Kinesio taping was created with the idea that the body is capable of healing itself but has to overcome obstacles in order to do this.  Health care providers are able to help the body overcome these obstacles in a variety of ways to help speed up the healing process.  Kinesio tape is one of the ways that can help speed up the recovery process.  This method is used to aid in soft tissue injury recovery by increasing circulation and lymphatic drainage while helping promote correct muscle and joint functionality. 

Kinesio tape is different from all other tapes because of its ability to stretch and mimic the qualities of the skin on our bodies.  When the tape is applied to the skin at the site of the injury it lifts the skin in order to increase circulation to the area and increase the lymphatic drainage from the area. 

Muscle relaxation for tired or overused muscle can be helped when the tape is applied to the skin form the end of the muscle (insertion) to the beginning of the muscle (origin).  This helps to take some of the tension off of the muscle and allow it to relax.  If a muscle is underused or weak following an injury the tape can be applied from origin to insertion to help increase its ability to function correctly and add some stability to the area.  There are very specific ways that the tape can be manipulated to achieve these goals. 

Kinesio tape must be cut and applied specific ways to each area of the body to get the desired results.  If the tape is not applied correctly it is just tape on your skin and will not help speed up recovery.  If you have been recently injured or have a reoccurring injury make an appointment with Dr Gabriel Caraway D.C. to see if you will benefit from this functional bracing technique.