Rigid, Kinesiology or Biomechanical Tape: Which Tape Should You Choose?
A Clinical Guide to Choosing the Right Taping Approach
If you use taping in musculoskeletal practice, one of the most important questions isn’t:
“How do I tape this condition?”
It is:
“What am I actually trying to achieve with the tape?”
Rigid sports tape, kinesiology tape and biomechanical tape can all have a role in modern MSK rehabilitation, but they have different properties and can be used for different clinical objectives.
Rigid tape may be selected when greater external support or movement restriction is required. Kinesiology tape may be considered when pain modulation and sensorimotor input are the objective. Biomechanical tapes, including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, can be used when the aim is to influence mechanical load or assist movement.
Understanding these differences is central to the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course.
We don’t simply teach clinicians how to copy taping applications.
We teach you to choose the right tape, for the right patient, for the right reason.
The Three Main Clinical Taping Approaches
For practical clinical reasoning, it is useful to consider three broad approaches:
1. Rigid Sports Taping
Support • Protection • Movement Control
2. Kinesiology Taping
Sensory Input • Pain Modulation • Movement Awareness
3. Biomechanical Taping
Load Modification • Movement Assistance • Elastic Recoil
There can be overlap between these objectives, but understanding the different properties of each tape helps clinicians make more informed decisions.
Quick Comparison: Which Tape Does What?
Rigid Sports Tape
Kinesiology Tape
Biomechanical Tape
Elasticity
Minimal
Elastic
Highly elastic
Primary clinical rationale
Support/control
Sensorimotor/pain modulation
Mechanical assistance/load modification
Restricts movement
Can do
Generally no
Generally no
Allows functional movement
Depends on application
Yes
Yes
Mechanical support
High
Relatively limited
Dynamic
Movement assistance
Limited
Not usually primary objective
Key objective
Examples
Zinc oxide/rigid tape
K-tape
Dynamic Tape®, Strapit Active Tape
Typical use
Protection/stability
Symptoms/rehabilitation
Movement/load management
The important point is that there isn’t one “best” tape.
The appropriate tape depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
When Should You Choose Rigid Sports Tape?
Rigid sports taping has been used within sports medicine for decades.
Because it has little elasticity, it can provide substantial external support.
A clinician may choose rigid tape when they want to:
Restrict excessive movement
Protect an injured structure
Increase joint support
Improve perceived stability
Support return to activity
Reduce the risk of recurrent injury in selected situations
One of the classic examples is the ankle.
Example: Lateral Ankle Sprain
Consider an athlete returning to sport following a lateral ankle sprain.
If your clinical objective is to reduce excessive inversion while allowing the athlete to participate, rigid sports taping may be appropriate.
Here the reasoning is:
Problem: unwanted/excessive movement.
Objective: control that movement.
Tape choice: rigid sports tape.
The tape’s lack of elasticity becomes an advantage because movement restriction is part of the objective.
When Should You Choose Kinesiology Tape?
Kinesiology tape behaves very differently.
It stretches considerably more than rigid sports tape and is generally applied without trying to substantially restrict normal movement.
Potential clinical objectives include:
Pain modulation
Cutaneous sensory input
Sensorimotor feedback
Movement awareness
Supporting rehabilitation
Helping patients tolerate activity
The evidence surrounding kinesiology taping is sometimes presented as simply “it works” or “it doesn’t”.
The reality is more nuanced.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported short-term improvements in pain and/or function for some musculoskeletal conditions, while results for other conditions and longer-term outcomes remain mixed.
This is why kinesiology tape is better considered an adjunct to rehabilitation, rather than a stand-alone treatment.
Kinesiology Taping and Chronic MSK Conditions
This is particularly relevant when treating persistent musculoskeletal presentations.
Research has explored kinesiology taping in conditions including:
Chronic low back pain
Knee osteoarthritis
Patellofemoral pain
Shoulder pain
Neck pain
Other persistent MSK presentations
Some systematic reviews have identified improvements in pain or disability, although the magnitude and certainty of benefits vary.
Therefore, the sensible clinical position isn’t:
“Kinesiology tape cures chronic pain.”
Nor is it:
“Kinesiology tape doesn’t work.”
Instead:
Kinesiology taping may provide useful short-term symptom modification for selected patients, particularly when it helps them participate in active rehabilitation.
That is a much more defensible evidence-informed position.
Example: Pain During Rehabilitation
Imagine a patient with knee pain who finds squatting uncomfortable.
Their rehabilitation requires progressive strengthening, but pain is limiting their confidence.
You apply kinesiology tape.
You reassess the squat.
Their pain reduces and they can perform the exercise more comfortably.
The tape hasn’t necessarily “fixed” their knee.
But it may have helped them perform the rehabilitation that contributes to longer-term improvement.
That can still be clinically valuable.
When Should You Choose Biomechanical Tape?
Biomechanical taping introduces another clinical objective.
Highly elastic tapes such as Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape can be applied to interact mechanically with movement.
Potential objectives include:
Modifying mechanical load
Assisting movement
Reducing demand on selected tissues
Redistributing forces
Supporting functional activity
Improving tolerance to rehabilitation
Rather than simply asking where the patient hurts, biomechanical taping encourages clinicians to think about:
Movement + force + load + capacity.
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape can both be used within a biomechanical taping approach.
They do not need to be considered separate treatment philosophies.
The underlying clinical reasoning is the same:
How can the elastic properties of the tape be used to influence the mechanical demands of movement?
This shifts the focus away from brand and towards biomechanics.
The External Spring Concept
A useful way to visualise biomechanical taping is as an external elastic spring.
As biomechanical tape stretches, elastic energy can be stored within the material.
As it recoils, it generates an elastic force.
When an application is appropriately designed, this mechanical behaviour may be used to assist movement or modify demand.
The effect depends on factors including:
Tape properties
Direction
Tension
Patient position
Anchoring
Movement being performed
This is one reason biomechanical taping benefits considerably from practical instruction.
Example: Achilles Tendinopathy
Consider a runner with load-sensitive Achilles tendinopathy.
The long-term objective is usually not to permanently unload the tendon.
The tendon needs progressively appropriate loading to develop capacity.
However, the runner may temporarily struggle with the mechanical demands of walking, running or rehabilitation.
A biomechanical taping application could potentially be used to help modify some of that demand.
The tape supports rehabilitation rather than replacing it.
So Which Tape Should You Choose?
Rather than starting with the patient’s diagnosis, start with your clinical objective.
Do I want to restrict or control movement?
Consider rigid sports tape.
Do I want sensory input or short-term symptom modification while maintaining movement?
Consider kinesiology tape.
Do I want to mechanically assist movement or modify load?
Consider biomechanical tape.
That simple framework can dramatically improve clinical decision-making.
One Diagnosis Doesn’t Equal One Tape
This is an important concept.
Take knee pain.
Depending on your assessment, you might choose:
Rigid tape if you want stronger mechanical control or support.
Kinesiology tape if you’re attempting to modify symptoms or provide sensory input during rehabilitation.
Biomechanical tape if your objective is to influence mechanical demand during a functional movement.
Three patients.
Same broad area of symptoms.
Three potentially different strategies.
This is why memorising “the knee taping technique” isn’t enough.
Assess → Select → Apply → Reassess
At CPD Today, we encourage clinicians to use a simple framework.
1. Assess
Identify the patient’s symptoms, movement problem and functional limitation.
2. Define Your Objective
What specifically do you want the tape to achieve?
3. Select
Choose the taping system with the properties most appropriate for that objective.
4. Apply
Use appropriate positioning, direction, tension and technique.
5. Reassess
Repeat the movement or task you assessed beforehand.
Did anything meaningful change?
If not, reconsider the application.
Don’t Choose Tape by Colour
This sounds obvious, but it highlights an important issue.
Clinicians sometimes become attached to a particular taping system because it is what they were originally taught.
Everything then gets treated with the same tape.
But good clinical practice should work in the opposite direction:
Patient → Objective → Tape selection
not:
Favourite tape → Find somewhere to put it.
Understanding several taping approaches gives clinicians far more flexibility.
