1. health and fitness
2. therapy

A review of the impAct
of kinesiology tApe
on fAsciAl chAins And
flexibility
BY Sarah Catlow MSC and dr
lanCe doggart Phd
IntroduCtIon
Kinesiology tape (K-tape) has gained
global attention, as an alternative
taping method, since its endorsement
at the 2008 Olympic Games. It
continues to feature at the highest
level of competition across a multitude
of sports (1,2). K-tape is designed to
mirror the body’s skin properties by
using thin adhesive elastic material
capable of stretching between 30
and 40% of its resting length (3).
This distinctive elastic feature is the
key factor behind claims that K-tape
can potentially increase circulation,
reduce pain, enhance sensorimotor
feedback, increase power output
and correct mechanical dysfunction
(3–6). Such effects are attributed to
the elastic recoil which occurs as a
result of tension within the tape. Once
applied this recoil effect lifts the skin
releasing the pressure around the
injured area permitting the underlying
muscle and fascial (myofascial) tissue
to function more effectively including
the circulatory, lymphatic and nervous
systems within the human body (6).
The concept of tape, capable
of mirroring the body externally to
enhance functions internally, is attractive
Kinesiology tape (K-tape) has been increasingly applied
to both amateur and elite athletes since its rise to
popularity at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. K-tape has
been reported to enhance muscular flexibility, through
mechanisms which are not well understood, but are
thought to be due to fascial manipulation. This article
discusses the current research and ideas about
flexibility and how K-tape might enhance it
to athletes who require all systems
within the body to be functioning at an
optimum rate. Furthermore, athletes
will look to enhance all areas of their
physical capabilities where possible (7).
One area that has exemplified optimum
functioning is that of flexibility.
Flexibility is a crucial component of
performance across numerous areas
including running velocity; technical
execution and body positioning;
movement efficiency and posture and
a functionally balanced kinetic chain
(8–11). Furthermore, muscle flexibility
provides tissue maintenance, therefore
lowering the risk of spasms and trigger
points and subsequent injury (12–14).
There are substantial levels of interest
in terms of defining the relationship
between K-tape and flexibility; however,
to date research within this field has
failed to provide definitive evidence
(3,15–20).
The existence of fascial chains
suggests flexibility throughout the body
may not be linked to the behaviour of
K-TApE IS dESIGnEd TO MIRROR ThE
BOdy’S SKIn pROpERTIES By uSInG ThIn
AdhESIvE ElASTIc MATERIAl cApABlE OF
STRETchInG BETwEEn 30 And 40% OF ITS
RESTInG lEnGTh
14
muscle tissue around a specific joint as
tested in previous K-tape investigations
(3,15–21). Instead, this intricate web
of connective tissue presents the
possibility that flexibility may ultimately
result from the condition of entire links
of myofascial tissue and, therefore,
suggests that to enhance flexibility, at
a joint locally, it must also be enhanced
throughout the whole body.
K-taPe and flexIBIlItY
At a fundamental level flexibility is
simply how much range of motion
(ROM) is present at an isolated joint or
multiple joints in series (22). Extensive
research exists around flexibility, its
manipulation and the use of reliable
measurement techniques (11,22–29).
The theories attempting to explain the
adaptive mechanisms remain varied
and in cases speculative (11,22–29).They
can be broadly separated into two main
schools of thought whereby adaptation
is either structural or sensational (30).
This may allow for the relationship
between flexibility and K-tape to be
more easily identified.
The premise behind this theory
is that flexibility results from the
physical adaptation of myofascial
tissue structure allowing for the
associated muscle groups connected
to a particular joint to achieve a longer
resting length. This permits the joint to
move through a greater ROM (11,24).
sportEX dynamics 2015;44(April):14-16
literAture review
The specific mechanisms that occur
within the body during structural
adaptation can be further separated
into several possible explanations.
The first and most popular
explanation is that additional muscle
fibres, known as sarcomeres, are
further recruited or re-aligned in
series (meaning ‘length ways’) within
the tissue (11,22,24,28). In order for
this to take place it is suggested that
‘myofibrillogenesis’ must occur at a
molecular level within the tissue (31).
The molecular reaction is stated to be
a series of ‘signal sensing’ mechanisms
evolved by the human body to react
to the regular external stress or forces
experienced by the body (31,32).
This is reported to occur at a cellular
level through neural pathways within
myofascial tissue prompting gene
transduction and transcription (31,32).
Schleip (33) states that the nervous
system should primarily be seen as
a ‘liquid system’ where blood and
lymph also act alongside further neural
pathways to provide fluid transmission
of nerve signals throughout the body,
particularly signals that prompt the
process of myofibrillogenesis and
protein synthesis. Muscle tension has
been stated to have a dysfunctional
and debilitating effect on neural
signalling within myofascial tissue
(13,14,34). K-tape proposes improved
circulation and lymphatic flow whilst
also relaxing muscle to restore normal
function (5,18).
