There are many ways that Kinesio Tape can positively affect your body, however the following 5 are ways that can affect your body to reduce recovery times.
1. It Keeps Your Muscles Balanced
If you have ever had an injury anywhere on your body, you will have noticed other areas of your body becoming sore.
If you injure an ankle or knee for example, you will probably have noticed pain in or around your hips.
Basically, what’s happening is that your body is using muscles, around the injured area, to reduce the amount of movement or pressure on the injured area. They then become sore themselves because they are being over worked.
In a nutshell an injury can throw out the natural balance of your bodies muscular system.
Kinesio tape helps to calm down the overactive muscles. It does this by helping your body move a little more like it would if it weren’t hurt. This allows the injured area to heal properly, while preventing injury or pain from spreading around your body.
2. Distribution of Physical Stresses
Kinesio tapes, unlike conventional tapes, are elastic, which allows for full movement of the area that is taped.
Kinesio tapes elasticity, and therefore quick recoil properties, help to distribute forces to other nearby areas through the fascia, ligaments, and sometimes even bones. This reduces the amount of stress on the injured or painful area. Therefore, reducing the time it needs to fully recover.
3. Disrupts Pain Signals
Whenever you bump any body part your natural reaction is to rub it. Then suddenly, as if by magic, the pain reduces, and you start feeling better.
Either you are an amazing massage therapist, or you have just interfered with the pain signals travelling from that spot to the brain.
Kinesio tape works in a very similar way when used on points, or chronic pain. When applied correctly, kinesio tape helps to change how your body is interpreting pain, turning down the level of pain, effectively making your body feel less of it.
4. Decompresses Areas That Are Swollen or Inflamed
When Kinesio tape is applied it has a microscopic lifting effect.
The multiple layers beneath the skin and around the inflamed area are freed up a microscopic amount allowing for better circulation in the area.
This promotes the removal of by-products created by the inflammation and increases the flow of healthy fluids needed to heal the area.
5. Delaying Fatigue
Research shows that Kinesio tape applied to the skin can reduce muscle fatigue. This is very important during periods of recovery and rehabilitation.
The affected muscles will be able to recover quicker. While the surrounding areas, that are under extra strain, will be able to work harder for longer with less chance of fatiguing and becoming injured.
CBR Massage
There are several types of Kinesio Tape available at most chemists. Here at CBR Massage we use RockTape. As it has the lowest reported cases of adverse reactions to the adhesive used and is a very high quality.
If you are interested in seeing if these 5 ways of Kinesio Tape can affect your body to improve your recovery, talk to your therapist at your next appointment.