Acupressure Taping to Ease Chronic Muscle Pain

Its often the case that the simplest solution is often the best, although people often over-complicate things unnecessarily. Whilst this is true of life, when it comes to health and treating pain, people go to considerable lengths to try complicated treatments, with the simplest often overlooked, or ignored in the belief that they will not work.

The theory behind why acupressure taping for chronic muscle pain works, may be complicated in terms of its exact mechanism of action (see gate control theory below) but it really is rather simple. Acupressure taping eases chronic muscle pain in the same way that rubbing an injury helps to ease the pain.

Something really quite simple is proving to be extraordinarily effective for the treatment of chronic muscle pain. It involves simply applying tape to the affected area. It's as simple a treatment as it gets, but its exact mechanism of action is a little more complicated.

Acupressure taping is believed to work by stimulating the nerve endings on the skin directly above a muscle injury. When a muscle is injured, the nerve endings are firing signals to the brain telling it that the area is injured and the pain receptors are being stimulated. Acupressure taping causes the nerve endings in the skin to be stimulated, which overrides the signals generated from the injured muscle. The result? Instant pain relief. It is the reason why we rub an injury, and acupressure tape works on exactly the same principles. Stimulate the nerve endings on the skin, and it lessens the pain below.

Pain is the body's way of preventing further injury. It is the body's way of saying STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW! It is a signal to either remove your hand from something which is hot or cold, stop moving, or stop using a particular body part.

Pain is a sign that something is wrong with the body. Pain is often acute - i.e. short lived; however chronic pain persists long term, and it may affect individuals even when the stimulus that led to the pain has long since stopped.

One of the most important theories on pain was put forward in 1968 by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall. Their theory centered on the effects of two types of nerves; namely thin nerves which are responsible for pain, and thick nerves which have a sensory role and response to pressure, touch and vibration.

Both of these nerves carry information about a stimulus to the posterior horn of the spinal cord, and from there to the brain via transmission cells and inhibitory interneurons. Both of the nerve fibers will get the transmission cells into an excited state, however the thin (pain) nerve fibers will impede the inhibitory interneuron's action which allows the transmission cells to fire their signals to the brain. The result is pain. The thick fibers on the other had will get the inhibitory interneurons excited, which impedes the transmission cells actions. The result is less pain.

Stimulate the thick sensory nerve cells, such as by rubbing your toe after you have stubbed it, and it has an overriding effect on the thin nerve cells, and the pain is reduced.

This is a simplified part of the gate control theory of pain, but it has been proposed that it is the reason why acupressure taping works. Stimulate the thick nerves, and inhibit the pain response from the thin nerves, just by applying acupressure tape.

Practisers of kinesio taping - a form of acupressure taping - propose that the tape works by another mechanism. When the tape is applied to the skin, it lifts up the top layers of the skin away from the affected muscle.

This allows the muscle more room to move. More space means less pressure on the underlying nerves. It also improves blood circulation, and lymph drainage, and therefore reduces swelling, again easing the pain. Both Kinesio taping and acupressure taping also helps the muscle to move in a more efficient way, reducing the chance of further injury, whilst promoting faster natural healing.

In all likelihood both of these theories are working at the same time, but regardless of how it works, what is important is that it does work!

Well, yes and no. The above theories are great working hypotheses, but there is a lack of scientific evidence for both, although some studies have shown them to be reasonable explanations. The tape has not been shown beyond all scientific doubt to be effective, but there have been studies published which have shown that it does work, and of course there are a great many people who have tried the treatment and gained instant pain relief.

The take home point is that this treatment can work wonders for some sufferers of chronic pain, but not for others. However since the cost of the tape is relatively low, if you suffer from chronic muscle pain it can be worthwhile trying the technique. With some people it can give instant pain relief and the tape can be worth its weight in gold!

Whilst acupressure tape looks a bit like gaffer tape, before you break out a roll of the all American solution to home repair and freak out your children by strapping yourself up with the stuff, I should point out that not all tape will do the job, and its best to stick to specialized tape for the purpose.

Acupressure tape is an elastic adhesive tape which is applied directly to the skin. It is hypoallergenic and is usually made from a highly breathable material such as cotton and uses a special acrylic glue to keep it in place. The tape remains in place for days, but can be removed easily.

Acupressure tape is about 2-3 inches in diameter, with one side of adhesive which is applied directly to the skin. It will stretch with the muscle so it remains comfortable, but is designed to stay in place and stretch slightly with the muscles natural movement, so it remains comfortable to wear. It is also waterproof, so it can be worn in the shower, or even when swimming, which is just as well as the tape needs to remain on the skin for 3-5 days.

Acupressure tape often goes by many names, with some of the most recognized detailed below.

• Kinesio Tape
• KT Tape
• Kinesio Tex Tape
• Acu-Tape
• Kinesiology tape

• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Torn ligaments
• Frozen shoulder
• Back pain
• Joint and muscle pain
• Tennis elbow
• Knee injuries
• Lymphodema
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Hamstring problems
• Groin injuries
• Whiplash
• Patellar tracking
• Ankle sprains
• Pinched nerves

Cut the tape to size, based on the area which is painful - It helps to get someone else to do this for you, especially if your injury is on your back or shoulders.

Flex your muscle to that it is fully stretched and apply the tape to the skin, so it runs the length of the muscle. The tape should not be stretched before placing it on the skin. The tape should be then left in place for around 3-5 days, after which it should be replaced if the area is still painful.

There is a skill to applying the tape, and there are various recognized bodies that teach how to use the tape properly, the Kinesio Taping Association being one of the main ones.

Many sports and physical therapists use acupressure and kinesio tape, and a growing number of nurses, physiotherapists and doctors are trying the technique on their patients. If you want to get the tape applied professionally - and get the maximum benefit - seek out an accredited practitioner in the first instance at least, to be shown how to apply the tape effectively.

If you do not have a acupressure tape practitioner in your area, try out the following guides to make sure you use the tape correctly.