There
is a new treatment available for the aches and pains of daily living.
It was developed in 1973 and has just recently come to this country
from Japan. It is called Kinesio Taping. This is a technique that offers relief from pain while it aids the natural healing powers of the human body to work.
It has the resounding endorsement of Lance Armstrong and the U.S.
Postal Bicycle Team as well as professional sports teams like the New
York Jets and the Seattle Mariners. Lance Armstrong, the seven-times
Tour de France winner, has called Kinesio Tape his "miracle tape."
So how does it work?
By
using a special tape that is applied in a way that offers correction
and support to the injured tissues that cause pain. The correction
increases blood flow, takes the strain off the injured muscle tissues,
the injured ligaments and nerves, and allows those tissues to
heal at the same time that it dramatically decreases the pain that you
feel. Kinesio Taping works on headaches, neck problems, shoulder
injuries, back and hip pain, knee and other lower leg injuries, nearly
one hundred different named conditions. It works so well that
top-flight professional athletes count on Kinesio Taping to help them
heal from the injuries that they get from the intense sports that they
do for a living. Kinesio Taping is a technique based on the body's own
natural healing process. Kinesio Taping affects the activation of
neurological and circulatory systems. This method basically stems from
the science of Kinesiology. Hence the name "Kinesio" is used. Muscles
are not only attributed to the movements of the body but also control
the circulation of venous and lymph flows, body temperature, etc.
Therefore, the failure of the muscles to function properly induces
various kinds of symptoms. Consequently, so much attention was given to
the importance of muscle function that the idea of treating the muscles
in order to activate the body's own healing process came about. Using
an elastic tape, it was discovered that muscles and other tissues could
be helped by outside assistance. Employment of Kinesio Taping creates a
totally new approach to treating nerves, muscles, and organs. The first
application of Kinesio Taping was for a patient with articular
disorders. For the first 10 years, orthopedists, chiropractors,
acupuncturists and other medical practitioners were the main users of
Kinesio Taping. Soon thereafter, Kinesio Taping was discovered by
Olympic volleyball players in Japan and word quickly spread to other
athletes. Today, Kinesio Taping is accepted by medical practitioners
and athletes in Japan, the United States, Europe, South America and
other Asian countries as well.