What is the difference between Kinesiology & Sports Taping?

Taping is a vital requirement for anyone working pitch side. Tutor of Taping at the Academy, Adrian, tells of the queues of rugby, football and hockey players he has worked with over the years, and even clubs that would demand players be taped up to prevent any time out of the game. It not only has an important place in rehabilitation and prevention of injury but plays a huge role in the psychology of sport for many athletes especially coming back from recurrent injury. It has quite simply become an integral part of the work we do to support players in these sports.

Sport is the significant market for taping but the same rules apply as with sports massage that anyone and everyone can benefit. A sprained ankle is after all a sprained ankle whether you are an athlete at the top of your game or an individual who turned their ankle walking the dog and is having trouble with recurrent injury.

There are two distinct types of taping that work as polar opposites but can unlock a wealth of value for your work with clients with injury.

Let's dive straight in to the two types of taping and what sets them apart.

Kinesiology taping is flexible tape that is applied to the skin taut or stretched creating a pull on the skin. This pull will work to allow the skin and fascia to move and flex, stimulating circulation and blood flow, releasing stagnation. Encouraging the flow of toxins out of the area and replenishing the injured area with fresh blood flow and therefore oxygen will reduce inflammation and speed up healing.

You would use kinesiology taping to encourage movement and flexibility and stimulate drainage to sites of injury to aid recovery. There is also the psychological boost to the client in feeling supported and able to hold themselves more confidently, rather than feeling they need to protect themselves and alter gait or posture as a form of defence against the pain of injury.

Sports Taping or Zinc tape is rigid and is the opposite to Kinesiology tape in that it actively prevents movement. This is all about stopping excess movement on weakened and unstable joints and guard against ligament laxity or deficiency.

Using Sports Tape is all about stabilising the joint to prevent injury. This has a huge impact on psychology and feeling protected against further injury.

Here at the Academy we teach Kinesiology & Sports Taping as an additional CPD course you can add on to your offering. It can be a great asset to your therapy toolkit for work with athletes at the coalface of sports events but equally it can also be an extremely effective aid to non-athletes struggling with recurrent injury or weakness and needing that extra support, stabilisation or simply a feeling of protection.