Rehabilitative taping has been around for decades. Seen on both professional and amateur sports figures for years, athletic taping has been a mainstay in helping protect joints, control movement and prevent injury. These rigid tapes invented by Johnson & Johnson in the 1920s are well known both on and off the playing fields. Perhaps you had an ankle taped before your high school football games.

Semi rigid tape, introduced by Jenny McConnell in 1986 and Brian Mulligan in 1989, helped the rehab world with neuro re-education providing possible support to joint loading and of joint positioning. If you’ve had your kneecap taped to reposition its placement, you’ve had this kind of taping.

Elastic proprioceptive taping, invented in the 1970s by Dr. Kenso Kase(Chiropractor), and made famous by the 2008 USA Women’s Beach Volleyball Team, is another favorable rehabilitative means of promoting healing. This elastic tape, which comes in a variety of colors, is used on a variety of physical ailments such as plantar fasciitis, hip bursitis, and tennis elbow. The March 10, 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated shows a USA Men’s Bobsled Team member wearing the tape on his calf.

Although there is no research to support this, Kinesio Taping theorizes that this tape facilitates or inhibits muscle response, affects pain, heat and mechanoreceptors and promotes the body’s ability to know where it is in space. Clinical research does support that proprioceptive tape decreases pain rating scales, improves disability scores, improves functional tasks, decreases swelling and decreases incidences of re-injury. Applied by a physical therapist or rehabilitative specialist, this taping technique may be another tool to help in your recovery of an injury. Ask your Physical Therapist about it on your next visit.