What Is Taping & Strapping
Tape isn't just for athletes finishing a game — it's a genuine treatment tool. Applied correctly, it limits abnormal or excessive movement in an injured joint while still allowing enough motion for daily function, and it provides mechanical support to structures that need to settle and heal.
How it works
After assessing your specific injury, your physiotherapist selects a taping technique suited to what you actually need — sometimes that's rigid strapping to restrict movement after a sprain, other times it's a more flexible kinesiology-style application designed to support muscle function without limiting range of motion. It's rarely one-size-fits-all.
What taping can help with :
- Pain relief in the taped area
- Increased range of motion
- Support for tissue recovery during healing
- Reduced muscular fatigue during activity or sport
- Improved muscle contraction in a weakened muscle
- Calming an over-active or spasming muscle
Taping and strapping can be incorporated into a broader physiotherapy treatment plan to support stability, movement, and recovery during rehabilitation or sport.
What to expect at your visit
Application typically takes just a few minutes once your physiotherapist has determined the right technique. We'll also show you how to care for the tape (most kinesiology tape stays on through showers, rigid strapping usually doesn't) and when it needs to come off or be reapplied.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the type — kinesiology tape is often worn for 3–5 days, while rigid strapping for an acute injury is usually reapplied more frequently.
Not usually — it's most effective as part of a broader treatment plan, not as a standalone fix.
Source: Cleveland Clinic notes that kinesiology tape is not a standalone therapy and may be used as part of a broader treatment program that can include physical therapy, stretching, recovery, and other interventions.
Take the next step.
Our Scott Road clinic welcomes patients from Guildford, Newton, Scott Road, and North Delta for personalized occupational therapy focused on their individual functional goals. Book online or call 778-590-4243.