Why Learning All Three Approaches Matters
This is one of the major reasons the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course teaches rigid, kinesiology and biomechanical taping together.
If you only know rigid taping, your options are limited.
If you only know kinesiology taping, your options are limited.
If you only know biomechanical taping, your options are limited.
Understanding all three means you can select an approach based upon the clinical problem rather than the technique you happen to know.
More Than a Taping Course
Our aim isn’t simply to teach you a long list of applications.
We want clinicians to understand:
Why different tapes behave differently
How tape properties influence clinical use
When restriction is appropriate
When movement should be maintained
How sensory input may influence symptoms
How mechanical load can be modified
How positioning affects an application
How tape tension changes the effect
How to integrate taping with rehabilitation
How to reassess whether an application has worked
That turns taping from a collection of recipes into a clinical reasoning skill.
Hands-On Practical Training
Taping is a practical skill.
You can watch hundreds of online videos and still struggle with:
Correct tension
Anchoring
Direction
Patient positioning
Handling the tape
Avoiding wrinkles
Creating appropriate mechanical effects
Adapting techniques to different body types
These skills improve through practice and feedback.
During CPD Today training, clinicians have the opportunity to apply techniques themselves, experience being taped and develop confidence through supervised practical learning.
Who Is the Course For?
The CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course is suitable for healthcare professionals working with musculoskeletal conditions, rehabilitation and sport, including:
Physiotherapists
Osteopaths
Chiropractors
Sports therapists
Rehabilitation practitioners
Other appropriately qualified MSK professionals
Whether you’re completely new to taping or already use tape regularly, learning multiple approaches can considerably expand your clinical toolkit.
Practical Applications
Throughout the course, taping principles can be explored in relation to common MSK presentations such as:
Ankle sprains
Knee pain
Patellofemoral pain
Achilles tendinopathy
Plantar heel pain
Shoulder pain
Tennis and golfer’s elbow
Tendinopathies
Running injuries
Sporting injuries
Functional rehabilitation
But importantly, we don’t want you simply memorising an application for each condition.
We want you to understand enough to adapt your technique to the individual patient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between rigid, kinesiology and biomechanical tape?
Rigid sports tape primarily provides support and can restrict movement. Kinesiology tape is elastic and is commonly used for sensory input, symptom modulation and rehabilitation. Biomechanical tape is highly elastic and can be applied with the aim of mechanically assisting movement or modifying load.
Which tape is best for sports injuries?
There isn’t one best tape for every sports injury. The appropriate choice depends on the injury, stage of rehabilitation and clinical objective.
Is kinesiology tape evidence-based?
Systematic reviews suggest potential short-term benefits for pain and function in some musculoskeletal conditions, but findings vary. It is best viewed as a potential adjunct to active rehabilitation rather than a stand-alone treatment.
Are Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape biomechanical tapes?
Yes. Both can be used according to biomechanical taping principles involving movement assistance and load modification.
Is biomechanical tape better than kinesiology tape?
No. They have different properties and may be selected for different clinical objectives.
Should taping replace exercise rehabilitation?
No. Taping should generally complement rather than replace appropriate exercise, progressive loading, education and rehabilitation.
Learn to Choose the Right Tape with CPD Today
The most valuable taping skill isn’t memorising hundreds of applications.
It’s knowing what you’re trying to achieve and which tool gives you the best chance of achieving it.
Load Modification • Movement Assistance • Functional Support
You’ll combine hands-on practical learning with clinical reasoning and evidence-informed teaching, developing skills you can take directly back into clinical practice.
Don’t Just Learn How to Tape. Learn How to Think About Taping.
If you’re a physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor, sports therapist or other MSK professional wanting to improve your clinical taping skills, our course is designed to give you a much broader understanding than learning one taping system alone.
Learn • Develop • Excel with CPD Today.
The right tape. For the right patient. For the right reason.
Book Your Place on the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course
Develop your practical skills, expand your treatment options and gain the confidence to make better-informed taping decisions in everyday MSK practice.
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How Does Biomechanical Taping Work? Load Modification, Energy Storage and Movement Assistance
A Guide for Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and MSK Healthcare Professionals
Biomechanical taping is increasingly used by healthcare professionals looking for ways to influence movement and mechanical loading while allowing patients to remain active.
Unlike rigid sports taping, which is commonly used to restrict or control unwanted movement, biomechanical taping uses highly elastic tape to interact with movement.
Tapes such as Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape can be applied with the aim of assisting movement, modifying load and reducing mechanical demand on selected tissues.
But how does this actually work?
To use biomechanical tape effectively, clinicians need to understand more than where to place a strip of tape.
We need to think about:
Force. Load. Movement. Elasticity. Energy storage. Recoil.
These principles form an important part of the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course, where we teach clinicians how to move beyond simply copying taping applications and instead understand the reasoning behind them.
What Is Biomechanical Taping?
Biomechanical taping uses highly elastic tape to create an external mechanical influence on the body.
Depending on the application, the clinician may be attempting to:
Assist a movement
Modify mechanical load
Reduce demand on a particular tissue
Influence movement mechanics
Support functional activity
Improve tolerance to rehabilitation
Assist return to sport
The key word is mechanical.
Rather than simply applying tape over the location of pain, the clinician considers the forces associated with a particular movement.
Biomechanical Tape Works Differently from Rigid Sports Tape
Rigid sports tape has very little stretch.
This makes it useful when the clinical objective is to:
Restrict unwanted movement
Protect an injured ligament
Provide joint support
Improve perceived stability
Support return to sport
Biomechanical tape behaves differently.
Its high elasticity means that it can lengthen as the patient moves.
Rather than simply preventing movement, the objective can therefore be to interact with that movement.
This distinction is fundamental.
The External Spring Concept
One useful way of understanding biomechanical tape is to think of it as an external elastic spring.
Imagine stretching an elastic band.
As you pull it:
The elastic material lengthens → energy is stored → the material attempts to return towards its original length.
Biomechanical tapes can demonstrate similar elastic behaviour.
When positioned appropriately, movement stretches the tape.
The tape’s elastic resistance and recoil can then contribute an external force to the movement.
The aim isn’t for the tape to perform the movement for the patient.
Instead, it may reduce some of the mechanical demand required from the patient’s tissues.
What Is Energy Storage and Recoil?
Our bodies already use elastic energy constantly.
Tendons are a good example.
During running, the Achilles tendon undergoes loading and deformation before contributing to the storage and return of elastic energy during movement.
Biomechanical tape introduces an additional external elastic component.
As the tape stretches, energy can be stored within the material.
As it recoils, some of that energy can be returned.
This creates the potential for the tape to assist movement depending on:
Direction of application
Amount of stretch
Patient positioning
Tape properties
Movement being performed
This is why biomechanical taping needs to be considered in relation to movement, not simply anatomy.
What Does Load Modification Mean?
“Reducing load” is frequently used when discussing rehabilitation, but the term can easily be misunderstood.
Load isn’t inherently harmful.
In fact, appropriate loading is essential for maintaining and developing:
Muscle strength
Tendon capacity
Bone density
Physical resilience
Sporting performance
Problems can occur when the mechanical demand being placed upon a tissue exceeds its current capacity.
A simplified way of thinking about this is:
Demand > Capacity = Potential Symptoms
The rehabilitation goal is therefore rarely to eliminate load completely.
Instead, we often want to temporarily modify load while progressively increasing capacity.
Biomechanical taping may provide one method of doing this.
A Clinical Example: Achilles Tendinopathy
Consider a runner with Achilles tendinopathy.
The runner may experience symptoms during:
Walking
Heel raises
Running
Hills
Jumping
The long-term solution isn’t to permanently unload the Achilles tendon.
Successful rehabilitation will usually involve progressively increasing the tendon’s ability to tolerate load.
However, during certain stages of rehabilitation, the runner may struggle to tolerate their normal activity.
A biomechanical taping application might therefore be considered as a temporary strategy to modify mechanical demand.
The tape supports the rehabilitation process rather than replacing it.
Movement Assistance
Another important principle is movement assistance.
Suppose a patient finds a particular movement painful or difficult.
A biomechanical application may be positioned so that the elastic recoil of the tape assists that movement.
