Expert in Kinesio Taping Joins Freehold Ortho Group
It looks like the usual elastic tape but it’s not, and you need a trained expert to apply the black, pink, blue, or natural colored tape, the latest technique in facilitating healing for certain orthopedic and medical conditions.
Patty Buck, the clinical director of Advanced Physical Therapy of Freehold, has added the services of Karen Pollak, PT, DPT, CKTP*, Montclair, a certified Kinesio® Taping practitioner and a member of the Kinesio® Taping Association to its staff and onsite physical therapy center that works closely with the orthopedic doctors at Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute (AOSMI), Freehold.
Kinesio® Tape, which resembles human skin in texture and elasticity and is latex free, was developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase more than 25 years ago. Today Kinesio® Taping is growing in popularity as a way to treat swelling, bruising, scars and various injuries, especially in the fields of sports performance, pain management, and physical therapy because it is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process, and provide support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion.
While black tape is popular with many pro athletes, other colored tape is used for different reasons. Pink is used as a warming effect; blue is used for cooling effect. Blue tape is used more to reduce swelling or bruising, and help reduce pain. Pink tape, on the other hand, is used for muscle spasms and muscles which need warmth.
After an evaluation, Pollak determines which tape is appropriate. She says, “It all depends on what the goals are for treatment and how the tape is applied. If you apply it in one direction, you can bring blood to the area. If you apply it in another direction, you are removing fluids from the area. You can even treat a painful spot by helping to relieve the pressure from pain receptors so that even if it’s not supporting a specific muscle, just taping over the painful area has been shown to reduce symptoms.”
In the case of a motor vehicle accident in which someone has a contusion on the hip or knee, the tape is used to reduce swelling or bruising. The tape can also be used post operatively for scars. Pollak says, “Taping can help heal scars, making them nice and smooth. We found we could still work successfully on the scars of patients who had had surgery a while ago.”
Pollak, Buck, and physical therapy assistant Kris Hearn have done a lot of knee taping, tennis elbow, wrists, ankles, sprains and strains, and low back pain. Since Kinseo® Taping is becoming popular in the sports world, Pollak has also been called upon to tape some athletics before they race. She says, “You can pre-tape before a sport if you know there’s an area that needs special attention, such as strains and sprains.”
Pollak received her doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, in 2005. She earned a B.S. in kinesiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland in 2002. She holds licenses in physical therapy in New York and New Jersey; she is an APTA* credentialed clinical instructor; and holds certification in CPR and AED*. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association.
*PT (Physical Therapy), DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy), CKTP (Certified Kinseo® Taping Practitioner, APTA (American Physical Therapy Association), CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation), AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
About Advanced Physical Therapy of Freehold: Advanced Physical Therapy of Freehold is open 7:00 a.m. -8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m., Fridays; and 7:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m., Saturdays. Patty Buck, the clinical director of Advanced Physical Therapy of Freehold, and Kris Hearn have also been trained to apply Kinesio® Tape.