How Knee Taping Reduces Pain
While knee taping is recommended for some osteoarthritis patients, there is not a great deal of scientific evidence that supports the recommendation. It is believed that knee taping causes subtle changes to joint pressure that may also:
- reduce strain on the inflamed soft tissue around the knee
- improve the patient’s awareness of body position
Knee taping can also be used with other treatment options, such as osteoarthritis medications, hyaluronan injections, or steroid injections. When a patient has severe pain and total knee replacement has been recommended as the best solution, knee taping may not offer enough benefit.
What Brand Should You Use
There are many brands sold online as well as in stores, including the original Kinesio products. Our experts cant endorse any particular brands, but Guerrero did say she has her favorites. And the people we heard from on Facebook had their own personal recommendations as well. I love K-Tape, Jeannette H. says. I use it when I am extra swollen on whatever joint is the worst. Stef S. favors KT Tape Pro Michelle R. loves KT Tape. Rock Tape is the best, Jan M. says.
You may have to try out a couple to see what works best for you as well, your PT or OT may also have a preference. You may want to choose one thats available in different skin tones, such as K-Tape My Skin.
Especially right now, arthritis home remedies that you can perform yourself that have little risk may be worth trying. Kinesiology tape may help you have less pain and inflammation, which could make it easier to do household chores or take walks around the neighborhood. If youre in touch with your PT, OT, or rheumatologist, check in to see if kinesiology tape may be right for you.
Unique Features Of Kt Tape For Knee That You Cannot Ignore
KT Tape for knee has some fantastic features and qualities. The eight prominent features of kinesiology Tape for knee pain relief are:
- KT tape is 100 percent latex-free which means that it does not contain any natural rubber.
- It comprises of a gentle cotton fiber strip which holds the polymer elastic.
- Kinesiology Tape for knee arthritis pain is 100 percent medical grade adhesive.
- The amazing tape is hypoallergenic, i.e., it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction on the body.
- As it is water resistant, it can be worn while swimming or while taking a shower
- A person wearing KT Tape for curing knee pain can easily enjoy free movements as it does not restrict motion.
- The strapping tape helps to relax and stimulate muscles.
- The glue inside the KT cotton strip is heat-activated and is applied in a wave-like pattern to give the feel of a fingertip. This feature makes the tape user-friendly.
Read Also: Rheumatoid Arthritis Article
With The Mcconnell Taping Technique
Like kinesiology taping, the McConnell technique is used to improve knee stability. Its designed to manage patella tracking disorder and pain by increasing structural support.
For this technique, youll need:
- 2-inch wide adhesive gauze
- 1 1/2-inch wide rigid non-elastic medical tape
- scissors
Shop for gauze and sports tape online.
Always start with clean skin. To use the McConnell knee taping method:
Typically, this tape can stay on the skin for 18 hours.
Depending on your sport and symptoms, the rigid tape may be applied in other directions. A physical therapist can help you determine the ideal option.
If you have knee pain, taping may help. The following techniques are designed to manage specific types of discomfort.
How To Kt Tape Knee For Torn Meniscus
A meniscus tear can be quite painful and limiting the type of activities you can engage in. KT taping the knee helps in reducing pressure to the tissue, which reduces discomfort or pain that may otherwise slow you down. In addition, correct taping can help provide support to muscles by helping the muscle to not over-extend or over-contract.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Typical Joint Involvement With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Benefits Of Kinesiology Tape
Kinesiology is an anatomical science that focuses on the treatment of connective tissue, joints, muscles, and tendons the science of muscular and skeletal movement. The holistic technology of kinesiology tape was developed to balance bodily health, endurance, and energy, without the use of medications or surgery.
Kinesiology views the body as machinery that is controlled by a complex computer the brain which constantly communicates with the hundreds of muscles and other tissues throughout the body.
Healthy muscles are balanced unhealthy, overstressed muscles are imbalanced and weak. Kinesiology aims to maintain balance in the muscles and adjoining tissues, and one of the methods of doing this is by simply wrapping the muscles and surrounding tissues with the supportive material called kinesiology tape.
Risk Of Bias Within Individual Studies
The risk of bias within individual studies and the decisions of each item for the included trials are shown in Table 2. Among the included trials, PEDro score ranges from 5 to 9 with a mean score of 7, which is indicating high quality. Only two trials have blind therapist38,48 and baseline similarity, intention-to-treat analysis, between-group control, point measures of the participants were not stated in two trials.5,34 The sample size of the included trails varied from 30 to 187 participants. Based on the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations GRADE approach and PEDro score, the overall quality of the trails was ranged from moderate to high .
|
Table 2 Quality Assessment of Controlled Intervention Studies |
Also Check: How To Deal With Arthritis
Symptoms Of Knee Strain
Whether its a strain or sprain, youll need treatment to heal the problem. A strained tendon and a sprained ligament may have similar symptoms.
Your provider can diagnose a strain if you experience the following in your knee:
- Pain and tenderness
- Stiffness
- Swelling
A mild strain can heal within six weeks of resting and treatment. A more severe strain can take a few months to heal. To help the healing process, your provider may recommend knee taping to help the healing.