Potential examples might include:
Ankle plantarflexion
Knee movement
Hip movement
Shoulder elevation
Running mechanics
Functional sporting movements
The clinician isn’t simply asking:
“Where does the patient hurt?”
They’re asking:
“Which movement am I trying to influence?”
That is a very different clinical thought process.
Direction Matters
Biomechanical taping isn’t simply about applying lots of tension.
The direction in which the tape is applied is crucial because this determines how the tape interacts with movement.
Clinicians therefore need to consider:
What movement is occurring?
Which direction do I want to assist?
Where should the tape begin?
Where should it finish?
How should the patient be positioned?
How much stretch is appropriate?
What happens when the patient performs the movement?
This is one reason biomechanical taping is particularly suited to hands-on practical training.
Why Patient Positioning Matters
Patient positioning determines the relationship between the tape and the body when the application is applied.
If the patient is positioned differently, the tape may behave differently when they return to their functional movement.
Small changes can influence:
Tape stretch
Direction of recoil
Mechanical assistance
Comfort
Functional effect
Learning this from a photograph or short social media video can be difficult.
During practical training, clinicians can physically experience how changing positioning alters the behaviour of the tape.
Is More Tension Better?
Not necessarily.
A common mistake when clinicians first encounter biomechanical taping is assuming that greater stretch must produce a greater effect.
But clinical taping isn’t simply about pulling the tape as hard as possible.
Excessive tension may:
Cause discomfort
Irritate the skin
Alter the intended application
Reduce tolerance
Produce an inappropriate mechanical effect
The amount of tension should be determined by the properties of the tape, the application and the intended clinical objective.
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape are both examples of tapes that can be used within a biomechanical taping approach.
Rather than treating them as completely separate taping systems, it is more useful clinically to understand the underlying biomechanical principles.
The practitioner needs to understand:
Elastic properties
Direction of force
Movement being assisted
Load being modified
Appropriate tension
Patient positioning
Reassessment
Once clinicians understand these principles, they can make better decisions about how biomechanical tape may be incorporated into rehabilitation.
Biomechanical Tape vs Kinesiology Tape
Because both are elastic, biomechanical tape and kinesiology tape are sometimes incorrectly treated as interchangeable.
The intended clinical rationale can be quite different.
Kinesiology Taping
Common objectives may include:
Pain modulation
Cutaneous sensory input
Sensorimotor feedback
Movement awareness
Supporting rehabilitation
Biomechanical Taping
The emphasis is more specifically on:
Mechanical assistance
Load modification
Energy storage and recoil
Force redistribution
Influencing movement demands
This doesn’t make one superior to the other.
They simply provide clinicians with different tools.
Why Reassessment Is Essential
A beautifully applied piece of tape isn’t necessarily an effective application.
Clinicians need to determine whether the intervention has actually influenced the outcome they were targeting.
At CPD Today, we encourage a simple approach:
Assess → Apply → Reassess
For example, before applying tape you might assess:
Pain during a squat
Heel-raise tolerance
Stair climbing
Shoulder elevation
Running
Jumping
A sport-specific movement
Apply the tape.
Then repeat the same test.
Ask:
Has anything meaningfully changed?
If not, reconsider the application.
Clinical reasoning should always take priority over simply following a taping recipe.
Biomechanical Taping for Tendinopathy
Biomechanical taping may be particularly interesting in conditions where load management is central to rehabilitation.
Potential examples include:
Achilles tendinopathy
Patellar tendinopathy
Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain
Lateral elbow tendinopathy
However, tape should never be presented as a method of “healing” a tendon.
The long-term objective remains improving the patient’s ability to tolerate appropriate mechanical load.
That generally requires progressive rehabilitation.
Tape may simply help some patients navigate part of that journey.
Biomechanical Taping for Running Injuries
Running creates repeated loading cycles.
Even relatively small changes in mechanical demand may become relevant when repeated over thousands of steps.
Biomechanical taping may therefore be considered within the management of selected running-related presentations.
But again, the tape should form part of a broader assessment.
Clinicians should also consider:
Training load
Strength
Recovery
Running volume
Recent changes in training
Previous injury
Tissue capacity
Rehabilitation
The tape is one tool—not the entire solution.
The Biggest Mistake: Learning Recipes Instead of Principles
Online taping videos often present applications according to diagnosis:
“Tape for Achilles pain.”
“Tape for knee pain.”
“Tape for shoulder pain.”
The problem is that two people with the same diagnosis may have very different rehabilitation requirements.
A better approach is:
Identify the problem → establish the objective → choose the taping system → design the application → reassess.
This is precisely why we place so much emphasis on clinical reasoning within CPD Today courses.
Learn Biomechanical Taping Practically with CPD Today
Reading about biomechanical taping is useful.
Actually feeling how the tape behaves is much more valuable.
On the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course, you’ll have the opportunity to work practically with different taping approaches and understand how changes in tension, direction and positioning influence an application.
Our course brings together three important areas:
Rigid Sports Taping
For protection, support, stability and control of unwanted movement.
Kinesiology Taping
For pain modulation, sensorimotor input, movement awareness and rehabilitation.
Biomechanical Taping
Including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, with a focus on mechanical load modification and movement assistance.
More Than a Collection of Taping Techniques
Our goal isn’t to send you home with 30 applications to memorise.
We want you to develop a framework that allows you to create and adapt taping strategies according to the patient in front of you.
You’ll learn to ask:
What am I trying to achieve?
Which taping approach is most appropriate?
What direction should the tape work in?
How should I position the patient?
How much tension should I use?
How will I reassess the result?
Those skills are far more transferable than memorising individual applications.
Who Is the Course For?
The CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course is designed for healthcare professionals working within musculoskeletal care and rehabilitation, including:
Physiotherapists
Osteopaths
Chiropractors
Sports therapists
Rehabilitation professionals
Other appropriately qualified MSK practitioners
Whether you are new to taping or already use rigid or kinesiology tape, biomechanical taping can add another dimension to your clinical reasoning.
Why Choose CPD Today?
Our teaching philosophy is:
Learn • Develop • Excel
We combine:
Extensive hands-on practice
Evidence-informed teaching
Clinical reasoning
Practical MSK applications
Multiple taping approaches
Functional assessment
Reassessment
Skills designed for immediate clinical use
You’ll practise the techniques rather than simply watch them demonstrated.
You’ll also experience being taped yourself, helping you understand how different tensions and applications feel from the patient’s perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does biomechanical taping work?
Biomechanical taping uses highly elastic tape to create an external mechanical influence. Depending on the application, the elastic resistance and recoil of the tape may be used to assist movement or modify mechanical demand.
What does load modification mean?
Load modification means changing some of the mechanical demand being placed upon a tissue or movement rather than necessarily eliminating load altogether.
Does biomechanical tape store energy?
Elastic materials can store energy when stretched and return some of that energy during recoil. Biomechanical taping attempts to use these properties as part of a clinically designed application.
Are Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape biomechanical tapes?
Yes. Both can be used according to biomechanical taping principles involving load modification and movement assistance.
Is biomechanical tape better than kinesiology tape?
Not necessarily. They can be selected for different clinical objectives. Good taping practice is about choosing the appropriate approach for the individual patient.
Does biomechanical taping replace rehabilitation?
No. It should be considered an adjunct. Progressive exercise, appropriate loading and rehabilitation remain central to developing long-term physical capacity.
Develop Your Clinical Taping Skills
Biomechanical taping becomes much easier to understand when we stop thinking about tape simply as something placed over an injured structure.
Instead, think:
What movement is occurring?
What forces are involved?
What load is the patient struggling to tolerate?
Can an elastic external force meaningfully influence that task?
And crucially:
Does the patient actually improve when I apply it?
Understanding these principles transforms biomechanical taping from a collection of applications into a genuine clinical skill.
The CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course teaches you how to use rigid sports taping, kinesiology taping and biomechanical taping, including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, within a practical clinical reasoning framework.
Don’t just learn where to put the tape. Understand what you’re trying to achieve.
Book Your CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course
Hands-on practical training. Evidence-informed teaching. Clinical reasoning. Skills you can use immediately in practice.
