{{short description|Pseudo-medicine product; elastic cotton strip with an acrylic adhesive}} {{redir2|Taping|Kinesiology tape||Tape (disambiguation){{!}}Tape|and|Kinesiology}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} {{Use British English|date=October 2025}} thumbnail|Kinesio taping {{Alternative medicine sidebar}} '''Elastic therapeutic tape''', also called '''kinesiology{{nbsp}}tape''' or '''kinesiology therapeutic{{nbsp}}tape''', '''Kinesio{{nbsp}}tape''', '''{{nowr|k-tape}}''', or '''KT'''<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cai|first1=C.|last2=Au|first2=I. P. H.|last3=An|first3=W.|last4=Cheung|first4=R. T. H.|date=2016-02-01|title=Facilitatory and inhibitory effects of Kinesio tape: Fact or fad?|url=https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(15)00036-5/abstract|journal=Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport|language=English|volume=19|issue=2|pages=109–112|doi=10.1016/j.jsams.2015.01.010|issn=1440-2440|pmid=25687484|url-access=subscription}}</ref> is an elastic cotton strip with an acrylic adhesive that is purported to ease pain and disability from athletic injuries and a variety of other physical disorders.<ref name="kinesio">{{cite news|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/newswire/maker-of-kinesio-tape-threatens-sport-lab-in-name-dispute|title=Maker of Kinesio Tape Threatens Sport Lab in Name Dispute|last=Wade|first=Alison|date=10 September 2014|work=Runner's World|access-date=23 February 2018}}; {{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/print-edition/2010/11/12/Competitors-tie-up-Kinesio-in-red-tape.html|title=Competitors tie up Kinesio in red tape over its therapeutic invention -|last=Domrzalski|first=Dennis|date=12 November 2010|work=American City Business Journals|access-date=23 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/marilyn-linton/muscle-taping_b_5983304.html|title=Does Muscle Taping Actually Help or Is it Just Hype?|work=HuffPost|access-date=23 February 2018|date=14 October 2014 |first=Kamil |last=Macniak}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/03/the-basics-of-kinesio-taping.aspx|title=The Basics of Kinesio Taping|last=Poertner|first=Gina|date=March 2013|work=ironman.com|access-date=23 February 2018|archive-date=26 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026184615/http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/03/the-basics-of-kinesio-taping.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> In individuals with chronic {{shy|musculo|skeletal}}{{nbsp}}pain, research suggests that elastic taping may help relieve pain, but not more than other treatment approaches, and no evidence indicates that it can reduce disability in chronic pain cases.<ref name=Lim>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lim EC, Tay MG |title=Kinesio taping in musculoskeletal pain and disability that lasts for more than 4 weeks: is it time to peel off the tape and throw it out with the sweat? A systematic review with meta-analysis focused on pain and also methods of tape application |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |date=2015 |volume=49 |issue=24 |pages=1558–1566 |pmid=25595290 |doi=10.1136/bjsports-2014-094151}}</ref>
No convincing scientific evidence indicates that such products provide any demonstrable benefit in excess of a placebo, with some declaring it a {{shy|pseudo|scientific}} treatment.<ref name = SBM2012/><ref name = SBM2018/>
==History== {{langr|ja-Latn|Kenzo Kase}}, a Japanese–American {{shy|chiro|practor}}, developed the product in the{{nbsp}}1970s. The company he founded markets variants under the brand name "Kinesio" and takes legal action to prevent the word being used as a genericised trademark.<ref name="kinesio"/>
A surge in popularity resulted after the product was donated to Olympic athletes in the 2008{{nbsp}}Beijing Summer Olympics and 2012{{nbsp}}London Summer Olympics.<ref name = Reuters>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/oly-science-tape-day-idUSL6E8IV57020120731/ |date=31 July 2012 |work=Reuters |title=Olympics-Scientists sceptical as athletes get all taped up }} </ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abqjournal.com/120131/news/taping-americas-athletes.html |date=25 July 2012 |publisher=ABQ Journal |title=Taping America's athletes}}</ref> The tapes' prominence and mass introduction to the general public have been attributed to Kerri Walsh who wore the tape on her shoulder, and who along with Misty May-Treanor dominated the 2008{{nbsp}}beach volleyball event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/a-quirky-athletic-tape-gets-its-olympic-moment/ |first=Tara |last=Parker-Pope |title=A Quirky Athletic Tape Gets Its Olympic Moment |newspaper=New York Times |date=19 August 2008}}</ref> In{{nbsp}}2012, science journalist Brian Dunning speculated on why he had not seen "a single athlete, pro beach volleyball players included, wear Kinesio{{nbsp}}Tape outside of the Olympics". He believes that "{{shy|sponsor|ship}} dollars may be entirely responsible for the popularity of Kinesio{{nbsp}}Tape during televised events."<ref name=Skeptoid/>