How To Tape A Knee For Stability And Support
Knee taping is often done to improve knee stability. It can help minimize pain and excessive range of motion during physical activity.
Usually, the techniques below are used to treat issues like overuse injuries or patellofemoral problems. They can also help prevent future injuries by enhancing knee stability.
The taping should be tight enough to support the knee, but not tight enough to cut off circulation.
Don’t Miss: Best Treatment For Arthritis Pain In Hands
How To Kt Tape Knee Patella
How to apply patella tendon taping.If you need to tape an injured knee, sit down on a flat surface.It will keep you pain free and supported exactly where you need it.Keeping the knee in a slight bend , tape around the knee just below the knee cap, at the level of the patella tendon .
Knee pain can be caused by any number of issues.Knee slightly exed anchor the tape at =bial tubercle & pull it diagonally up & around the back of the knee pull the iinfrapatellar skin & fat pad upward & inward toward the patella as you rmly pull the tape toward theKt tape pro is just what the trainer ordered.Kt tape pro will stay in place through multiple demanding workouts for up to seven days.
Kt tape pro will stick with you in the harshest conditions including daily showers, humidity, cold, even in.Kt tape serves all of these purposes without the downsides of bracing or wrapping.Kt tape serves all of these purposes without the downsides of bracing or wrapping.Kt tape serves all of these purposes without the downsides of bracing or wrapping.
Kt tape serves all of these purposes without the downsides of bracing or wrapping.One or more meniscus may be torn, ruptured, or inflamed.Patella dislocation is a knee injury that can regularly occur in sports that involve twisting motions of the knee, and where the patella is dislodged laterally out of the patellofemoral groove at the front of the knee.Peel the tape from the center.
How Do You Put Kt Tape On Your Knee
Knee taping is usually done to improve knee stability. It can help reduce pain and excessive range of motion during physical activity. Knee taping for stability should be tight enough to support the knee, but not so tight to cut off circulation.
You will need:
- Kinesiology tape
- Scissors
You should apply kinesiology tape one hour before beginning the activity. Also, make sure you clean dirt, oils, and lotions from the area before you start.
To tape your knee for stability:
- Measure from the bump under your kneecap to your quadriceps tendon. Cut two tape strips of equal length. Round the ends to minimize peeling.
- Sit on a chair or bench and bend your knee. Peel the first inch of one strip. Secure outside the tibial tubercle without stretch.
- Stretch the tape to 40 percent and wrap it around the inner knee, following its natural curve. Secure the end without stretch and then rub the tape to activate the adhesive.
- Repeat the process with the second strip to KT tape outer knee, crossing the ends to form an X.
- Cut a strip of tape long enough to wrap under the kneecap. Straighten your knee slightly.
- Peel the tape from the middle. Stretch to 80 percent and apply under your kneecap. Wrap the tap along with your hamstrings and secure the ends.
To apply KT tape for knee pain:
You can also KT tape knee ACL sprain to support the knee and be more confident to move around. Taping is important if your knee is unstable as it helps protect other structures like ligaments and cartilage.
Don’t Miss: Ra Back Pain
Does Kt Tape Work For Knee Arthritis
Finally, we come to the knee joint problem thats on everybodys mind: arthritis. Arthritis in the knee, more specifically osteoarthritis, is a painful condition where the bones and cartilage of the knee joint are worn down over time, reducing the joints natural ability to bend without stiffness and pain. Knee arthritis can be especially debilitating, considering how much we use our knees on an everyday basis for just about everything, and being in constant knee pain whenever you go or do anything isnt fun, to say the least.
There are few treatments for arthritis in the knee that dont involve reconstructive knee replacement surgeries. Most of these treatments are woefully inadequate, as theres simply nothing to be done without rebuilding the knee somehow. Theres only so much that anti-inflammatory medications can do to reduce the pain caused by your knee joint grinding against itself, after all! Yet after the development of KT Tape, new ways to treat knee arthritis using this specialized elastic athletic tape have emerged, with many of them showing some serious results when it comes to pain reduction.
What Is Kinesiology Tape And How Does It Work
In the 1970s, Kenzo Kase, a chiropractor and acupuncturist working in the U.S. and Japan, developed this specialized Kinesio Tape with a texture and elasticity similar to that of human skin.
The idea behind Kinesio taping is to facilitate the bodys healing process while supporting and stabilizing muscles and joints without restricting the bodys range of motion, says Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, MD, a rheumatologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
But unlike regular athletic tape or ACE bandages, it is not just a brace. Kinesiotape helps to support the muscle and soft tissue around affected joints by providing light stabilization and additional sensory feedback for neuromuscular retraining, says occupational therapist Carole Dodge, OTRL, a certified hand therapist at Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
In other words, it may help your brain remember how to use your muscles correctly after compensating for painful or damaged joints. Dodge often uses the tape with patients who no longer need a hand brace or splint. It is less restricting and allows normalization of hand patterns with the activities of daily living, she says.
