Trigger Point Therapy - Taping for Elbow Injuries

Taping for Lateral Elbow Injuries - Stuart Hinds

Taping techniques are increasingly performed after trigger point therapy sessions to help “unload” the treated muscle

The use of taping has become increasingly common as an adjunct to manual therapy, and trigger point therapy offers a number of excellent opportunities to exploit the benefits of taping.

Like so many manual therapy techniques, there is simply too little research to make a strong case one way or another for the benefits of taping.

However, most therapists who use taping will tell you that it is often extremely effective as a method of providing support to weakened muscles whilst providing full range of motion for the client. 

The Journal of Sports Medicine (Feb 2013) reviewed the evidence from 10 research papers about the effectiveness of kinesio tape in preventing sports injuries:

• No clinically important results were found to support the tape’s use for pain relief.

• There were inconsistent range-of-motion results.

• Seven outcomes relating to strength were beneficial.

• The tape had some substantial effects on muscle activity, but it was not clear whether these changes were beneficial or harmful.

• The review concluded that there was little quality evidence to support the use of kinesio tape over other types of elastic taping to manage or prevent sports injuries.