While it seems to have only hit the public eye in the last decade, Kinesio Tape has actually been used since the 1970s to treat various orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and medical conditions. Founded by Dr. Kenzo Kase, a Japanese chiropractor and acupuncturist, K-Tape was developed to help the body heal itself. Dr. Kase felt that other athletic tapes and techniques, like conventional strapping, were too restrictive for his patients. Although standard strapping can provide support to injured muscles and joints, it also limits movement. It’s this lack of movement that, according to Dr Kase, inhibits the healing process by restricting the flow of inflammatory fluids (also known as lymphatics) below the skin.

 K-Tape is capable of lifting the skin to provide optimal lymphatic drainage and flow. This type of fascia unloading takes some of the pressure off of the tissue below the skin. By opening up these lymphatic channels, the injured tissue will be able to heal quicker as swelling is allowed to flow out, and, thus, pain is reduced.