly apply kinesiology tape. This is not to say that they are uneducated. On the contrary, most people who do it incorrectly have advanced degrees in rehabilitation medicine. However, they are simply applying the same logic for kinesiology taping as they do for other types of rehabilitative taping.
When we set out to create a system of kinesiology taping that was easy to follow and implement, we spent 100’s of hours reviewing articles, books, videos and most importantly, research studies. It was in this fact gathering that we concluded the blocking and sequencing of the keystone of our system; the application grid.
One of the most important blocks on this grid is the tape tension column. In researching all the different ‘methods’ of taping, we found ourselves circling back to one particular study. Singapore researchers Lim and Tay suggests that kinesiology tape can be clinically beneficial. They found that kinesiology tape is as effective as other minimal interventions at reducing musculoskeletal pain. They analyzed 17 randomized controlled trials (RCT) in a true meta-analysis that pooled each study’s results. Lim and Tay focused only on pain and disability outcomes in chronic (greater than 4 weeks) musculoskeletal pain patients. In contrast, other reviews and analyses that concluded kinesiology tape is not beneficial included non-randomized trials, and sometimes included patients with acute musculoskeletal conditions. This is why it is so important to understand how the research was performed and not just read the conclusions.
Their study suggests that kinesiology tape be an effective adjunct in rehabilitation as a pain-relieving intervention similar to ice or heat. These findings are consistent with the review by Montalvo et al. (2014) , who stated, “Kinesiology tape may be used in conjunction with or in place of more traditional therapies.”
What was most intriguing to us beyond the results, was the common tape tensions that continued to yield the best results. This is study influenced how we determined the use of the percentages we suggest in our grid. The tape tension percentages we set in our system are baselines and should be used as guides for consistent treatments.
Last, if we are looking to generate similar outcomes found in these studies as well as others, we must always remember that the tension must be properly applied to the therapeutic zone PRIOR to it touching the skin, rather than AS you lay it down. If we attempt to lay down the tape AND stretch as we go, the tape tension will be inconsistent and likely yield poor outcomes. The more success we have as professionals with kinesiology tape, the more people we grow to trust its capabilities to help who suffer from chronic or recurring pain.
