The Kinesio Taping Association International has always aimed our primary focus on the relief of patient conditions – on making people feel better. Upwards of 85% of Kinesio Taping applications are designed not with athletes, but with general patient populations in mind. Like anyone else, we enjoy seeing our work gain success in use by the admired and the prominent. This is not because we like to bask in the glow of their success. Rather, it is because we like the visible confirmation that our efforts as healers are paying off. “Tape the World for Health” is more than a slogan. It is what we try to do every day.
The design of Kinesio Tex Tape, in combination with proper evaluation of the clinical condition and the unique application technique, create the Kinesio Taping® Method. Dr. Kase understood the need for high quality patient assessment prior to any treatment. The assessment process should produce a problem list from which the clinician can develop a set of individualized goals for each patient. He developed the Kinesio Taping Method to assist the practitioner with tape application based on the needs of the patient. Applications of KinesioTex Tape can be offered alone or in combination with other therapeutic treatments such as cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, electro-stimulation, acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathic, massage therapy and ultrasound.
The Kinesio Taping Method first gained recognition outside of Japan in the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Introduction to the USA occurred in March 1995 in Portland, Oregon at the Northwest Athletic Trainers Association Annual Clinical Symposium. Europe was next to find the value of Kinesio Tex Tape in 1996. The technique is used by Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Certified Athletic Trainers, Massage Therapist, Doctors of Chiropractic, Medical Doctors, Nurses, and Acupuncturists all around the world.
What began as strategic application of Kinesio® Tex Tape for muscle has developed into a total therapeutic treatment system. Currently there are 8 primary Kinesio Taping Assessments developed by Dr. Kase. These screening tools provide the Kinesio Taping Practitioner with a framework to determine the mobility of the skin, fascia, muscle, joint and fluid dynamics in painful regions. Dr. Kase continues to develop therapeutic interventions for assessment and treatment based on the science of tissue structure and function in the human body.