Kinesiotaping is being more commonly used by sports personal trainers and sports massage therapists to prevent injury and reduce the severity of injury.
The main aims of therapeutic taping are:
- to prevent injury
- to limit further injury
- to provide support in specific ways especially when a joint or ligament can’t function normally
- to reduce pain by taking pressure off the nerve receptors which send the pain signal
- to limit specific movements at a joint
- to encourage more desired movements at a joint.
- to increase lymphatic and venous drainage
- to re-educate the muscle or joint
- to decrease muscle cramps
- to decrease fatigue in the muscles and joints
Kinesiotaping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. Indeed, it provides support for overused tired muscles in a non-restrictive way, allowing full range of motion without affecting the flow of fluids.
Taping is a technique based on the body’s own natural healing process by activating the neurological and circulatory systems. Muscles are not only involved with movement of the body but they control the circulation of venous and lymph flows, body temperature, etc. Muscles not working properly have far reaching implications so it is no surprise that their failure to work as they should, causes various kinds of symptoms.
Thus, it makes sense to treat the muscles in order to activate the body’s own healing processes. Using tape, damaged tissues can be helped by outside assistance!
Obvious uses involve improving muscle strength, providing joint support in healing or when about to use them in an athletic activity e.g., throwing a javelin.
This is different to traditional sports’ taping which is used to stabilise a joint say during a football match. The problem with this is the obstructing of the flow of body fluids. This is not good.
Taping can be used for foot problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/pain, knee conditions, shoulder pain, hamstring, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, compression in swollen conditions, ankle sprains, athletic preventative injury method, and as a support method. It also helps in proprioception, the body’s way of telling the brain where it is in space. It is the lack of proprioception that leads to many injuries.
Therapists who do this kinesiotaping: Megan Ryan
Suite 5 Braehead Way Shopping Centre, Bridge of Don,
Aberdeen AB22 8RR
01224 822960, 01224 822956
info@brookscarterclinic.co.uk