Here is a little case study using kinesiology tape. I had the chance last week to apply kinesiology tape to a large bruise on an athlete’s hamstring. Surprisingly, the bruise was not from a sports injury, but from a deep tissue massage given by a physical therapist using a hard edged instrument (subject of a future post!).
Pic#1
I saw this client on Wednesday, when the bruise was about 1 day old (see pic#1). Yes, that’s a hamstring. The tissue was raised and quite firm around the bruising, so I talked her into trying the tape to reduce the inflammation.
Using a lymphatic drainage application, I cut 2 strips of kinesiology tape into “octopus” shapes and applied them in intersecting directions over the bruise. The kinesiology tape gently lifts the top layer of skin, allowing improved lymphatic drainage. If all goes as planned, the bruising will be noticeably different at her next visit.
Pic#2
The athlete left the tape on for two days and returned Friday. The bruise was visibly reduced where the tape was applied (see pic#2). You can clearly see the lines of the kinesiology tape criss-crossing the bruise.
In addition, the tissue was much less firm in the area of the bruise. At the end of her PT treatment, I re-applied the kinesiology tape and sent her off for the weekend.
Pic#3
Monday, she returned and we saw continued improvement in both the bruise and the muscle tissue (pic#3).
Pic#4
We did not apply tape after Monday’s treatment and by Wednesday, the bruising was almost gone (pic#4). The results we saw were just as expected, based on the literature and training for kinesiology tape. It was the first time I was able to use it on a large bruise and both the athlete and I were pleased with the effectiveness of the tape.
Most importantly, we found decreased tissue tension on and around the bruised area after just 2 days. Trust me, the initial picture doesn’t show how raised and firm the tissue was. The athlete was able to continue cross training while wearing the tape, and was quite happy to have the large bruise gone in just over a week.
