Via PRBuzz & BioSpace

When people think of Kinesiology Tape, it’s fair to say that thoughts focus on professional athletes who use this tape to enhance sporting performance, prevent injury and allow them to return to recover faster. However, studies have shown that the applications and benefits of Kinesiology Tape are far more wide reaching and can even help children with cerebral palsy.

A study published in Developmental Neurorehabilitation has found that this tape can assist in improving balance, mobility and speed when performing physical tasks. Specifically, researchers looked at the time it took children with cerebral palsy to stand from a sitting position, their ability to balance in response to dynamic and static situations, and the time it took to stand from a chair and walk 3m before returning to sit down. In all instances, children preformed better with the aid of Kinesiology tapping.

The study found that children were able to carry-out dynamic function tasks better when taped. These children showed an improvement in body alignment, which made it easier to stabilize and find their centre of gravity. This made it easier for the children to move with better coordination and control. In turn, this facilitated faster physical responses and allowed for tasks to be completed with more efficiency.

It’s important to acknowledge that this study only included a small number of participants and further research in this area of physical rehabilitation is necessary. However, despite the low statistically significance, these findings offer hope to children with cerebral palsy. Any additional therapeutic interventions that can help these kids improve their quality of life are welcomed news.

It is hoped that further studies involving larger sample sizes will help to build on this pilot study. Such research will add to the knowledge and understanding of the potential benefits of kinesiology tape in assisting children with neurodevelopmental problems.