Kinesiotaping and Rocktaping are a specialized type of sports athletic tape. They are unique in that they are waterproof and can stay applied to your skin for up to 3-5 days. The tape is applied to your skin directly over the injured muscle, tendons, ligaments or joints to help support normal alignment. I like to think of the tape as a "functional brace". It is more comfortable than a brace and instead of restricitng movement it supports the muscles and joints through a full and complete range of motion.
How Does it Work?
Kinesiotape and Rocktape work on a mechanical and neurological level. Mechanically the tape can be used to pull muscles and joints in the direction desired. It does this by utilizing its unique elastic property. By attaching the tape on a muscles origin then attaching it where the muscle inserts the tape pulls the muscle towards the point of origin. Imagine anchoring a rubber band to a fixed point. Now stretch it and attach it to another fixed point. The rubber band is now applying tension trying to pull the two points closer together. That is exactly how the tape works mechanically. Neurologically the tape works by stimulating the skin over the muscle. "Hilton's Law" tells us that a nerve that supplies a joint also supplies the muscle that moves that joint as well as the skin over it. By applying the tape on the skin over the muscles that move the joint we effectively access the nervous system and provide constant input telling the body where those muscles and joints should be. This is known as Proprioception. Proprioception is your ability to know where your body position is and exert concious and unconcious control over it. Imagine walking over rocky terrain. Your muscles and joints around your ankles are providing constant input or proprioception to your brain so that you may make adjustments all over your body so that you do not fall or sprain an ankle or knee. Injured areas provide less accurate proprioception. By effectively taping an injured muscle or joint it will provide more accurate and increased proprioception to your brain. This is how the Kinesiotape and Rocktape work neurologically.
