by Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS
Tab taping techniques are great for a number of reasons. They allow us to protect the skin while putting maximum stretch on the tape. Putting stretch on kinesiology tape allows us to take advantage of not only the neurosensory feedback that we get from tape, but it also gives us some mechanical effects and support as well. I usually only use tabs in isolated circumstances, so this isn’t something that I would suggest that you routinely use. But, in the right situation, it definitely has it’s place.
Tab taping techniques work great for things like midfoot support for an overpronator and for helping people who experience foot drop. I have written about each of these applications in previous blog posts. Both of them use stretch with the tape to put the foot into an advantageous position to improve gait.
At Rocktape, we strongly suggest that you only put stretch on tape when you use a tab underneath it. It will significantly reduce the chances of a skin irritation. It also gives you a lot of control over a specific area of the body.
We can also use tab taping to reduce pain in a specific area. I have found that this technique works well for things like acute MCL sprains in the knee, UCL sprains in the elbow and even AC sprains in the shoulder. When those ligaments are sprained (or torn) pain and instability usually accompany the injury. Using a tab taping technique can help reduce the pain that they are experiencing.
I do want to be clear that you are not doing anything to improve the integrity of the joint. You are not making up for a torn ligament with the tape and if they feel unstable, you will not do much to improve that. So, don’t allow them to get too crazy with their activity with the tape on.
Many times the pain that they feel is what holds them back from performing rehab movements or even sleeping or sitting in a chair at work or school. So, simply reducing the pain is a positive step. It allows them to function with their activities of daily living and also perform some basic strength or mobility exercises in a therapy session that may not happen otherwise. Thus, even though you aren’t “fixing” the underlying cause of the problem, getting them pain free can be a huge win.
In the video below, I’m demonstrating using the tab technique over the MCL. The theory as to how it works is that by putting that much stretch on the tape over the tab, you are actually bunching up the tissue over the injury (MCL in this case), which then sends a signal to the brain that the joint space is now closed, making the brain feel safe and comfortable. When the threat is removed, the pain goes away. Reduced threat enables proper movement and function to begin. You can repeat this in a number of joints throughout the body.
Watch this video to learn how to tab tape for pain.
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