Dr. Courtney Ellstrom Specializing in Kinesio Taping
Marketplace Physical Therapy Beaumont Uses Kinesio Technique to Help Patients Heal
Dr. Courtney Ellstrom, Doctorate of Physical Therapy, is the head Physical Therapist for Marketplace Physical Therapy in Beaumont. Courtney is constantly looking for new ways for her patients to get better results in less time. She came across a new technique called Kinesio Taping when 2008 Olympic competitor Kerri Walsh displayed a very unusual tape on her body during the competition. After substantial research Dr. Courtney saw the benefit it can have for the body and became certified in Kinesio Taping.
What is Kinesio Taping?
Kinesio Tape is a non-restrictive, elastic taping material that supports and normalizes muscle function. It works to improve joint stability which is a major factor in numerous injuries. Most of us have seen traditional athletic tape. This type of taping is designed to restrict movement of injured body parts so as not to cause any further damage. Athletic tape restricts movement, unlike Kinesio Tape which encourages proper movement. The kind of tape Courtney uses for patients is air permeable and water-resistant. It can stay on for 3-4 days through sweating and showers and yet it is still easy to remove.
Below is an outline of the four main benefits of Kinesio Taping.
1. Normalize muscle function
Often when we are injured we change the natural movement of our muscle because that movement is painful. However, changing gate or natural movement can cause injury to other areas. Physical Therapists have seen so many cases of this. It is very common for knee injuries to result in hip problems. Being certified in Kinesio Taping, Courtney knows exactly where to place the tape in order to normalize the movement of the muscle with decreased pain.
2. Improve Lymphatic and Blood Flow
Kinesio Taping encourages the recruitment of accessory muscles, thereby facilitating efficient lymphatic drainage and blood flow. This helps to decrease swelling to injured areas and increased blood flow helps to nourish inured areas so that they can heal faster.
3. Reduce pain
Have you ever bumped your knee and instinctively rubbed it to make it feel better. Of course you have. The rubbing provides a distraction, impeding the brain’s message of pain, closing the “gate” on pain receptors. This is the same reason why Kinesio Taping helps to reduce pain in injured patients.
4. Correct joint mal-alignment
Over time joints that are not aligned can result in serious discomfort. Specialized taping techniques can pull joints into proper alignment relieving the pressure put on the muscles and surrounding fascia.
While Kinesio Taping is just one method Dr. Ellstrom, Doctorate of Physical Therapy, uses to make patients feel better, we encourage you to find out if it works for you. Contact us at 951.684.2874 for a free consultation with Courtney or one of our other therapists in the Inland Empire.