Taping is an essential part of any rehabilitation process and injury prevention, we use taping frequently for our clients to support their recovery and getting them back on track faster after their setbacks.
What benefit does taping have?
Taping aims to help provide extra support and structure to injured or inflamed joints.
This can help with your recovery process as it takes unwanted pressure from the affected area and allows fluent movement to happen in desired directions. On the other hand, it can also limit movement, preventing already existing strains or stretched ligaments and reduce other soft tissues from being overworked and over-stretched. Taping is also proven to be used as pain relief for a lot of patients, this can lead to improving their confidence to get back into routine and within the fitness regime.
Is there more than one type of taping?
Yes, there are three main types of taping, and they relate to the different materials used and their functions.
Rigid Tape – This form of tape is a rough texture and provides a heap of support. This tape is generally used to reduce movement and can be used to ‘guide’ joint movement to enhance stability to allow the client to participate in desired activities.
Kinesiology Tape – commonly known as ‘KT Tape’. This tape provides support to soft tissue, especially for muscle and ligament damage. It works directly by replicating similar movements through its elastic texture. KT tape isn’t designed to be as supportive as rigid tape, it offers a lot more movement and flexibility which can be ideal during rehabilitation.
Elastic Taping – Is a much lighter and elastic texture, it does provide significantly less support compared to rigid and KT taping. Elastic taping is favoured with clients who have to tape over long periods of time, and can also be used for light support day-to-day or when performing exercises that may aggravate a previous injury.
Before you rush to purchase tape that YOU think will work for you, here’s what you can do:
- Check in with your physio to can see what is recommended for YOUR injury
- Allow your physio to teach you the most effective taping technique to increase your mobility and support
- We can recommend a tape that will best suit YOU
- Develop a plan for your taping technique, and set specific goals for YOUR BODY.