S
o, what is Kinesio Tape? Kinesio Tape is an advanced form of taping that was developed by Dr. Kenso Kase. He created it in the 1970s after frustration with standard tapings’ inability to support structures yet allow them to function normally. Dr. Kase had a strong background in kinesiology, and he knew that much musculoskeletal pain resulted from dysfunction of the joints and their surrounding tissues. In light of this, he created Kinesio Tape to address skin, fascia, muscles, ligaments, joints, and the circulatory/lymphatic system.
Kinesio Taping can be used for the following conditions:
- Functional correction
- Inhibition correction
- Ligament/tendon correction
- Lymphatic/Circulation correction
- Mechanical correction
- Fascial correction
- Space correction
Most of us are familiar with the ‘black tape’ that is used on the Olympic and professional athletes. This tape tends to be either Kinesio Tape or RockTape.
It is important to note that only a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner® has the proper training to know how to fully utilize the tape for all types of injuries and conditions. Kinesio Taping has profound effects on the function of your musculoskeletal system. It is not advisable for anyone who is NOT certified to apply tape (of any kind) as they could do a significant amount of harm. Dr. Manison has seen too many injuries made worse due to the improper application of tape! Taping has science behind it and application requires a complete knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, and physiology.
There are now many other brands of tape that compete with Kinesio Tape. One that Dr. Manison has found to be superior in quality and function is RockTape. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the standard tape is simply stickier. They also offer a version of the tape that makes it even more sticky (180%) and waterproof as well (whereas Kinesio Tape and standard RockTape are just water resistant). In addition, RockTape is available in a 4-inch width (Kinesio Tape is not) that allows for a stronger hold and larger coverage areas. Dr. Manison mostly uses RockTape now. In fact, he wrote a chapter in the third edition of the RockTape manual that was published in 2012.