The right tape. For the right patient. For the right reason.
Next in the Series
Rigid, Kinesiology or Biomechanical Tape: Which Tape Should You Choose?
Biomechanical Taping: Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape Explained
A Practical Guide to Load Modification and Movement Assistance for Healthcare Professionals
Biomechanical taping has introduced a different way of thinking about clinical taping.
Rather than primarily trying to restrict joint movement, as with rigid sports tape, or using an elastic tape principally for sensory input and pain modulation, biomechanical taping focuses on mechanical load and movement.
Two examples familiar to many clinicians are Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape.
Both can be used within a biomechanical taping approach, where the aim is to use the elastic properties of the tape to help modify load, assist movement and influence the mechanical demands placed upon the body during activity.
For physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, sports therapists and other MSK professionals, this creates some fascinating possibilities within rehabilitation.
But simply buying a roll of biomechanical tape doesn’t mean we understand how to use it.
The important questions remain:
What movement are we trying to influence?
What load are we trying to modify?
And how will we know whether our application has actually helped?
These are central principles of the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course.
What Is Biomechanical Taping?
Biomechanical taping is an approach that uses highly elastic tape to interact mechanically with movement.
The objective may include:
Assisting a movement
Modifying mechanical load
Reducing demand on a painful or overloaded structure
Redistributing forces
Supporting functional activity
Improving tolerance of rehabilitation
Helping patients remain active
This is fundamentally different from simply placing elastic tape over the area that hurts.
A biomechanical application should have a clearly defined mechanical objective.
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape are examples of tapes that can be used for biomechanical taping.
Although individual products can differ in their construction and physical characteristics, both sit within the same broad clinical philosophy.
The clinician uses the elastic properties of the tape to create an external mechanical influence.
Therefore, we don’t regard Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape as two completely separate forms of taping.
They are examples of biomechanical tapes.
The important skill for the practitioner is understanding the principles that determine how a biomechanical tape should be applied.
How Does Biomechanical Tape Work?
Imagine stretching an elastic band.
As you stretch it, energy is stored within the material.
When released, the elastic band recoils.
Biomechanical tape uses a broadly similar principle.
When the tape is stretched by movement, its elastic properties generate resistance. As movement continues or reverses, the tape can provide an elastic recoil.
This means a correctly designed application may provide a degree of external assistance to movement.
A useful analogy is an external spring.
The clinician attempts to position the tape so its elastic properties interact with the movement or load they are trying to influence.
Load Modification Rather Than Immobilisation
One of the most important distinctions between biomechanical and rigid sports taping is that biomechanical tape generally isn’t being applied to immobilise a joint.
Instead, the objective is often to allow movement while changing some of the mechanical demands associated with that movement.
Consider an athlete with a load-sensitive Achilles tendon.
The long-term goal isn’t to permanently protect the tendon from load.
Tendons need progressive loading to increase their capacity.
However, the athlete may temporarily struggle with the forces generated during walking, running or sport.
A biomechanical taping strategy could potentially be used to modify some of that mechanical demand while rehabilitation progressively develops tissue capacity.
That is very different from simply trying to stop the ankle moving.
Why Is Load Important in Rehabilitation?
Modern MSK rehabilitation increasingly focuses on the relationship between load and capacity.
Our tissues need load.
Muscles, tendons and bones adapt in response to appropriate mechanical stimulus.
Problems can occur when:
Demand exceeds current capacity.
This may happen because:
Training load increases too quickly
Tissue capacity has reduced
An injury has occurred
The patient has been inactive
Work demands have changed
Sporting demands have increased
Rehabilitation has progressed too quickly
The answer isn’t necessarily to remove load completely.
Instead, clinicians frequently try to modify load temporarily while progressively rebuilding capacity.
Biomechanical taping may provide another tool within this process.
Dynamic Tape® vs Strapit Active Tape: Which Is Better?
This isn’t necessarily the most useful question.
The more clinically relevant question is:
What am I trying to achieve with the application?
Both tapes can be used according to biomechanical taping principles.
Rather than becoming overly focused on brands, clinicians should understand:
The physical properties of the tape they’re using
Direction of application
Patient positioning
Tape tension
Mechanical objective
Movement being influenced
Patient response
Ultimately, the application should be judged by what happens to the patient—not by the name printed on the roll.
Biomechanical Tape vs Kinesiology Tape
This distinction can initially be confusing because both types of tape are elastic.
However, they aren’t necessarily being used for the same purpose.
Kinesiology Taping
Common clinical objectives include:
Pain modulation
Cutaneous sensory input
Sensorimotor feedback
Movement awareness
Supporting rehabilitation
Biomechanical Taping
Common objectives include:
Mechanical load modification
Movement assistance
Force redistribution
Reducing demand on overloaded tissues
Supporting functional activity
Therefore:
Elastic doesn’t automatically mean kinesiology tape.
Understanding the physical characteristics and intended clinical purpose of different tapes is important.
Biomechanical Tape vs Rigid Sports Tape
Rigid sports tape is usually selected when the clinician wants greater external support or control.
Typical objectives include:
Restricting excessive movement
Protecting injured ligaments
Improving joint stability
Supporting return to sport
Protecting healing tissues
Biomechanical tape usually has a different objective:
Allow the movement, but influence the mechanical demands associated with it.
Again, neither approach is inherently superior.
The patient’s presentation determines which is appropriate.
Where Might Biomechanical Taping Be Useful?
Biomechanical taping principles can potentially be incorporated into the management of a wide variety of MSK presentations.
Achilles Tendinopathy
An application may be designed to modify load during walking, running or rehabilitation.
Plantar Heel Pain
Biomechanical taping may form part of a strategy aimed at changing mechanical demands during weight-bearing activity.
Patellofemoral Pain
Taping can potentially be used to influence movement or loading during activities such as squatting, stairs and running.
Patellar Tendinopathy
Load modification may help some patients tolerate rehabilitation and sporting activity.
Running Injuries
Running provides an ideal example of repetitive mechanical loading where small changes in load may become clinically relevant over thousands of steps.
Shoulder Rehabilitation
Applications may be designed to assist particular upper-limb movements or reduce muscular demand during selected activities.
Muscle Injuries
Biomechanical taping principles may also have applications where clinicians wish to assist movement while gradually restoring normal tissue loading.
Biomechanical Taping and Sport
One of the particularly interesting applications of biomechanical tape is within sport.
Athletes need to generate large forces rapidly.
Completely restricting movement is often neither possible nor desirable.
Biomechanical taping provides another option where the aim is to support movement rather than prevent it.
Potential applications include:
Running
Football
Rugby
Athletics
Tennis
Cycling
Gym-based training
Return-to-sport rehabilitation
However, taping shouldn’t be used to hide an injury that requires appropriate assessment or rehabilitation.
Don’t Use Tape to Avoid Rehabilitation
This principle applies to every taping system we teach.
Biomechanical tape isn’t a substitute for:
Progressive strengthening
Tendon rehabilitation
Load management
Movement retraining
Conditioning
Patient education
Appropriate recovery
The objective isn’t to make patients dependent upon tape.
Instead, it may be used as a temporary tool that helps them tolerate the activities required to regain capacity.
Assess → Tape → Reassess
One of the most important skills we teach at CPD Today is reassessment.
Before applying the tape, identify something measurable.
For example:
Pain during a squat
Pain during heel raises
Discomfort walking downstairs
Pain raising the arm
Running symptoms
Functional confidence
Then apply the tape.
And repeat the test.
Ask:
Did anything change?
If the patient reports a meaningful improvement, the application may have achieved its immediate objective.
If nothing changes, simply adding more tape isn’t necessarily the answer.
Reconsider your clinical reasoning.
The Problem with Learning Taping from Social Media
There are thousands of taping videos online.
Many follow a familiar format:
“For Achilles pain, put the tape here.”
But that isn’t clinical reasoning.
Two people with Achilles pain may have completely different:
Symptoms
Loads
Activities
Tissue capacities
Movement patterns
Rehabilitation goals
A standard application can’t account for every variable.
