Developed 30 years ago in Japan, Kinesio Tape is gaining popularity since being seen on Olympic athletes in the recent Beijing Games. Available in a variety of colours, Kinesio Tape is used in nearly every medical discipline to treat patients – especially Physiotherapists, Athletics Therapists, Chiropractors, and Physicians.
The tape helps to treat athletes and optimize the biomechanics of a muscle or joint. Depending on the technique used, Kinesio Tape can facilitate or inhibit muscles, and since it is waterproof, it can be left on for 3-5 days, even if the athlete is training in the pool.
The first international exposure was at the Seoul Games in 1988, and since then has been increasingly used for rehabilitative and acute injury treatment – it also provides neurological stimulation.
D’arcey Musselman, Doctor of Chiropractic and Manager of the SportMedBC Performance Program says “from my clinical experience, athletes have experienced improved posture and muscle efficiency as well as reduced pain from injury while using this tape.
The elastic properties allow the athlete to maintain full range of motion, proper biomechanical movement of the joint and helps to reduce muscle imbalances”.
See the Kinesio Tape website for more information, and Kinesio Tape Canada for Certification courses available in your area.
