Page 89 - BSR 2022

KINESIOLOGY
TAPE FOR HORSES
by Heather Smith Thomas
EQUINE HEALTH
“Always consult your veterinarian first when
an injury is involved, and then discuss
Kinesiology is the study of body movement—in humans or animals. Kinesiology addresses the physiological, biomechanical, and
psychological dynamic principles and mechanisms of movement. As a science, it also uses the principles of traditional Chinese medicine to evaluate health and imbalances, and tries to test the flow of energy in the acupuncture meridians of the body through isolating certain muscle groups and allowing assessment of the functioning of all the major body systems.
In recent decades, various treatments and rehab methodologies have been created using kinesiology.
The Kinesio tape and method for use was developed by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1973 to provide a non-pharmaceutical method to alleviate his human patients’ pain between appointments.
taping with a practitioner who is familiar with this kind of therapy.”
For instance, the Kinesio Taping® Method is a rehabilitative technique designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process by providing more soft tissue manipulation. This mimics the effects of massage while providing support and stability to the muscles and joints without restricting their range of motion.
HOW IT BEGAN
The Kinesio tape and method for use was developed by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1973 to provide a non-pharmaceutical method to alleviate his human patients’ pain in between their appointments. He
was born in Japan in the 1940s, and as a child suffered from pneumonia, tuberculosis, kidney infections and
allergies. Physical fragility kept him from participating in physical education classes.
He learned firsthand about the power of healing touch from his grandmother, a Japanese healer who used herbal remedies, acupuncture and moxibustion
techniques. Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves burning moxa (a cone
or stick made of ground mugwort leaves) on or near the body’s meridians and acupuncture points. Practitioners believe that the resulting heat helps stimulate these points and improves the flow of energy in the body.
After graduating from chiropractic school in Chicago, Kase continued to combine his education in mainstream and traditional medical techniques and philosophies. During the 1970s while treating elderly osteoarthritis patients, he became frustrated with the limited treatment methods available. Even though he could get the patient’s joint into a position that was less painful and resembled normal use, after these patients went home, they’d usually return to their old habits and painful positions. He wanted the treatments to extend beyond his patients’ office visits, so he tried to find a way to send his hands home with them.
Kase tried to tape the joints into the desire positions, but the tape available for medical use at that time
was too stiff. Patients received some benefit, but the drawbacks included skin problems, rashes, and other issues. The tapes available didn’t work very well with
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