Strapping & Taping

Introduction

Strapping and taping are commonly used physiotherapy techniques designed to support injured tissues, guide movement, reduce pain, and protect healing structures, without fully restricting normal function.

Taping has evolved from purely rigid athletic tape to modern elastic systems such as kinesio tape and dynamic tape. At our Mayville practice, taping is used as part of a broader treatment plan alongside exercise and manual therapy, never as a stand-alone "quick fix."

James's BokSmart Level 8 certification includes match-day taping and strapping protocols for rugby, and he applies the same structured approach to strapping for training, competition, and everyday injury support, not just guesswork with a roll of tape. This experience carries directly into sports and rugby physiotherapy at the practice, serving patients from The Moot, Wonderboom, and across Pretoria.

Where Did Strapping & Taping Originate?

Rigid athletic taping has been used in sports medicine since the early 20th century, providing firm, mechanical support to injured joints during competition and rehabilitation, an approach that remains largely unchanged in principle today.

Kinesio tape represents a more recent and distinctly different development. It was created in the 1970s by Kenzo Kase, a Japanese chiropractor, who was looking for an alternative to rigid taping, one that could support an injury without restricting the movement needed for the body's own healing process. He patented his elastic, skin-like tape by 1979.

Kinesio tape remained relatively niche outside Japan for decades, until it gained global visibility at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where donated rolls were used openly by athletes across multiple sports. Dynamic tape, the third type used in modern practice, developed more recently still, building on the same elastic principle with a stronger recoil property suited to higher-load activities.

How Strapping and Taping Works

Different types of tape work through different mechanisms, which is part of why choosing the right one for your presentation matters.

Types of Strapping & Taping Used

Kinesio tape (elastic taping) is flexible, elastic tape designed to move with the body. It mimics the elasticity of skin to provide light support, enhance sensory input to the nervous system, and assist with swelling and circulation. Ideal for muscle strains and postural support.

Rigid strapping is the traditional white tape used for firm support with minimal stretch. It restricts excessive or harmful movement and provides mechanical stability to joints. Particularly useful for acute injuries like ankle sprains or protecting injured ligaments during return-to-sport.

Dynamic tape is a highly elastic tape with strong recoil properties. It acts like an external spring to absorb load and assist muscles during functional tasks. Frequently used for tendon injuries and high-load activities like running.

Evidence & Research Support

Research on taping is mixed depending on the type and purpose. Rigid taping has reasonably strong support for limiting excessive joint motion after injuries like ankle sprains, while elastic taping's effects are thought to be more about movement awareness and comfort than mechanical restriction.

Taping works best as one part of a broader treatment plan alongside exercise and manual therapy, rather than as a standalone treatment, which is how it's used here.

The evidence for kinesio tape specifically is worth being honest about: while many patients report genuine benefit, particularly in movement confidence and sensory feedback, high-quality research hasn't consistently demonstrated the specific physiological claims sometimes made about it, such as significantly enhanced circulation or lymphatic drainage. It remains a useful supportive tool, but the mechanism is better understood as modest and sensory-based than dramatically mechanical.

Benefits of Strapping & Taping

Used appropriately, strapping and taping aims to:

• Additional joint stability, particularly after ligament injuries such as a rolled ankle, supporting the joint during the healing phase
• Movement feedback: helping you feel and correct faulty movement patterns during rehab through the sensory input tape provides
• Support for a graded return to sport or work during the healing phase, particularly relevant for athletes managing a training or competition calendar
• General confidence and reassurance during early-stage movement, where appropriate, helping reduce fear of movement without masking a problem that needs addressing

What to Expect During a Session

Application takes just a few minutes within your broader physiotherapy session, and your physiotherapist will explain what they're applying and why before starting.

• Skin is checked and, where needed, cleaned or lightly prepared to help the tape adhere properly
• Tape is applied at a specific tension and direction depending on the technique and your presentation, not a generic wrap
• You'll be shown the intended range of motion so you can confirm it feels supportive without being overly restrictive
• Guidance is given on how long to keep the tape on, how it should feel, and when to remove it or return for reapplication

Conditions & Clinical Uses

Strapping and taping may be helpful for:

How Strapping and Taping Fits into Your Treatment Plan

Strapping and taping on their own don't build the strength or control that prevents an injury from recurring. That's why they're applied within a physiotherapy session that includes:

• A physical assessment to confirm taping is genuinely appropriate for your presentation
• Exercise prescription to build the underlying strength and control tape can't provide on its own
• Guidance on when to reduce reliance on tape as your strength and confidence improve
• Coordination with your broader treatment plan, including movement analysis for sport-specific presentations

Taping adds short-term support and feedback. The rest of the session builds the lasting change.