Hadiya Green Guerrero, PT, DPT, the American Physical Therapy Associations senior practice specialist and a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy, uses it similarly in her osteoarthritis patients.
Read Also: Can You Stop Rheumatoid Arthritis From Progressing
Effectiveness Kt On Functional Status
From the total included trails, 10 studies had assessed functional status. Nine of them had reported that KT has beneficial effects on functional activities in OA patients compared to the control groups.34,35,39,4143,45,47 Only one study showed that KT had no significant effect on knee-related physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.46
Why Should I Use Kinesiology Tape For My Knee
The knee taping application above can assist with muscle imbalance, reduction of pain and limit inflammation. PerformTex tape can be applied as soon as an injury occurs. Due to standard knee injuries, there are medical conditions PerformTex offers aid with physical therapy examples:
- Bursitis
- Meniscus of the knee
- Chondromalacia patella.
Before applying the kinesiology tape to the knee be sure the skin is free of oils and lotion. The area should also be cleaned before application. If you have sensitive skin, it is recommended to apply a small strip of the tape to evaluate before full use.
When removing PerformTex tape from the paper backing hold the tape vertically, placing your index finger on the top edge of the tape. Pulling back and flexing your index finger the tape will peel from the backing. Once the tape is anchored with no stretch, pull the balance of tape using the stretch needed.
1st Strip of tape:
1. Be sure the knee is flexed when taping
2. First, measure out the approximate length of the knee
3. Make a tear drop shape before cutting the tape
4. Round the corners and split the tape in two
5. Round the corners again on both ends of the tape
6. We round the corners on the knee due to the high wearing
7. Directly under the patella apply anchor with very little tension/stretch
8. Stretching mild tension, come around the patella over the quad. At the top of the quad release the tape with no tension/stretch
9. Using the paper backing of the paper, smooth tape
Also Check: Arthritis And Skin Rash
What Does Research Say About Kinesiology Tape
In the recently published management of OA guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology, Kinesio taping is conditionally recommended for knee and CMC OA based on a handful of studies that are relatively small and that use different methods of taping, but that generally show positive or no benefit, Dr. Lo says. Therefore, the impression is that this is probably helpful.
But because no two studies of kinesiology tape used the exact same method of taping, Dr. Lo says, its hard to recommend any particular taping technique. This also makes it difficult to compare the studies themselves.
The science is truthfully not great, as application techniques and amount of stretch are not well controlled, Dodge says. But the research is consistent about agreeing that it is the sensory input from the tape that is beneficial.
And as to whether kinesiology tape actually may help the underlying arthritis condition, more research is needed. The randomized controlled trials looking at this intervention suggest that it might be beneficial for arthritis symptoms, Dr. Lo says. There have not been any long-term studies evaluating whether it might slow down the progression of arthritis.
How Does Kinesiology Tape For Knee Pain Work
Knee pain is amongst the worst pains as it hinders the movement of the sufferer completely. People fail to enjoy the little surprises of life present in the day to day chores of our lives.
Just like a little gadget can ease your work burden manifold, in the same way, Kinesiology Tape can work wonders in getting away with the throbbing knee pain. If you are someone who is under the plight of knee pain for quite some time now, then you must be well aware of the various pain relieving tapes available in the market these days.
Kinesiology Tape boasts of a unique design which not only offers support to the patient but also helps to solve the problem therapeutically.
The wonderful strapping tape focuses on different receptors within the same somatosensory system which comprises of sensory neurons.
This lifting of the skin helps to reduce inflammation in the affected area and thus reduces knee pain.
Read Also: Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Side Effects
How To Kt Tape A Knee Easy Kinesio Tape Guide
In this video tutorial, Jupiter chiropractor, Dr. Nevel, demonstrates how to apply KT Tape, Rock Tape, and Kinesio Tape for Knee Pain. These taping techniques are used by the best chiropractors, physical therapists, and sports medicine doctors.
Step By Step Taping Instructions:1. Make sure the skin is clean.2. Cut four 14-inch strips and two 10-inch strips.3. Round the corners of the tape to better durability.4. Have the patient flex the knee 45 degrees.5. Apply two 14-inch strips at approximately 40% tension around the knee cap to the quadricep muscles with 0% tension on the ends.6. Apply the 10-inch strips to the medial and lateral knee with approximately 40% tension with 0% tension on the ends.7. Apply two 14-inch strips at approximately 40% tension to the hamstring muscles with 0% tension on the ends.8. Rub the tape to activate the adhesive.
Products used in this video:**Kinesio Tape**
Various colors of Rock Tape can be purchased at our Jupiter, FL chiropractic office.
Video Transcription:
How do you Kinesio Tape a knee? In this video, youre going to learn how I Kinesio Tape knees in my Jupiter, FL chiropractic practice for general knee pain as well as a few tips and tricks that chiropractors, physical therapists, medical doctors use to make Kinesio taping easier.
For todays taping, we are going to use four 14-inch strips of tape as well as two 10-inch strips of tape.