The second explanation essentially
results from myofascial tissue ‘relaxing’.
An altered or reduced amount of
messaging from the central nervous
system (cnS) allows muscles to
lengthen past their normal ROM
causing ‘viscoelastic deformation’,
or more simply put a permanent
reshaping of muscle fibres (22,29).
The cause of altered or reduced
cnS messaging is specifically about
overcoming an autonomous defence
strategy known as the ‘stretch reflex’
mechanism. The mechanism suggests
afferent and efferent signalling between
the cnS and muscle spindles creating
a reflexive muscle contraction designed
to protect a muscle from rupture by
stretching too far too quickly (35,36).
Another alternative theory
embraces the idea that flexibility is
www.sportEX.net
purely a subjective reflection based on
an individual’s ‘tolerance’ of end-range
positions. This suggests that myofascial
tissue has the potential to reach further
end points but is prevented by doing
so by the sensation experienced by
each individual, therefore preventing
them from extending past that point
(30,37,38).This mechanism could, at
‘end point’, reduce or stop the increase
in flexibility. It is further suggested that
routinely stretching the myofascial
tissue promotes a change in the
perceived sensation of discomfort, or
pain, by the subject as the muscle
reaches its stretch end point. This
routine stretching would then reduce
or stop the signals of pain from the
increased tension at the end point,
permitting further stretching and
flexibility (30,37,38). Kase et al. (6)
state a direct pain reduction effect
by relieving the pressure off pain and
discomfort receptors; it may, therefore,
be logical to speculate that K-tape
could create more relaxed conditions
and fewer afferent signals of pain being
transmitted, thus the subject’s end
point and flexibility may be altered.
PhYSIologICal
ProPertIeS of K-taPe
The physiological properties that
facilitate flexibility, and are purported to
be affected by K-tape, suggest that the
application of K-tape directly to local
muscles around a joint would result in
an increase in the ROM of that specific
joint. however, this view of flexibility
may be limiting the potential of K-Tape
application.
The discovery of the fascial
network, running throughout the body
has prompted a modern re-evaluation
of the complexity and integration of the
muscular system. The understanding
of anatomy in terms of movement
and architecture is moving towards a
more interlinked, sophisticated system
governed by fascia (33,39–42). Fascia
is intrinsically involved in both posture
and movement and is abundantly
innervated by sensory receptors
(21,39). This has been proven to exist
as a number of continuous force
transmitting ‘chains’ throughout the
body (40–42). Stecco et al. (42) state
that the presence of referred pain
often some distance away from its
origin, such as that seen with trigger
points, is confirmation of fascial chains.
wadsworth (21) adds that even altered
muscle tonus is a component capable
of referring restriction distally from its
origin to another distal segment of the
chain. In other words, tension within
one aspect of the body could create
restriction elsewhere in the body.
This is known as a ‘tension continuity
effect’.
Flexibility is potentially not just
a property defined by the behaviour
of localised muscle connected to a
joint, but is in fact a global network
defined by the fluid continuity of the
fascial chains that binds the human
body and supports our movement.
The recognition of fascia’s place
within flexibility, combined with the
enhancements stood to be gained
from K-tape, suggests that a tape
application which embraces this global
network could provide a far deeper
and more comprehensive approach
to increasing an individual’s ROM and
quality of movement.
This ultimately translates as a
stronger approach to increasing an
athlete’s ROM and therefore links to
the chain reaction of biomechanical
events and flexibility. Enhancing this
link leads to enhanced movement
and enhanced performance. The
significance of K-tape to fascial chains
and flexibility is an under-researched
field. If the ‘tension continuity effect’
underlying ‘fascial chains’ does exist
then it stands to reason that taping
methods, incorporating full ‘chains’,
should enhance the flexibility of all
joints accommodated within that ‘chain’.
published research in this field remains
limited and inconclusive (15,18).
Garcia-Muro et al. (18) present
a case report attempting to
document effects of K-tape
on restricted shoulder
ROM in patients with
myofascial pain. The
visual analogue scale
(vAS) was used
to gauge the
individual’s
15
pain where measurements are based
on a subject’s responses which then
equate to numerical ratings on a scale
of pain (43,44). Subjective responses
in this way, however, are largely open
to subjective interpretation as there is
little way of guaranteeing one subject’s
score of 10 on the pain scale will
equally be how another subject feels.
Therefore any associated gains in ROM
through pain reduction would be difficult
to support. It should be noted, however,
that this report states no change in
vAS score post-intervention.
