08/21/2022
So what is Kinesiology Tape? And how does it really Work?
Kinesiology tape is a stretchable breathable tape. Due to the elasticity of the tape it does not restrict range of motion. It was invented in the 1970s by Dr. Kenzo Case, a Japanese Chiropractor. Dr. Kase was looking for a way to help his patients in between visits. He tried other tapes but all of them restricted range of motion, thus he invented elastic kinesiology tape. It was not until the early 2000’s that it crossed over into the equine/animal world.
How does it work?
There is actually nothing special about the tape . It’s not a miracle tape. It’s not the force of the tape that works. It’s the way the tape communicates with the nervous system! Say what? Yes! The tape communicates with the nervous system to make long term changes in the tissue. The easiest way I’ve heard it explained is, the tape sticks to the hair and lifts the hair, this lifts the dermal skin layer and decompresses everything underneath 😲.
Each hair sits in something called a sensory plexus. The sensory plexus had mechanoreceptors in it.
(A Mechanoreceptor is a sense organ or cell that responds to mechanical stimuli such as touch or sound. ) We talk to the nervous system through these mechanoreceptors! Decompressing the mechanoreceptors says different things depending on the type of receptors. Different applications communicate different things.
We can:
Support tendons, ligaments, and joints
Relax trigger points,Decrease fatigue
Unwind fascia ,Give pain relief
Improve proprioception ,Increase circulation, Support muscles
Decrease edema
