Kinesio Tape: The New Revolutionary Athletic Tape
“Experimental study of Kinesio Tape on athletic injuries”
Tarleton State University - Kinesiology
Nathan Johnson & Shelby Douglass
Introduction
Methodology
Sports medicine is becoming a very big profession in
today’s society. Athletic trainers can be found not only in
secondary athletic settings, but also in colleges,
professional athletics, businesses, and so many more
places. Athletic trainers are constantly looking for new
rehabilitation techniques and taping methods. The
advances of medicine require athletic trainers to always
be willing to learn new techniques in the field. Athletic
trainers are required to get continuing education units to
keep up with these advancements. Alternative
certifications are also encouraged. One certification that is
becoming more popular in the sports medicine field is a
Kinesio Taping Certification. This new taping method was
brought to the United States in the mid 1990s. It was first
introduced to physical therapists and orthopedists. In the
last few years athletes have been using the tape more and
more to help with injuries. This tape is supposed to help
with the rehabilitation process. The tape is to be applied
along with the muscle fibers to lift skin and muscles to
help with blood and lymphatic flow. This helps with healing
and is said to bring athletes back faster and more
efficiently.
Qualitative study
Experimental
Surveys
The experiment will include athletes who
have already been through some type of
rehabilitation process and used regular
taping techniques. The athlete’s progress
will be documented daily. Hopefully at the
end of the study there will be a better
understanding of how to properly use and
apply the Kinesio Tape. This will help
further educate athletic trainers so that the
sports medicine population can better
assist athletes to get back to playing faster
and more efficiently.
Implications of Study
Does the tape assist in the
rehabilitation process?
Does it help with stability and support?
Does it help an athlete heal and
recover quicker than traditional ways?
Literature Review
Kinesio taping techniques were invented by a Japanese
man named Kenzo Kase and brought over to the United
States in the 1990s
In the case study done for costochondritis the researcher
performed a certain taping technique as instructed by the
Kinesio taping manual. This technique consisted of two
steps. The first is taking an I strip and apply it over
chondrosternal joints. Second step is to place another I
strip horizontally over fifth costocartilage.
In the study done with the volleyball athlete who suffered
from costochondritis, she had good results from using
the tape along with her rehab. “Athlete reported being
more aware of the stress she applied to the
costocartilage while playing”. The technique used was
more beneficial when the athlete was in the acute stages
of her ailment.
Significance of Study
The world of athletic training is
constantly changing due to advances in
medicine. It is not uncommon to be
using one method for treatment and
rehabilitation one year and the next are
completely different. The beauty of the
sports medicine field is that athletic
trainers are always learning. This new
brand of tape (Kinesio Tape) that was
introduced in the late 1990’s is still
somewhat unfamiliar to the world of
sports medicine. It has been, up until
recently, used mainly in the physical
therapy setting or orthopedic clinics.
Now, more and more athletic trainers
are being certified and taught how to
apply the tape as to assist athletes to
heal and recover faster. The goal of this
study is to determine whether or not
Kinesio Tape can be more beneficial
than just rehabilitation alone. The tape is
supposed to work alongside the rehab
process as to help blood and lymphatic
flow. This should help the athlete to heal
and recover faster than traditional
methods alone.