Another methodological void is
the lack of definitive protocols which
ensure a measured amount of tension
is running throughout the tape upon
application (3,15–20). Kase et al. (6)
outlined tape tension as one of the
most critical factors towards gaining
successful effects from its use. Tension
in previous research is both conflicting
and unclear. Some research has used
the ‘paper off’ method, which relies on
the stretch placed and held within the
tape whilst on the backing paper (15,19).
Research using the paper off method
has reported stretches between 10
and 25% (3,15,19). In addition, further
research proceeded to investigate
the effects of K-tape on ROM whilst
declaring no known or intended degree
of tension during research at all,
leading to a high degree of irrelevance
within their results (16–18,20).
The most questionable
aspect from previous research is
the understanding of the factors
associated with facilitating flexibility
(3,15–20). Experimental designs have,
in all circumstances, simply applied
K-tape to subjects in a bid to then
measure a potential increase in ROM.
however, as noted earlier, flexibility
is ultimately a product of some form
of regular, consciously applied force,
which stimulates the muscle to adapt
either its length or neural and cellular
functioning (11,22–25,28–30,45). K-tape
cannot be viewed separately from
these factors, specific to ROM, as in
doing so would be to omit the crucial
stimulants that are fundamentally
needed for increasing ROM.
Furthermore, despite the supported
existence of fascial chains and the
role they may well have in creating
global flexibility, none of the research
16
presented in this article incorporates
a taping method that reflects or
acknowledges this issue (21,33,39–42).
SuMMarY
Existing studies are fraught with
undermining features leading to an
inability to conduct a reliable, valid or
‘true’ assessment of K-tape and its
impact on flexibility. The inferential
power of research is often highly
questionable and therefore in many
cases the questions surrounding K-tape
themselves are still largely unanswered.
K-tape in many investigations has been
tested under conditions where it was
under-appreciated and misplaced. The
mechanisms of flexibility appear to
operate under the architecture of fascia
yet none of these issues are reflected
in the research. It would therefore
seem appropriate to conduct further
research that incorporates improved,
standardised, valid and reliable testing
methods to investigate K-tape’s
relationship towards both flexibility and
fascial chains.
References
Owing to space limitations in the print
version, the references that accompany
this article are available at the following
link and are also appended to the end
of the article in the web and mobile
versions. click here to access the
references http://spxj.nl/1BFZQdF
further reSourCeS
1. visit the RockTape website for videos
on how to use K-Tape
(http://rocktape.net/how-to-use.html).
2. visit Tom Myers’ website and see
the ‘Anatomy Trains Myofasial Meridians
A Revolution in Soft Tissue patterning’
video for more information on fascial
and myofascial linkages
(http://www.anatomytrains.com).
DISCUSSIONS
ThE AuThoRs
Th
sARAh CATlow BsC PGCE MsC
sARA
s
sarah is the programme leader of the sports
Therapy and Rehabilitation degrees at the
u
university of st Mark and st John. The
development of these degrees and her clinical work has
led her research into the area of Kinesiology tape and the
material properties linked to the application of tape in a
clinical setting.
DR lAnCE DoGGART PhD
D
lance graduated in 1992 with a Bsc (hons)
l
sport science from liverpool Polytechnic
s
(now liverpool John Moores university). As
a research assistant he completed a PGcert in teaching
and learning in hE in 1996 and completed a PhD in 2002
on the biomechanics of sports injuries. lance moved to
Plymouth and the university of st Mark and st John in
2001. In 2012 he completed an MEd focusing on the role
of the student feedback process. The development of
the very successful sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
degrees at the university of st Mark and st John has
led his research down the path of Kinesiology tape and
predominantly the material properties associated with the
tape in relation to injury prevention and rehabilitation.
KeY PoIntS
n the concept of K-tape mirroring the body externally
to enhance functions internally, is attractive to
athletes who require all systems within the body
functioning at and optimum rate.
n there are substantial levels of interest in terms
of defining the relationship between K-tape and
flexibility.
n the significance of K-tape to fascial chains and
flexibility is an under-researched field.
n a major methodological void is the complete lack of
definitive protocols within K-tape research.
n the effects of K-tape are attributed to the recoil
effect lifting the skin and releasing pressure around
the injured area.
n the idea that K-tape increases roM when directly
applied to local muscles around a joint might limit the
potential benefits of K-tape use.
n the existence of fascial chains suggests that to
enhance flexibility at a particular joint, flexibility must
be enhanced throughout the whole body.
n the application of K-tape that embraces the idea of
a global fascial network could provide better gains in
roM and movement quality.
n what is the definitive role of K-tape in enhancing ROM or flexibility?
n what are the key factors affecting K-tape application for optimising its
performance?
n what is the key, underpinning physiology influencing the application of K-tape
and where is the research to support this?
sportEX dynamics 2015;44(April):14-16
Literature review
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