How physiotherapists use this method to relieve the pain ?

It is said that injury makes you wise. But more important is that how wisely you cure an injury. And there are some wise methods which are used by physiotherapists to relieve the pain and these are Strapping and Taping.

Strapping and Taping is a great way for injury prevention during sports or activities. It allows you to continue with sports and reduces pain also while sitting or standing for long period of time with a back injury.

The role of tape is to limit the movement in an injured joint to prevent excess or abnormal movement. Taping reduces the severity of the injury and provides proprioception. But keep in mind that the tape should be applied correctly otherwise it may aggravate an existing injury or cause a new injury.

The tape will usually only remain on for a day but can stay on for 48 hrs unless the tape causes an increase in pain or you have any adverse reaction like redness, itching or numbness.

But never use strapping and Taping as a substitute for treatment. Make sure that an injury is assessed fully by a qualified healthcare professional. Physiotherapists and Sports Medicine Professionals are trained to understand injuries and apply the correct strapping and taping to the relevant injury.

The following process which is used by physiotherapists to relieve the pain are:

Rigid Strapping Tape
Rigid tape or sports tape is commonly used for moderate/severe joint and ligament sprains or tears. Due to the instability, these injuries can create, a rigid tape is often used to help the body stabilise the injured area and can often help alleviate pain as well. The tape works by restricting excessive movement of a joint and/or ligaments.

Another common use for rigid tape is when you are getting back to action following an injury. An example of this is returning to soccer following an ankle sprain. Your therapist may recommend taping your ankle for your next soccer training or match in order to provide some extra support during the recovery/rehabilitation phase of your treatment.

Kinesio Tape
Kinesio tape provides dynamic support (think of it like a second skin) which enables the body to moves freely, unlike rigid tape which restricts movement. It can be used in the management of the following conditions;

Muscle Pain
Muscle Cramping
Tendon Injuries
Swelling
Inflammation and Bruising.

Benefits of using this tape may include

1. Fluid dynamics – improving blood flow and lymphatic drainage

2. This can assist in reducing pain and inflammation by allowing the body to flush out inflammation and damaged cells from the area.

3. By helping blood flow kinesio tape can help remove lactic acid from overused muscles and reduce cramping.

4. The movement between different layers of muscle and fascia

5. Due to the lifting action of the tape, it may reduce the activity of pain receptors under the skin.

6. Body awareness or proprioception by increasing neural stimulation

7. The stimulation of proprioceptors enable the body to be more acutely aware of its position in space, and this can help in increasing your athletic performance and reducing muscle fatigue for repetitive movements.

Braces
Braces are external supportive devices that help to stabilise or assist in controlling joint/muscle activity. Braces come in many types and sizes, and your practitioner will be able to advise you if a brace can assist in your injury and recovery. Generally, braces work by creating more support (similar to sports tape) and helping to guide the body through certain positions.

One of the advantages to using a brace is being able to remove and reuse it whenever you like.