Kinesiology tape modestly increases skin blood flow regardless of tape application technique

Kinesiology tape (KNT) is commonly used for injury prevention and as part of rehabilitation to treat muscle and joint pain. KNT is purported to increase local blood flow by lifting the skin and reducing local pressure. Whether or not skin blood flow is increased by KNT is not presently known. We carried out 2 experiments to elucidate the effects of KNT on skin blood flow. Protocol 1: KNT was applied to the skin at 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% relative tension. Red cell flux, an index of skin blood flow, was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) at each site and at a no-tape control site. There was an overall effect of tape on cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC: LDF/MAP) (KNT: 0.12 (95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.14), control 0.08 (0.07, 0.10) flux•mmHg^-1; p<0.01), but no effect of tension (all p>0.05). Subjects kept KNT on for 3 days then returned for follow-up testing. CVC was not changed after 3 days of KNT application (p=0.07). Protocol 2: KNT was applied to the skin with and without convolutions. There was an overall effect of tape on CVC (KNT: 0.30 (0.21, 0.39), control 0.15 (0.09, 0.21) flux•mmHg^-1; p=0.03), but no difference between KNT applied with or without convolutions (all p>0.05). These data suggest that KNT modestly increases microvascular blood flow, regardless of tension or presence of convolutions.