Y . . . A . . . W . . . N . . . Oh!  Hello class.  Welcome to PT101!  This "lecturer" is just a little tired today because she stays up every night watching the news coverage of the Olympics.  It's been great to watch the great performances of the world's greatest athletes . . . and especially the USA team.

Have you noticed how many athletes have tape, configured in strange patterns, and of various hues covering their legs, shoulders, forearms and backs.  This tape is Kinesiotape, which we have successfully been using at Alliance Physical Therapy for years.  We always laugh about the fact that our patients report recognizing one another on the streets by the "blue tape" (our favorite color) wrapped and stretched over some body part or another!

Kinesiotape differs from the usual athletic tape.  It has a high degree of elasticity and is applied from the origin (where the muscle begins) toward the insertion (where the muscle ends) or visa versa and is applied with the muscle performing a specific motion as it is applied, all depending on the desired outcome of taping.  Proper assessment and taping patterns yield very excellent results for our patients.  Though it can be used for 100s of conditions, the most common conditions calling for kinesiotape for our patients at Alliance Physical Therapy include shoulder pain/impingements, back and neck spasms, foot and ankle conditions, muscle strains and hip pain.

So . . . when you are suffering from sprains, strains, muscle spasms, etc. ask your physician for a referral to Alliance Physical Therapy.  It's very possible that you will have something in common with the world class athletes of the Olympics . . . a colorful taped design strapped to your body!

Yours in health,

Karen