The Use Of Kinesio Tape Following Surgery
My Kinesio Tape Tricks.
I've been using Kinesio Tape for a long time now and have found some pretty good uses for it. One of them is to improve tissue healing post surgery. As a Physiotherapist I mainly used it to treat my clients following surgeries such as: Total Hip Replacement (THR), Total Knee Replacement (THR), ACL Repairs, Shoulder Replacement Surgery, Ankle Ligament Repairs and various Lumbar Spine surgeries. The tape is great for reducing swelling immediately following surgery, reducing bruising and speeding up healing of bruises, reducing sensitivity of the scar and surrounding tissue and keeping scar tissue supple. It also works very well with scars from cosmetic surgery and is being adopted by some cosmetic doctors as a part of the post surgery treatment plan. Another great use is for post Cesarean-section scars. Please always seek guidance from a professional first if you are wanting to try Kinesio Tape post surgery or for scar healing. There are specific therapeutic ways of applying the tape which needs to be taught to the client. However once you know how to apply it, it is something you can continue yourself at home.
Which Tape To Use?
I only use the original Kinesio Tape designed by Dr. Kenzo Kase, but if you do pick a different brand, make sure it is a cotton tape not an acrylic one. The tape comes in different colours, but if you are worried about people seeing the tape there is a nude option (which only comes in one colour of nude, because we all have the same skin colour right?). Another little tip is it's a great way of preventing blisters if you have a pair of shoes that tend to rub your feet, just apply a small amount over the areas and it should stay on for a few days and keep those blisters away. You can get the tape wet in the shower, just wash around the tape and dab dry with a towel. I will be writing about a few other uses of Kinesio Tape in the coming months. There are so many ways to use it!
Helen