Healthcare professionals therefore need to understand the principles behind the application, not simply memorise where somebody else placed the tape.
Learn Biomechanical Taping Hands-On
Biomechanical taping is particularly suited to practical learning.
Clinicians need to develop a feel for:
Tape elasticity
Tension
Direction
Anchoring
Patient positioning
Movement
Application technique
These are difficult skills to develop from a photograph.
On the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course, you’ll have the opportunity to apply different tapes, experience applications yourself and receive practical feedback.
One Course – Three Taping Approaches
One of the strengths of the CPD Today course is that we don’t teach one tape in isolation.
You’ll learn how to use and select between:
Rigid Sports Taping
For protection, support, stability and controlling unwanted movement.
Kinesiology Taping
For applications involving pain modulation, sensorimotor input, movement awareness and rehabilitation.
Biomechanical Taping
Including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, with applications based around load modification and movement assistance.
This gives you a much broader clinical toolkit.
Clinical Reasoning Is at the Centre of the Course
We want clinicians to leave the course asking better questions.
Not:
“Which tape do I use for knee pain?”
But:
“What am I trying to change in this patient?”
From there, you can decide:
What is the clinical objective?
What movement or load needs influencing?
Which taping approach has the appropriate properties?
How should it be applied?
Has it changed the patient’s symptoms or function?
This is what turns taping into a clinically meaningful intervention.
Who Is the CPD Today Strapping & Taping Course For?
Our practical taping training is designed for healthcare professionals involved in musculoskeletal assessment, treatment and rehabilitation, including:
Physiotherapists
Osteopaths
Chiropractors
Sports therapists
Rehabilitation professionals
Other appropriately qualified MSK clinicians
It can be valuable both for practitioners new to taping and those who already use kinesiology or sports tape but want to broaden their clinical options.
Why Train with CPD Today?
Our approach is simple:
Learn. Develop. Excel.
We combine:
Extensive hands-on practical training
Evidence-informed teaching
Clinical reasoning
Multiple taping systems
Functional assessment
Practical applications
Real-world MSK rehabilitation
Rather than leaving with a list of techniques to memorise, our aim is for you to understand how to adapt taping principles to the patient in front of you.
These are skills you can take straight back into clinical practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape the same type of taping?
They can both be used within a biomechanical taping approach. Individual tape products may have different physical characteristics, but the underlying clinical principles involve using elastic mechanical properties to influence load and movement.
Is biomechanical tape just another kinesiology tape?
No. Although both are elastic, biomechanical taping is based primarily around mechanical load modification and movement assistance, whereas kinesiology taping is commonly applied with sensory, pain-modulation and movement-awareness objectives.
Does biomechanical tape restrict movement?
Generally, restriction isn’t the primary objective. Biomechanical applications typically aim to allow functional movement while influencing the forces associated with that movement.
Can biomechanical tape help tendinopathy?
It may potentially be used as part of a load-management strategy for selected patients, but it shouldn’t replace progressive tendon rehabilitation.
Do you teach both Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape?
Our biomechanical taping teaching explores the principles and practical application of biomechanical tapes, including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, alongside kinesiology and rigid sports taping.
Develop Your Biomechanical Taping Skills with CPD Today
Understanding biomechanical taping adds another dimension to clinical practice.
Instead of thinking only about supporting a joint or placing tape over a painful area, clinicians begin thinking about:
Movement. Forces. Load. Capacity.
Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape provide examples of how highly elastic tapes can be incorporated into this approach.
That’s why the CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course combines practical teaching with the principles behind each technique.
You’ll learn rigid sports taping, kinesiology taping and biomechanical taping in one comprehensive practical course, giving you the confidence to select the right approach for different clinical situations.
Don’t just learn how to put tape on. Learn why, when and how to use it.
Book Your CPD Today Clinical Strapping & Taping Course
Develop practical skills.
Understand the evidence.
Improve your clinical reasoning.
And learn to choose:
The right tape. For the right patient. For the right reason.
Next in the Series
How Does Biomechanical Taping Work? Understanding Load Modification, Energy Storage and Movement Assistance
In the next article, we’ll take a deeper look at the biomechanics behind elastic taping and explore why understanding forces, load and movement is essential when applying biomechanical tape.
An Evidence-Based Guide for Healthcare Professionals
Kinesiology tape is probably one of the most recognisable—and debated—treatment tools in modern musculoskeletal practice.
You’ve probably seen brightly coloured tape across the shoulders of Olympic athletes, around runners’ knees or along the backs of patients attending physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinics.
But an important question remains:
Does kinesiology tape actually work?
The answer is more nuanced than either “yes” or “no”.
Research suggests kinesiology taping can provide benefits for pain and disability in some musculoskeletal conditions, particularly in the short term. However, results vary between conditions, studies and outcomes, and kinesiology tape should generally be considered an adjunct to rehabilitation rather than a stand-alone treatment. (PubMed)
At CPD Today, this is exactly how we teach kinesiology taping: not as a miracle treatment, but as another clinical tool that can be selected appropriately following assessment and integrated with exercise, rehabilitation and manual therapy.
What Is Kinesiology Tape?
Kinesiology tape is an elastic adhesive therapeutic tape.
Unlike traditional rigid sports tape, which is primarily used to restrict or control movement, kinesiology tape stretches and moves with the patient.
Depending on the application and clinical objective, clinicians may use kinesiology taping to help with:
Pain modulation
Sensorimotor input
Movement awareness
Functional movement
Swelling management
Patient confidence
Supporting activity during rehabilitation
This distinction is important.
Kinesiology tape isn’t simply a more colourful version of rigid sports tape.
The two taping systems have different properties and are selected for different clinical objectives.
What Does the Research Say About Kinesiology Taping?
This is where the discussion becomes particularly interesting.
Earlier reviews were often sceptical. A 2014 systematic review concluded that kinesiology taping generally performed no better than sham or other interventions and that reported benefits were often small or based on lower-quality trials. (PubMed)
However, the evidence base has continued to develop.
A later systematic review and meta-analysis involving 36 studies reported improvements in both pain and disability across musculoskeletal disorders. The authors reported significant reductions in pain within the first five days and at four to six weeks, although results varied between conditions and comparisons. (PubMed)
Most importantly, a 2026 overview of systematic reviews has now examined the effectiveness and clinical relevance of kinesiology taping across musculoskeletal disorders, reflecting just how substantial the evidence base has become. It also reinforces the need to consider follow-up period, clinical relevance and certainty of evidence rather than simply asking whether individual trials produced statistically significant results. (PubMed)
So instead of asking:
“Does kinesiology tape work?”
A better clinical question is:
“For which patients, conditions and outcomes might kinesiology taping be useful?”
Kinesiology Taping for Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions
One particularly interesting area is the use of kinesiology tape for chronic musculoskeletal pain.
A systematic review examining chronic musculoskeletal pain lasting more than four weeks found kinesiology taping produced greater pain relief than minimal intervention, although improvements in disability were less certain. (PubMed)
This distinction between pain and function is important.
A patient feeling less pain does not automatically mean their underlying strength, capacity or movement tolerance has improved.
This is one reason kinesiology taping may be most valuable when used to facilitate active rehabilitation.
If reducing pain allows someone to walk further, exercise more comfortably or participate more confidently in rehabilitation, the tape may have served a useful clinical purpose.
Kinesiology Taping for Chronic Low Back Pain
Chronic low back pain is one of the most extensively researched applications.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomised controlled trials found kinesiology taping produced significant immediate and short-term reductions in pain. However, it wasn’t superior for outcomes including disability, range of movement, fear of movement and trunk endurance. (PubMed)
Other research has produced slightly different findings.
A systematic review of 12 randomised trials involving 676 patients found that adding kinesiology taping to physical therapy resulted in greater improvements in both pain and disability than physical therapy alone. The authors nevertheless highlighted limitations including relatively small studies, moderate evidence levels and heterogeneity. (PubMed)
An earlier meta-analysis also found improvements in disability compared with placebo taping, while pain outcomes were less convincing. (PubMed)
Rather than seeing these results as contradictory, clinicians should recognise that they demonstrate the complexity of rehabilitation research.
