The Theory Behind the Tape

Learn How Kinesiology Tape Can Help You

Kinesiology tape or K-tape, is an elasticated, adhesive tape that is applied to the skin of individuals to enhance the healing process of sporting injuries or aid musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Made up of many fine cotton and nylon fibres the tape can stretch with the skin without peeling off or damaging skin cells, allowing users to experience the benefits of wearing K-tape for many days at a time.

Originated from Japan this treatment modality has gained massive popularity in recent years having been used at the Olympic games and many other elite sporting events, commonly seen in sports such as Triathlons, CrossFit, Volleyball and Cycling.

It is theorised that K-tape affects 2 mechanisms; decompression and neurosensory stimulation to promote a reduction in pain and alter poor movement patterns. K-tape aims to help facilitate or to re-facilitate correct execution of movement, whilst being inexpensive, easy to use and widely assessable to many athletes.

Kinesiology Tape for Decompression

When soft tissue becomes damaged through overuse or trauma, as a form of self-protection our bodies tighten through an inflammation process, restricting movement in order to lay down scar tissue. Unfortunately, scar tissue is a form of collagen which is not as pliable and cannot withstand as much tensile stress compared to healthy soft tissue. Inflammation and lack of elasticity of the tissues cause surrounding blood vessels and nerve endings between the muscle and skin to be compressed.

K-tape is stretched and applied to the area of skin which is also stretched (passively) in order to “lift” the skin when the treated area returns to a normal or contracted position. At times this visually is seen through wrinkles in the tape which pulls the skin up promoting improvements in blood flow and lymphatic fluid filtration to and from the taped area. A more efficient transition allows for faster removal of injury waste products and pain generating chemicals and thus leads to faster healing.

This effect can visibly be seen when K-tape is applied over an edema or contusion. Strips are laid on the skin of the injuries area and after 24-48hrs areas of which the tape covered the bruise disappears, along with a reduction in the colour and size of edema where the K-tape wasn’t applied (in-between the strips). K-tape is now commonly used within sports teams as a form of acute injury management for swelling and bruising, especially in the lower body of which gravity makes it harder for the flow of toxins and other injury waste products to travel up to the lymph glands.

Kinesiology Tape for Neurosensory Stimulation

Through the decompression of nerve endings between the skin and skeletal muscle, it is suggested that application of K-tape on the skin causes neurosensory input which activates the Gate Control Theory.

Gate Control Theory apposes that when we experience pain it is caused via pain receptors signalling to the brain through the central nervous system. When stimulation of non-painful receptors feedback they “close the gate” blocking the painful input to the central nervous system and therefore the brain. Thus, tricking the brain allowing for pain free movement.

Along with the overriding pain signals K-tape can be applied along tendons to share the stresses placed upon tissues; providing additional stabilisation. K-tape stretched in line with the tendon can aid the elastic recoil from tensile stress to power production, supporting weakened, damaged and/or fatigued tendons, a main reason for its vast use in endurance sports.

The other suggestion is within our skin there are many receptors, some of these called mechanoreceptors. These sensory receptors respond to alterations in mechanical pressure and distortion, offering feedback to the brain to stimulate muscle activation in order to perform fine motor control actions.

Mechanoreceptors also contribute to proprioception; the awareness of where components of your body are and the motion of which they are traveling. Proprioception is a key element of movement, especially balance and complex, sporting motor patterns. When K-tape is applied to the skin it stimulates mechanoreceptors which enhance your proprioceptive ability, promoting an increase in the quality of movement.

In therapy, K-tape is used to improve posture alignment. K-tape helps correct poor joint posture through activating muscles and stimulating mechanoreceptors to “switch on” dormant, inactive muscles, which lead to inhibition of the tight muscles that facilitate the misalignment. As K-tape can be left on the skin for up to a week it is ideal for the stimulation of tonic muscles (muscles that consist of predominantly slow twitch muscle fibres), which tend to be responsible for maintaining optimal posture. 

In some cases, the application of K-tape improves the natural sliding and gliding of tissue layers, relieving pain from dysfunctional movement patterns which place additional stress on soft tissues along with additional wearing of joint surfaces. This greater efficiency of movement boosts performance, as tissues can distribute and produce force without the loss of power from restricted tissues. K-tape can also re-enforce lax or sprained ligaments and tendons, decreasing the potential excessive range of motion.

A Stepping Stone

K-tape is also used similarly to sports strapping and taping techniques, giving athletes an extra level of confidence and support to an injured or rehabilitating joint. Due to the stretching properties of K-tape it is usually a stepping stone from a more acute injury and usage of rigid tape such as zinc oxide tape. It offers support whilst having the ability to be stretched to various tensions allowing athletes to be weaned off tape usage and regain psychological belief in the previously injured area. This helps facilitate an athlete’s proprioception often lost from joint injuries and/or surgery.