==Properties== thumb|Elastic therapeutic tape used for lower back pain on an older male The product is a type of thin, elastic cotton{{nbsp}}tape that can stretch up to 140% of its original length.<ref name=Thelen>{{cite journal |vauthors=Thelen MD, Dauber JA, Stoneman PD |title=The clinical efficacy of kinesio tape for shoulder pain: a randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial |journal=J Orthop Sports Phys Ther |volume=38 |issue=7 |pages=389–95 |date=July 2008 |pmid=18591761 |doi=10.2519/jospt.2008.2791 |doi-access= }}{{MEDRS|date=December 2012}}</ref> As a result, if the tape is applied stretched greater than its normal length, it will "recoil" after being applied and therefore create a pulling force on the skin. This elastic property allows much greater range{{nbsp}}of motion compared to traditional white athletic{{nbsp}}tape and can also be left on for long periods before {{shy|re|appli|cation}}.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bicici S, Karatas N, Baltaci G |title=Effect of athletic taping and kinesiotaping on measurements of functional performance in basketball players with chronic inversion ankle sprains |journal=Int J Sports Phys Ther |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=154–66 |date=April 2012 |pmid=22530190 |pmc=3325641}}</ref>
Designed to mimic human skin, with roughly the same thickness and elastic properties, the tape can be stretched{{nbsp}}{{val|30|–|40|u=%}} {{shy|long|itu|din|ally}}.<ref name="Thelen"/> It is a {{nowr|latex-free}} material with acrylic adhesive, which is {{nowr|heat-activated}}. The cotton fibers allow for evaporation and quicker drying leading to longer wear time, up to 4{{nbsp}}days.<ref name=Bassett>{{cite journal|vauthors=Bassett K, Lingman S, Ellis R |title=The use and treatment efficacy of kinaesthetic taping for musculoskeletal conditions: A systematic review|journal=New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy|year=2010}}</ref> How the tape is claimed to affect the body is dependent on the location and how it is applied; the stretch direction, the shape, and the location all supposedly play a role in the tape's {{shy|hypo|thetical}} function.<ref name=Bassett />
==Effectiveness== Manufacturers have made a wide variety of claims, including that it provides physical support for muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.<ref>{{cite web |website=PainScience |url=https://www.painscience.com/articles/kinesio-taping.php |title=The Dubious Science of Kinesiology Tape |author=Paul Ingraham |date=May 24, 2021}}</ref> KT{{nbsp}}Health's web site at one point claimed the tape "lifts the skin, decompressing the layers{{nbsp}}of fascia, allowing for greater movement{{nbsp}}of lymphatic fluid which transports white blood cells throughout the body and removes waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria".<ref name="nlr" /> This increase in the {{shy|inter|stitial}} space purportedly reduces pressure on the body's nociceptors, which detect{{nbsp}}pain, and stimulates {{shy|mechano|receptors}}, to improve overall joint {{shy|pro|prio|ception}}.<ref name=Williams/> Critics say these claims are not supported by evidence.<ref name=SBM2018 />
In the 2012 article "Scientists sceptical as athletes get all taped{{nbsp}}up", Reuters reported that "In a review of all the scientific research so far, published in the ''Sports Medicine'' journal in February, researchers found 'little quality evidence to support the use of Kinesio{{nbsp}}tape over other types of elastic taping in the management or prevention of sports injuries".<ref name = Reuters/> Some researchers claim that what athletes are experiencing is just a placebo effect.<ref name=KinesioB>{{cite web|title=Kinesio taping: experts question benefits|url=http://theimpactnews.com/news/2012/09/27/rough-kinesio-taping/|access-date=27 September 2012}}</ref>
In July 2012, Steven Novella writing in ''Science-Based Medicine'' in the article "Olympic {{shy|Pseudo|science}}", examined the use of KT in the larger context of "sports-related {{shy|pseudo|science}}". Novella says "The world of sports competition is rife with {{shy|pseudo|science}}, false claims, dubious products, {{shy|super|stitions}}, and magical charms." Novella concluded that "Consumers should be very skeptical of claims made for products marketed as athletic performance enhancing."<ref name=SBM2012>{{cite web|last1=Novella|first1=Steven|author-link1=Steven Novella|title=Olympic Pseudoscience|url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/olympic-pseudoscience/|website=Sciencebasedmedicine.org|publisher=Science-Based Medicine|access-date=13 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312234517/https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/olympic-pseudoscience/|archive-date=12 March 2018|date=25 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
