Kinesio Taping

Kinesio Tape is a latex-free elastic tape made of cotton. Your therapist will use it to apply tension to your muscles in order to either relax or stimulate them. Depending on how it is applied, the tape can help: 

• Decrease swelling and bruising 
• Stimulate underactive muscles 
• Increase blood flow to muscles 
• Relax overactive muscles 
• Decrease pain 
• Assist with your daily function by altering your range of motion 

Once your therapist evaluates how the tape affects your movement he or she will show you how to apply the tape at home. 

• Kinesio Tape can be worn: 
  • for up to three days
  • in the shower, bath, or pool
  • during exercise 
• You should apply a test strip of tape and leave it on for 24 hours. 
• When the tape is used on infants, it needs to be closely monitored. The tape should never be loose. If an infant can pull off the tape it might become a choking hazard. 
• Don’t rub the tape with a towel or dry it with a hair dryer. This might make the tape difficult to remove. 
• If the tape starts to peel off, use a scissors to trim off the peeling part. Once Kinesio Tape comes off your body, it will not stick again. 
• Some increased redness around the taped area is normal, but you need to watch for signs of an allergic reaction. These might include: 
  • Itchiness that lasts more than 30 minutes 
  • Blistering 
  • Redness that last more than 24 hours after the tape is removed 

If any of these occur, remove the tape immediately and contact your therapist.

Remove Kinesio Tape by pulling it off in the direction that your hair grows. Use your finger to pull the tape away from the skin. This helps to lessen the skin’s sensitivity during the removal. You also can put water or baby oil on the tape before taking it off. 

Kinesio Tape can’t be purchased at Gillette or drug stores, but is available on several web sites including: amazon.com, www.kinesio-tape.com, www.orthoco.com. 

Please contact your therapist with any Kinesio Tape concerns or questions (651-229-3900).