Kinesio Taping
Kinesio taping is a popular method used by physical therapists and chiropractors to reduce swelling, reduce pain, provide support, and improve performance. The professionals at Long Island Chiropractic & Physical Therapy often use Kinesio taping with great success.
What Is Kinesio Tape?
The Kinesio tape is made of cotton and nylon and is very stretchy. It is designed to match your skin’s natural elasticity. Because it is so stretchy, the tape won’t affect your range of motion, which is essential if you are wearing the tape long-term. Also, the tape is water-resistant, which allows you to wear it in the shower or while working out.
How Can Kinesio Taping Promote Healing?
There are a few ways that Kinesio taping can reduce pain and promote healing.
- Improved circulation: After an injury, swelling is common, and it can inhibit healing. Kinesio taping can improve circulation, which will reduce the swelling, allowing the injury to heal faster.
- Creates space in the joints: Kinesio taping can create space in the joints, which is essential in preventing irritation. It can create space in the knee joint and the shoulder joint. It won’t be a vast space, but it is enough.
- Change the pain signal pathways: Every piece of tissue in your body has sensory receptors that feel pain. When applied correctly, the tape allows the tissue to lift. When this happens, it will change the information that the sensory nerves send regarding the pain in your body. This can reduce your level of pain.
How Can You Benefit From Kinesio Taping?
- Treating injuries: After an injury, having Kinesio tape applied by a professional can reduce pain, swelling, and the injury will heal faster.
- Provides support for weak areas: Kinesio tape is effective in providing extra support to your joints and muscles. If you have an injury, the tape will give the area the additional support that it needs to speed up the healing process. Because the tape is flexible, it can provide support without affecting your range of motion.
- Retrain muscles: While healing from an injury, it is not uncommon to lose some muscle function due to lack of use. When this happens, the Kinesio tape will retrain the muscles helping them to get strong again. The tape can also help retrain muscles in people who have been walking with a limp for an extended period. It is also helpful for patients who have had a stroke and need to improve the way that they walk.
- Manage scarring: If you have suffered an injury that could cause a significant scar, Kinesio taping could help. Studies have shown that the tape can reduce the scar’s appearance after the wound has healed.
- Prevent injury: Kinesio taping is very popular with athletes who are trying to prevent an injury while training or competing. Also, Kinesio taping is common for marathon runners because it can improve their performance.
If you have suffered an injury and you’re considering Kinesio taping as a part of your treatment, the professionals at Long Island Chiropractic & Physical Therapy can help. To contact our Smithtown location call us at (631) 724-1991. For our West Islip location, dial (631) 661-1400 to schedule your appointment.