In August 2012, science journalist Brian Dunning reports in "Kinesio{{nbsp}}Tape: The{{nbsp}}Evidence" that positive studies of the tape are the result of people being deceived by a "stage magician's trick"{{snd}} which he describes in detail{{snd}} that is used to fool subjects into thinking strength or flexibility is being affected, when they are not. He reports that kinesio{{nbsp}}tape is claimed to be good for a plethora of issues including "pain{{nbsp}}management, injury treatment, injury prevention, enhanced performance, increased range{{nbsp}}of motion, and just about anything else an athlete might want." He concludes: "It sounds like a miracle{{snd}} one simple product that does everything you can imagine. In short, a textbook snake{{nbsp}}oil product."<ref name=Skeptoid>{{cite web|last1=Dunning|first1=Brian|author-link1=Brian Dunning (author)|title=Kinesio Tape: The Evidence|url=https://skeptoid.com/blog/2012/08/13/kinesio-tape-the-evidence/|website=Skeptoid.com|publisher=Skeptoid Media|access-date=12 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312234635/https://skeptoid.com/blog/2012/08/13/kinesio-tape-the-evidence/|archive-date=12 March 2018|date=13 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
A 2012 meta analysis found that the efficacy of elastic therapeutic{{nbsp}}tape in pain{{nbsp}}relief was trivial, because no reviewed study found clinically important results. The tape "may have a small beneficial role in improving strength, range{{nbsp}}of motion in certain injured cohorts, and force sense error compared with other elastic tapes, but further studies are needed to confirm these findings".<ref name=Williams>{{cite journal |vauthors=Williams S, Whatman C, Hume PA, Sheerin K |title=Kinesio taping in treatment and prevention of sports injuries: a meta-analysis of the evidence for its effectiveness |journal=Sports Med |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=153–64 |year=2012 |pmid=22124445 |doi=10.2165/11594960-000000000-00000|s2cid=3840228 |url=http://opus.bath.ac.uk/49218/1/williams_kinesio_taping.pdf }}{{MEDRS|date=December 2012}}</ref>{{MEDRS|date=December 2012}} The same article concluded: "KT had some substantial effects on muscle activity, but it was unclear whether these changes were beneficial or harmful. In conclusion, there was little quality evidence to support the use of KT over other types of elastic taping in the management or prevention of sports injuries."<ref name="Williams"/>{{MEDRS|date=December 2012}}
A 2014 meta analysis looked at {{shy|methodo|logical}} quality of studies, along with overall population effect, and suggested that studies of lower {{shy|methodo|logical}} quality are more likely to report beneficial effects of elastic therapeutic taping, thus indicating the perceived effect of using kinesio taping is not real. It also suggested that applying elastic therapeutic{{nbsp}}tape, "to facilitate muscular contraction has no, or only negligible, effects on muscle strength".<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Csapo R, Alegre L |title=Effects of Kinesio taping on skeletal muscle strength-A meta-analysis of current evidence |journal=Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |volume=1053 |pages=1–7 |year=2014 |issue=4 |doi=10.1016/j.jsams.2014.06.014|pmid=25027771 }}</ref>
A 2015 meta analysis found that the taping provided more pain{{nbsp}}relief than no treatment at all, but was not better than other treatment approaches in patients with chronic {{shy|musculo|skeletal}}{{nbsp}}pain.<ref name=Lim /> The same meta{{nbsp}}analysis did not find any significant changes in disability as a result of taping.<ref name=Lim />