Different:
Application methods
Treatment durations
Comparison interventions
Patient populations
Outcome measures
can all influence results.
The evidence therefore doesn’t support telling every patient with back pain that kinesiology tape will help.
Equally, it doesn’t justify saying kinesiology taping has no evidence behind it.
What About Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder research provides another useful example of why evidence needs to be interpreted carefully.
A systematic review and meta-analysis involving 14 studies and 680 participants found kinesiology taping wasn’t superior to sham taping, exercise or passive treatments for pain. (PubMed)
Another systematic review and meta-analysis found significant improvements in shoulder pain and disability when kinesiology taping was combined with exercise, but not when compared with placebo or steroid treatment. The authors concluded that evidence was insufficient to recommend kinesiology taping as an independent treatment but identified limited evidence supporting its use as a complementary intervention. (PubMed)
Again, this fits well with modern MSK practice:
Tape may support rehabilitation. It shouldn’t replace rehabilitation.
Does Kinesiology Tape Need to Produce a Long-Term Effect to Be Useful?
Not necessarily.
This is an important concept when teaching clinical taping.
Imagine a patient with knee pain who struggles to perform their rehabilitation exercises because squatting is uncomfortable.
If an appropriate taping application temporarily reduces their symptoms enough for them to exercise more confidently, the tape may have achieved its clinical objective.
The long-term adaptation comes from progressive rehabilitation.
The tape may simply help the patient participate in that process.
This is similar to many other interventions used in MSK practice.
The question isn’t always:
“Did the tape cure the condition?”
Sometimes the more useful question is:
“Did the intervention help the patient progress with rehabilitation?”
Is It Just a Placebo Effect?
This question is often raised when discussing kinesiology tape.
Placebo and contextual effects undoubtedly form part of many healthcare interventions. However, reducing kinesiology taping to “just placebo” oversimplifies the evidence.
Potential mechanisms discussed within rehabilitation include:
Cutaneous sensory stimulation
Changes in sensorimotor feedback
Altered perception of movement
Pain modulation
Increased confidence during activity
Some proposed mechanisms have stronger evidence than others, and clinicians should be cautious about making claims that aren’t supported by research.
We therefore teach clinicians to explain taping realistically rather than promising that tape will “switch muscles on”, permanently correct posture or structurally reposition tissues.
Kinesiology Taping vs Rigid Sports Taping
The two approaches shouldn’t be confused.
Rigid sports tape is primarily used when the clinical objective involves protection, stability or restriction of unwanted movement.
Kinesiology tape is elastic and permits movement, making it more appropriate when the objective involves pain modulation, sensory input or supporting movement during rehabilitation.
There is also a third important category:
Biomechanical taping.
Biomechanical tapes such as Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape use different elastic and mechanical properties to assist movement and modify load.
Understanding these distinctions is a central part of good taping practice.
Why Clinical Reasoning Matters More Than the Colour of the Tape
Simply learning a collection of taping recipes isn’t enough.
Before applying kinesiology tape, clinicians should consider:
What is the patient’s diagnosis or clinical presentation?
What am I trying to achieve with the tape?
Is pain preventing the patient from participating in rehabilitation?
Would rigid, kinesiology or biomechanical tape better achieve my objective?
How will I assess whether the application has worked?
What happens next in the rehabilitation programme?
Most importantly:
Reassess after applying the tape.
If the movement, symptom or functional task you’re trying to influence hasn’t changed, reconsider the application rather than assuming it must be helping.
Kinesiology Tape Shouldn’t Replace Exercise
This is perhaps the most important message.
For many persistent musculoskeletal conditions, longer-term management involves restoring:
Strength
Capacity
Movement confidence
Load tolerance
Function
Tape alone cannot achieve these adaptations.
Instead, kinesiology tape can sometimes be used as a short-term adjunct that helps patients participate in the rehabilitation needed to produce longer-term change.
That distinction is fundamental to evidence-based clinical practice.
Learn Evidence-Based Kinesiology Taping with CPD Today
Healthcare professionals learn how to select between:
Rigid Sports Taping
For protection, stability and controlling unwanted movement.
Kinesiology Taping
For pain modulation, sensorimotor input and supporting movement during rehabilitation.
Biomechanical Taping
Including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape, for modifying mechanical load and assisting movement.
The emphasis throughout is on:
Hands-on practical training
Current research
Clinical reasoning
Patient selection
Appropriate tape selection
Reassessment
Integration with rehabilitation
The aim isn’t simply to leave knowing how to put tape on.
It’s to understand why you’re putting it on in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does kinesiology tape really work?
Research suggests kinesiology taping can improve pain and disability in some musculoskeletal presentations, particularly over the short term, but effects vary between conditions and studies. It shouldn’t be presented as a stand-alone cure. (PubMed)
Does kinesiology tape help chronic pain?
There is systematic-review evidence of pain reduction in chronic musculoskeletal conditions, although effects on disability and longer-term function are less consistent. (PubMed)
Does kinesiology tape help chronic low back pain?
Several systematic reviews have reported short-term improvements in pain, and some have found benefits when kinesiology taping is added to physical therapy. Evidence for improvements in disability and other functional outcomes is more mixed. (PubMed)
Is kinesiology taping better than exercise?
Generally, this is the wrong comparison. Exercise produces adaptations that tape cannot. Kinesiology taping is better considered a potential adjunct that may help some patients participate more comfortably in active rehabilitation.
Is kinesiology tape the same as biomechanical tape?
No. Although both are elastic, biomechanical tapes such as Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape are used with a different mechanical rationale, particularly around load modification and movement assistance.
The Bottom Line
So, does kinesiology tape actually work?
For some patients and some outcomes, the evidence suggests it can.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses report benefits for pain and, in some circumstances, disability. However, results vary considerably between conditions, and evidence doesn’t support presenting kinesiology taping as a stand-alone solution for musculoskeletal problems. (PubMed)
The more clinically useful position lies between the two extremes.
Kinesiology tape isn’t a miracle treatment.
But neither should it automatically be dismissed as colourful placebo tape.
Used selectively, reassessed appropriately and integrated with active rehabilitation, it can be a useful addition to the MSK clinician’s toolkit.
At CPD Today, that’s exactly what we teach: evidence, practical skills and clinical reasoning—so you know not only how to tape, but when and why to use it.
Meta description: Learn the differences between kinesiology taping and rigid sports taping, when to use each, and how evidence-based clinical reasoning improves patient outcomes.
Kinesiology Taping vs Rigid Sports Taping: What’s the Difference?
One of the most common questions clinicians ask when learning taping techniques is:
“Should I use rigid sports tape or kinesiology tape?”
The answer is simple—it depends on your clinical objective.
Although both taping systems are valuable tools within musculoskeletal practice, they have very different mechanical properties, clinical applications and treatment goals.
Understanding these differences allows clinicians to choose the most appropriate taping approach for each patient rather than relying on a single technique for every presentation.
At CPD Today, clinical reasoning is central to our Strapping & Taping Course. We teach clinicians not just how to apply tape, but why they are selecting a particular taping method.
What Is Rigid Sports Taping?
Rigid sports taping uses non-elastic adhesive tape to provide external support to joints and soft tissues.
Its primary aim is to:
Restrict excessive movement
Protect healing tissues
Improve joint stability
Support return to activity
Reduce stress on injured ligaments
Rigid taping has been used successfully in sports medicine for decades and remains one of the most effective methods of supporting unstable joints during rehabilitation.
Common examples include:
Lateral ankle sprains
Thumb UCL injuries
Patellar taping
Shoulder support
Wrist injuries
Return-to-play strapping
What Is Kinesiology Taping?
Kinesiology tape is a highly elastic therapeutic tape designed to move with the body.
Rather than restricting movement, kinesiology tape aims to:
Support natural movement
Reduce pain
Improve sensorimotor feedback
Increase movement awareness
Complement rehabilitation
It has become increasingly popular within musculoskeletal practice because it allows patients to remain active while receiving continuous therapeutic input.
