Kinesiology Taping

KT tape is elastic, not rigid. Where a brace or a splint works by limiting a joint, kinesiology tape works by staying on the skin through the whole range of motion, so the muscle, joint or ligament underneath it gets support without losing the movement it still needs to do a day's work. It is believed to reduce pain, improve circulation and promote lymphatic drainage that brings swelling down, and it shows up in the plan for chronic conditions as often as it shows up right after surgery. The direction and tension of the strip is not decorative. Jennifer places it to unload a specific muscle or to cue a joint toward a better position, which is why the same complaint can get a different tape job from one visit to the next. It is one tool in a session, usually paired with manual work or an exercise, not a stand-alone fix. Jennifer Kirby, PT, DPT is a Certified KT Tape Practitioner who tapes patients in their own home, anywhere within 30 minutes of Eau Claire. Call (715) 450-5001. A rigid brace solves a problem by removing a choice: the joint physically cannot go past a certain point, so pain from that motion stops. That works, and sometimes it is exactly the right call. But it also means the muscles around the joint stop having to hold their own position, and a joint that has been braced for weeks can come out of it weaker than it went in. A mobile physical therapy practice in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Jennifer Kirby, PT, DPT drives to you and treats you in your own home, so there is no clinic to get to and no waiting room to sit in.

Kirby PT — Solo practice. No referral required in Wisconsin. Call (715) 450-5001.