Tape techniques made easy
Taping is a versatile method that uses different approaches and techniques to achieve therapeutic goals. The four basic taping techniques, namely muscle technique, ligament technique, fascial technique and corrective technique, each offer a specific approach to supporting and recovering the body.
In this overview, we’ll explain how the techniques differ from one another:
➜ Muscle technique
- Purpose: Muscle technique is commonly used to support muscles, improve blood circulation and treat muscle tension or injury.
- Characteristics: The tape is applied longitudinally along the muscle or in parallel strips.
➜ Ligament technique
- Purpose: The ligament technique aims to stabilize and relieve stress on joints and ligaments. Its purpose is to reduce the stress on ligaments and increase the stability of the affected area.
- Characteristics: The tape is usually wrapped around the joint in a specific way to provide needed support. Stretching stores energy in the elastin fibers of the tape, which causes the tape to contract from both sides toward the center.
➜ Fascial technique
- Purpose: The fascial technique is used to improve the flexibility and elasticity of the fascia. It aims to release tissue tension and promote circulation in the fascia area.
- Characteristics: In this process, the base of the Kinesiology Tape is adhered to the skin and fixed in place. By pulling the base, energy is stored in the elastin fibers of the tape, creating a tensile force on the tissue. This tensile force causes the structures to be pushed “away from the base” in the direction of the fixed tape.
➜ Corrective technique
- Purpose: Corrective technique is used to correct joints or posture. It is used to improve misalignments or posture problems and to support body alignment.
- Characteristics: Both the base of the tape and the structure (e.g. a joint) are fixed. The tape is stretched, storing energy in the elastin fibers of the tape. When the tape is applied, it takes the fixed structure towards the base to achieve the desired correction.