The Key Differences
Rigid Sports Taping
Kinesiology Taping
Non-elastic
Elastic
Restricts movement
Allows movement
Provides external support
Supports comfortable movement
Protects healing tissues
Pain modulation and movement awareness
Often used acutely
Frequently used throughout rehabilitation
Neither system is “better.” Each has different indications depending on the patient’s presentation and rehabilitation goals.
When Should You Choose Rigid Sports Taping?
Rigid taping is often the preferred option when the primary goal is protecting injured tissues.
Examples include:
Acute ligament injuries
Joint instability
Early return to sport
Functional support during activity
Preventing excessive movement
For example, following a lateral ankle sprain, rigid taping may help control inversion while allowing progressive return to walking, running and sport.
When Should You Choose Kinesiology Taping?
Kinesiology tape is generally chosen when the aim is to optimise movement rather than restrict it.
It may be appropriate for:
Chronic musculoskeletal pain
Tendinopathies
Shoulder pain
Neck pain
Chronic low back pain
Patellofemoral pain
Plantar heel pain
Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain
Many clinicians also use kinesiology taping to improve confidence during movement while patients complete an active rehabilitation programme.
What Does the Research Say?
Rigid sports taping has strong evidence supporting its role in protecting joints and reducing the risk of recurrent ankle sprains, particularly in athletes with previous injury.
Research into kinesiology taping has also developed considerably. Systematic reviews suggest that kinesiology taping can provide short-term improvements in pain and function for several chronic musculoskeletal conditions, particularly when used alongside exercise, manual therapy and rehabilitation rather than as a stand-alone treatment.
This reinforces an important clinical principle:
The tape itself is rarely the treatment. It is an adjunct that supports high-quality rehabilitation.
Common Mistakes
Many clinicians make the mistake of using the same tape for every patient.
Instead, ask yourself:
What am I trying to achieve?
Does this patient need support or movement assistance?
Is protection more important than freedom of movement?
What does the current evidence suggest?
How does taping integrate with my rehabilitation plan?
Answering these questions leads to more effective and individualised care.
Clinical Reasoning Comes First
At CPD Today, we encourage clinicians to move beyond simply memorising taping techniques.
Every application should begin with:
A thorough assessment
Identification of the patient’s goals
Understanding tissue healing
Appreciating biomechanics
Reviewing the available evidence
Selecting the most appropriate taping strategy
This clinical reasoning process is what separates experienced practitioners from technicians.
Learn Both Techniques with CPD Today
Our Clinical Strapping & Taping Course teaches:
Rigid Sports Taping
Kinesiology Taping
Biomechanical Taping (including Dynamic Tape® and Strapit Active Tape)
You’ll learn:
When to use each taping system
Practical application techniques
Current evidence
Clinical reasoning
Integration with exercise rehabilitation and manual therapy
Immediate clinical application
By the end of the course, you’ll have the confidence to choose the right taping approach for the right patient—not simply apply tape because it’s familiar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kinesiology tape better than rigid sports tape?
Neither is universally better. Each has different indications and should be selected according to the patient’s condition, rehabilitation stage and clinical goals.
Can they be used together?
Yes. In some cases, clinicians may combine taping strategies as part of a comprehensive management plan where clinically appropriate.
Which tape should beginners learn first?
Healthcare professionals should understand the principles behind all three major taping approaches—rigid sports taping, kinesiology taping and biomechanical taping—to make informed clinical decisions.
Conclusion
Rigid sports taping and kinesiology taping are complementary, not competing, techniques. One provides mechanical support and protection; the other facilitates movement and may help reduce pain and improve function when integrated into evidence-based rehabilitation.
Developing the knowledge to choose the right technique at the right time is one of the most valuable skills an MSK clinician can acquire.
At CPD Today, our Clinical Strapping & Taping Course equips clinicians with the practical skills, clinical reasoning and evidence base needed to use taping confidently and effectively in everyday practice.
SEO Title: Dry Needling Isn’t Just About Trigger Points | Modern Dry Needling Explained
Meta Description: Is dry needling only for trigger points? Explore modern dry needling practice, pain modulation, clinical reasoning and rehabilitation, and discover how CPD Today teaches clinicians to go beyond trigger-point treatment.
Supporting searches: how does dry needling work, modern dry needling, dry needling course UK, myofascial trigger points, dry needling training, dry needling pain relief
Dry Needling Isn’t Just About Trigger Points
Mention dry needling to many clinicians and one phrase immediately comes to mind:
Trigger points.
For many years, dry needling education centred heavily around identifying a tender or taut area within a muscle, inserting a needle and attempting to produce a local twitch response.
But is that all dry needling is?
No.
Our understanding of musculoskeletal pain has developed considerably, and contemporary dry needling practice is increasingly viewed within a broader framework involving pain modulation, neuromuscular responses, patient expectations, movement and rehabilitation.
At CPD Today, this is an important part of how we teach dry needling.
We don’t want clinicians simply searching for “knots” and needling them.
We want them asking:
Why am I using dry needling? What am I trying to change? And what am I going to do afterwards?
What Is a Trigger Point?
A myofascial trigger point has traditionally been described as a hypersensitive area associated with a taut band of skeletal muscle that may produce local tenderness and sometimes referred symptoms.
Clinically, patients may describe these areas as:
Knots
Tight spots
Tender points
Muscle tension
Areas that reproduce their familiar symptoms
Trigger points have played an important role in the historical development of dry needling.
However, the exact mechanisms and biological nature of trigger points remain debated, and their identification between clinicians is not always consistent.
That doesn’t mean a patient’s tenderness isn’t real.
It means we should be cautious about presenting one explanatory model as the complete explanation for their pain.
The Traditional Trigger-Point Model of Dry Needling
A traditional approach might look something like this:
Find a trigger point → insert a needle → obtain a twitch response → reduce the trigger point.
This model has influenced dry needling teaching for decades.
The local twitch response—a brief involuntary contraction of muscle fibres following stimulation—has consequently sometimes been regarded as evidence that the clinician has successfully treated the target.
But modern clinical reasoning asks a more important question:
Does producing a twitch response actually matter to the outcome we’re trying to achieve?
The answer is more complicated than simply “yes” or “no”.
Do You Need a Local Twitch Response?
Not necessarily.
A twitch response can occur during some dry needling techniques, particularly when stimulating sensitive areas within muscle.
However, obtaining a twitch response shouldn’t automatically become the objective of treatment.
Repeatedly manipulating a needle simply to chase increasingly large twitch responses may increase post-treatment soreness without necessarily producing a proportionally better clinical outcome.
The objective should remain centred on the patient.
For example:
Has pain changed?
Has movement improved?
Has function changed?
Can the patient now engage more effectively with rehabilitation?
These questions are more clinically meaningful than simply asking whether the muscle twitched.
So How Might Dry Needling Work?
This is where modern dry needling becomes particularly interesting.
There probably isn’t a single mechanism explaining every clinical response.
Several peripheral and central neurophysiological mechanisms have been proposed.
Needle stimulation may influence sensory input from the treated area and contribute to changes in pain processing.
Potential mechanisms discussed within the literature include:
Peripheral sensory stimulation
Changes in nociceptive input
Spinal pain-modulating mechanisms
Descending pain modulation
Changes in local tissue sensitivity
Altered motor responses
Contextual and expectation-related effects
Importantly, these mechanisms shouldn’t be presented as proof that dry needling “fixes” damaged tissue.
A change in pain doesn’t necessarily mean a structure has physically changed.
Pain Reduction Can Create an Opportunity
Imagine a patient with shoulder pain who finds reaching overhead painful.
Following an appropriate assessment, dry needling is selected as one component of treatment.
Afterwards, their movement is reassessed.
Their pain has reduced and they can move more comfortably.
What happens next?
This is where the clinician has an opportunity.
Rather than simply telling the patient to return next week for more needling, you might use that temporary improvement to introduce:
Strengthening
Movement retraining
Progressive loading
Mobility exercises
Functional rehabilitation
Dry needling hasn’t necessarily “fixed” the shoulder.
It may have helped create a window in which rehabilitation becomes easier.
That’s a very different clinical philosophy.
Dry Needling Shouldn’t Become “Find the Pain and Needle It”
Another problem with an overly simplistic trigger-point model is the temptation to needle wherever a patient reports tenderness.
