When muscles are weak or joints are slow to respond, providing external support can be a powerful tool to immediately reduce pain, improve posture, and enhance functional movement. Postural Taping and Support—utilizing techniques like Kinesio Tape and rigid athletic tape—is a non-invasive service offered at Dosher Physical Therapy to give your body the immediate, temporary assistance it needs to heal and move better.
Our skilled therapists apply specialized tape to cue, support, or stabilize injured or misaligned joints and muscles, accelerating your progress in rehabilitation and helping you maintain the correct alignment achieved through therapies like Postural Correction and Fault Therapy.
What is Postural Taping and Support?
Taping in a physical therapy setting serves several therapeutic goals, ranging from providing stability to simply offering sensory feedback to the nervous system. We utilize two main types of taping:
- Kinesiology Taping (Kinesio Tape): This elastic, flexible tape is applied with specific tension to the skin. It is used primarily to:
- Provide Sensory Feedback: It gently cues the skin to stay in a non-painful position (e.g., pulling rounded shoulders back). This helps train muscle memory without restricting motion.
- Manage Swelling: It creates a lifting effect on the skin, which decompresses underlying tissue and helps drain swelling and bruising more efficiently (common post-surgery or for acute Bursitis).
- Support Weak Muscles: It can provide a gentle assist to fatigued muscles that are struggling to maintain good posture throughout the day.
- Rigid Taping (McConnell or Athletic Taping): This non-stretch tape is used to provide strong, mechanical support to physically hold a joint or structure in a better position. It is most often used for:
- Joint Alignment: Precisely correcting the tracking of a joint, such as the kneecap in Knee Pain & Tracking Issue Therapy (Patellofemoral).
- Spinal Support: Providing temporary, strong external support to the low back for conditions like acute Lumbago and Lumbar Strain Treatments.
Who Can Benefit from Taping and Support?
Taping is an excellent complementary technique for almost any condition involving pain, weakness, or joint misalignment. It is especially beneficial for:
- Posture Correction: Providing a constant reminder to maintain an upright spine and head position (Neck Pain and Strain Rehabilitation).
- Knee Pain: Stabilizing the kneecap or supporting the arch of the foot to relieve issues like Plantar Fasciitis or patellofemoral pain.
- Spinal Pain: Offering temporary support during an acute flare-up of Herniated Disc Therapy or muscle guarding (Muscle Spasm Management).
- Shoulder Issues: Supporting the shoulder blade to create more space for the Rotator Cuff in cases of Impingement Syndrome Rehabilitation.
- Athletic Performance: Used to manage inflammation and provide mild stability during continued training and Return-to-Sport phases.
Key Treatment Techniques Used
Taping is rarely a standalone treatment; it is always used to reinforce functional gains achieved through other therapies:
Application | Focus Area | Goal |
Spinal Taping | Mid-back (thoracic) and lumbar spine. | Cues the patient out of a slouched posture; provides external stability for weak Core Strength and Stability Programs. |
Patellar Taping | The kneecap. | Mechanically realigns the kneecap to glide smoothly, reducing friction and anterior knee pain. |
Swelling Reduction | Around the knee, ankle, or shoulder. | Lifts the skin, creating channels that encourage fluid and swelling to drain more effectively. |
Muscle Facilitation | Over a weak muscle (e.g., glutes). | Provides sensory feedback to help the patient consciously activate the correct muscle during General Strengthening Exercises. |
Locations
Postural Taping and Support is available at all five of our Dosher Physical Therapy clinics:
- Anderson, SC
- Easley, SC
- Pickens, SC
- Powdersville (Piedmont), SC
- Clayton, GA
Additional Resources and Services
Taping is an integrated tool used alongside these core therapies:
- Mulligan’s Techniques: Taping is often used to hold the corrected position achieved through MWM.
- Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation: Taping can simulate the support provided by a Custom Shoe Orthotic.
- Pain Management (Chronic and Acute): Taping can provide a constant, low-level pain-reducing input to the nervous system.
To schedule your evaluation and see how postural taping can provide immediate support for your recovery, please visit our Contact page or call your preferred clinic location.
