LIFE+ Blog

Supplies: 2-3 strips of your favorite tape with rounded edges that are large enough to cover the area that is in pain.

Steps:

1. Stretch the skin – perform any movement that makes the skin on the area you want to tape tight. For example: if you want to tape your low back, you would bend forward.
2. Apply stabilization strips – place 1-2 vertical strips that surround your area of pain, but aren’t on your area of pain. These strips act as the anchor for the piece of tape that we use for pain.
3. Apply pain strip – apply a horizontal or oblique strip across the stabilization strip that is EXACTLY on your area of pain. Apply the tape with 50% of stretch.

Supplies: 4 pieces of tape that are long enough to cover the area in pain with rounded edges

Steps:

1. With no stretch placed on the tape place, the first piece of tape is vertical making sure the center of the tape is exactly where your pain is.
2. Place the next piece of tape horizontal making sure the center of the tape is where your pain is.
3. Place the next two pieces of tape at the oblique angles creating a star pattern, with the epicenter of all the tape where the pain is.

Now, these are just the two most commonly used techniques for pain, but there are many others too! Also, athletic taping isn’t just used for pain, in fact here at Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy we also use it to help improve posture and reduce swelling. Athletic taping doesn’t solve all pain, but rather is good when used in conjunction with other physical therapy techniques such as soft tissue, joint mobilization, and exercises. If you aren’t attending physical therapy yet, but have pain and are interesting in learning more about athletic taping, schedule an appointment to see how Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy can help you get back to doing what you love to do – pain-free!