But tenderness doesn’t automatically identify the cause of someone’s symptoms.
Consider someone with neck and shoulder pain.
Tenderness in the upper trapezius might be present.
But the wider assessment may reveal:
Cervical involvement
Neural sensitivity
Reduced shoulder capacity
Load-related symptoms
Sleep-related factors
Work-related aggravation
Psychosocial influences
Needling a tender muscle without considering the broader presentation risks reducing clinical care to:
“It hurts here, so I’ll needle here.”
Modern musculoskeletal practice should be more sophisticated than that.
Assessment Comes Before Needling
At CPD Today, we repeatedly return to one principle:
Assessment before intervention.
Before selecting dry needling, clinicians should consider:
What is the patient’s main problem?
What activities are limited?
What does the assessment demonstrate?
What are the patient’s goals?
Are there relevant contraindications or precautions?
Why might dry needling help?
What outcome are we hoping to influence?
How will we measure whether it helped?
Only then should the needle enter the conversation.
Every Needle Should Have a Reason
This has become one of the central principles behind our teaching.
Before inserting a needle, you should be able to explain why you’re doing it.
Not simply:
“Because that muscle is tight.”
Instead:
“Based on my assessment, I think this intervention may help modify the patient’s symptoms sufficiently to allow us to progress their rehabilitation.”
That represents a much stronger clinical rationale.
What About “Muscle Knots”?
Patients frequently use the term “knot”, and clinicians often use it too.
It’s a useful everyday description of how an area feels.
However, we should be careful about explaining pain as though muscles literally develop knots that need to be physically broken apart by a needle.
Musculoskeletal pain is influenced by numerous biological, psychological and contextual factors.
A tender area can be clinically relevant without needing an overly structural explanation.
Good communication helps patients understand treatment without creating unnecessary fear about their body.
Dry Needling Doesn’t Have to Be Painful to Work
Another misconception associated with trigger-point treatment is that treatment needs to be painful or aggressive to be effective.
It doesn’t.
Treatment dosage should consider:
Patient sensitivity
Treatment goals
Area being treated
Previous response
Patient preference
Clinical presentation
More stimulation isn’t automatically better stimulation.
Sometimes a relatively conservative technique may be entirely appropriate.
Clinical Pearl
Don’t judge treatment quality by how much the patient feels during needling. Judge it by what changes afterwards.
Reassessment Is More Important Than the Twitch
If you’re using dry needling to influence a particular clinical finding, reassess that finding.
For example, you might measure:
Pain during movement
Range of motion
Functional task
Strength
Movement confidence
Exercise tolerance
Then treat.
Then repeat the measure.
This gives you clinically useful information.
If nothing changes, that matters too.
It may suggest that the intervention isn’t particularly useful for that patient at that time.
Dry Needling Should Support Rehabilitation
One of the most important principles we teach is:
The needle is rarely the end of treatment.
If dry needling helps modify symptoms, ask:
What can the patient do now that they couldn’t do before?
Perhaps they can:
Load the tendon more comfortably
Move the shoulder further
Perform an exercise with less pain
Turn their neck more easily
Walk more comfortably
Return gradually to sport
Use the change.
That’s where dry needling becomes integrated into rehabilitation rather than becoming a passive treatment that patients feel dependent upon.
What Does the Evidence Say About Dry Needling?
Research into dry needling has reported potential improvements in pain and some measures of function across a range of musculoskeletal presentations, particularly in the short term.
However, findings vary considerably between conditions, techniques, comparison treatments and study designs.
The evidence does not justify presenting dry needling as a cure-all.
Nor does it mean dry needling must be included in every treatment programme.
A more reasonable interpretation is that dry needling may be a useful adjunct for selected patients when supported by appropriate assessment and incorporated within broader evidence-informed management.
That’s the approach we encourage at CPD Today.
Modern Dry Needling Is About Clinical Reasoning
The evolution of dry needling isn’t necessarily about abandoning trigger points.
It’s about recognising that trigger points represent one part of a much broader clinical picture.
A modern approach asks:
Why am I needling?
What response am I trying to achieve?
Is there a safer or simpler alternative?
How much stimulation is appropriate?
How will I measure the response?
What happens afterwards?
Those questions turn dry needling from a technique into a clinically reasoned intervention.
How We Teach Modern Dry Needling at CPD Today
On our Foundation Dry Needling Course, we teach practical needling techniques alongside the clinical reasoning required to use them appropriately.
Our training incorporates:
Relevant anatomy
Surface anatomy and palpation
Current evidence
Safety
Contraindications and precautions
Patient selection
Needle handling
Practical techniques
Clinical reasoning
Reassessment
Exercise and rehabilitation
We discuss trigger points, but we don’t want delegates leaving with the impression that every painful patient is simply a collection of trigger points waiting to be needled.
We teach the clinician—not just the technique.
What Changes at Advanced Level?
Once clinicians have established good foundational skills, advanced training can explore more complex applications and treatment approaches.
This may include more advanced clinical reasoning, additional anatomical areas and electrical stimulation techniques such as electroacupuncture.
But the fundamental principle doesn’t change.
Whether you’re inserting one needle or using a more advanced technique:
Every intervention should have a clinical reason.
Advanced practice isn’t about using increasingly complicated techniques.
It’s about making increasingly thoughtful decisions.
Common Dry Needling Myths
“Dry needling works by breaking up muscle knots.”
This is an oversimplification. Clinical responses are likely to involve several mechanisms, including neurophysiological and contextual effects.
“You need a twitch response for dry needling to work.”
A twitch may occur, but it shouldn’t automatically be considered necessary for a successful clinical outcome.
“The more needles you use, the better the treatment.”
There is no simple relationship between the number of needles and treatment quality.
“If dry needling hurts more, it’s working better.”
Treatment discomfort isn’t a measure of effectiveness.
“Dry needling fixes the underlying problem.”
Sometimes dry needling may help modify symptoms, but long-term management often requires rehabilitation, education, load management and addressing relevant contributing factors.
Clinical Takeaway
Dry needling has historically been strongly associated with myofascial trigger points and local twitch responses.
Those concepts remain part of the conversation, but they shouldn’t define the whole of modern dry needling practice.
Today’s clinician should think more broadly.
Assess the patient.
Understand the anatomy.
Choose the intervention for a reason.
Use an appropriate dose.
Reassess the response.
Then progress rehabilitation.
At CPD Today, that’s what we mean by teaching dry needling as a clinical skill rather than simply a needling technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dry needling the same as trigger-point therapy?
No. Trigger-point needling is one approach associated with dry needling, but contemporary dry needling practice can be considered within a broader clinical and neurophysiological framework.
Does dry needling remove muscle knots?
It’s more accurate to describe potential changes in symptoms, sensitivity or function rather than suggesting a needle physically removes a “knot”.
Does a muscle have to twitch for dry needling to work?
Not necessarily. A local twitch response can occur, but producing one shouldn’t automatically be the primary objective of treatment.
How does dry needling reduce pain?
The exact mechanisms remain under investigation. Proposed explanations include peripheral and central neurophysiological processes affecting nociceptive input and pain modulation, alongside contextual factors.
Is more needling better?
No. Treatment should be appropriately dosed according to the patient, clinical presentation and intended outcome.
Should dry needling be combined with exercise?
Often, yes. Where dry needling produces a useful change in symptoms or movement, that change can provide an opportunity to progress appropriate exercise and rehabilitation.
Do CPD Today courses teach trigger-point dry needling?
Trigger-point concepts can form part of dry needling education, but our teaching places them within a broader framework of anatomy, evidence, safety, clinical reasoning, reassessment and rehabilitation.
Learn Modern Dry Needling with CPD Today
If you’re looking for a Dry Needling Course in the UK, don’t just learn where to put the needle.
Learn why you’re putting it there.
Our Foundation Dry Needling Course helps clinicians develop the anatomy, safety, practical skills and clinical reasoning required to introduce dry needling appropriately into musculoskeletal practice.
Already trained?
Our Advanced Dry Needling & Electroacupuncture Course provides the opportunity to develop your existing skills further.