In March 2018, ''Science-Based Medicine'' again examined{{nbsp}}KT in response to its public use at the 2018{{nbsp}}Winter Olympics in the article ''A Miscellany{{nbsp}}of Medical Malarkey Episode{{nbsp}}3: The{{nbsp}}Revengening''. The article reports that: {{Blockquote|text=The claims made by manufacturers and promoters of the tape are highly implausible, particularly those involving increased muscle strength, improved blood{{nbsp}}flow to an injured areas{{sic}}, and better lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling. No evidence supports these claims. Pain{{nbsp}}reduction and injury prevention are also frequently-cited benefits that similarly lack evidence, at least none showing an effect specific to kinesio{{nbsp}}tape... There is no evidence of a specific benefit related to kinesio{{nbsp}}tape itself, or to any kind of expert application of it.<ref name=SBM2018>{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Clay|title=A Miscellany of Medical Malarkey Episode 3: The Revengening|url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-miscellany-of-medical-malarkey-episode-3-the-revengening/|website=ScienceBasedMedicine.org|publisher=Science-Based Medicine|access-date=13 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313003054/https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-miscellany-of-medical-malarkey-episode-3-the-revengening/|archive-date=13 March 2018|date=9 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
In November 2018, ''Science-Based Medicine'' described a study published the same month in the journal ''BMC{{nbsp}}Sports Science, Medicine and {{shy|Rehab|ili|tat|ion}}'' which examines the {{shy|effec|tive|ness}} of different colors of {{shy|kinesio|logy}}{{nbsp}}tape, as well as {{shy|re|examining}} general {{shy|effec|tive|ness}} of {{shy|kinesio|logy}}{{nbsp}}tape against a placebo. Describing the conclusions of the study, they write:
{{Blockquote|text=Nothing mattered. Tape color didn't matter. Color preference didn't matter. "Proper" placement of KT with tension didn't matter. No effect on performance, strength, or function was found in any experimental round compared to the control round for any of the subjects.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Clay |title=The Influence of Kinesiology Tape Color on Athletic Performance: An Actual Published Study...Seriously |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-influence-of-kinesiology-tape-color-on-athletic-performance-an-actual-published-study-seriously/ |work=Science Based Medicine |date=16 November 2018 |access-date=18 November 2018}}</ref>}}
A 2023 systematic review included nine randomised controlled trials in their meta-analysis, and concluded that KT can significantly reduce pain{{nbsp}}intensity between baseline and immediately post-intervention and between baseline and the {{nowr|short-term}} {{nowr|follow-up}} period. However, no significant differences existed between KT's{{nbsp}}ability to relieve other symptoms of CNLBP—disability, trunk flexion range{{nbsp}}of motion{{nbsp}}(ROM), change{{nbsp}}in status, fear{{nbsp}}of movement, isometric endurance of the trunk muscles, or extension—when compared to either sham taping or KT as an adjunct to physical therapy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nelson |first=Nicole L. |date=July 2016 |title=Kinesio taping for chronic low back pain: A systematic review |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2016.04.018 |journal=Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=672–681 |doi=10.1016/j.jbmt.2016.04.018 |pmid=27634093 |issn=1360-8592|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==Deceptive marketing lawsuit== In 2017, KT Health settled a class-action lawsuit in Massachusetts, resolving claims of unjust enrichment and untrue and misleading marketing. It agreed to pay {{nowr|$1.75 million}} (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|1750000|2017|r=-5}}}} in{{nbsp}}{{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{zwj}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP}}) to refund half the purchase price of the tape, representing the premium paid above traditional athletic{{nbsp}}tape.<ref name="nlr">{{cite web |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/athletic-tape-maker-feels-pain-settles-misleading-advertising-suit |title=Athletic Tape Maker Feels the Pain, Settles Misleading Advertising Suit |author1= L. Robert Batterman |author2=Michael Cardozo |author3=Robert E. Freeman |author4=Howard L. Ganz |author5=Wayne D. Katzand |author6=Joseph M. Leccese |publisher=National Law Review |date=July 7, 2017}}</ref> The brand also agreed to drop claims that the tape "will keep you pain-free", "prevents injury", or provides "{{nowr|24-hour}} pain{{nbsp}}relief", and add the disclaimer "not clinically proven for all injuries".<ref name="nlr" />
==See also==
* {{Annotated link |Buddy wrapping}} * {{Annotated link |Elastic bandage}} * {{Annotated link |Self-adhering bandage}} * {{Annotated link |Kinesiology}}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commons-inline|Category:Kinesio taping|Kinesio taping}}
{{Pseudoscience}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Products introduced in the 1970s Category:Adhesive tape Category:Alternative medicine Category:American inventions Category:Pseudoscience Category:Sports medicine