Tape it !

I know you all have seen it, that crazy colored tape that athletes all over the country are wearing. I know this week we will see it at the Ironman here in Coeur d'Alene. However, what some of you may not realize is that it's not just for athletes. In fact, we use it every day in physical therapy to decrease pain and speed the healing process.

As you know, your skin is not just a coat you wear: it is your body's largest organ. It has a well-organized sensory information system that can communicate quickly about the environment to the peripheral and central nervous systems. It is physically connected to the deeper structures via layers of fascia. (The fascia is the connective tissue you see when you peel the skin off of a chicken breast.)

The skin is the first layer of defense when there is any noxious/painful stimuli presented. The Ruffini, Pacinian corpuscles and Merkel disks are the first ones to respond to any changes in pressure and tension in the skin. When these changes happen, the body responds by telling the sensory cortex of the brain that all is not well.

This is where the Kinsiotex tape comes into play. The tape provides stimulation at the skin level, so inflammation can be reduced and functional pain-free movement can be restored. It is amazing, all the things this tape can accomplish. Who would believe a stretchy tape could do all this?

It accomplishes its task by the way it is applied. If you twist your ankle and have bruising, you can use the tape to whisk away the fluid. If you have a back spasm and can't get it to stop, you can apply the tape to inhibit the firing of the muscles that are talking to you. And what about the tendonitis in your elbow or your Achilles tendon that keeps acting up? Well, the tape works wonders to unload the tendon and assist the muscles. And you know that nagging shoulder pain that you just can't seem to put your finger on? Well, we use Kinesiotex tape on that, too.

So don't stop doing what you love to do. Come into physical therapy and see if we can tape it!

Sheree DiBiase, PT, and her staff can be reached at Lake City Physical Therapy at (208) 667-1988. Kinesiotex taping is just one of the remarkable tools that physical therapists might use with you to ensure that you have a great summer!