Therapeutic elastic tape, or kinesio tape (which goes by brand names like Kinesio, KT Tape, RockTape, etc.), has really exploded in popularity in the last five years. It has actually been around for more than 25 years, but has only more recently been used extensively, worldwide.

I write this article as a skeptic. I have been a skeptic since I first saw it back in 2007 on David Beckham's bare torso. At that point, I attempted to research what it was and how it works.

The first part was easy — a quick Internet search and countless pages appeared, praising its benefits. But finding out what it was supposed to do and how it did it was a lot harder, and this is still the case today. I remember getting frustrated as no one could explain to me how it did what it claimed to do, and all attempts just seemed a little "wishy-washy" with more marketing talk than actual scientific reasoning.

Despite this, its popularity continued to grow, and by last year's London Olympics, athletes of all nationalities and across all sports were wearing this brightly-colored tape. As more and more of my peers became swept along with the hype, I thought maybe it was time I gave it another look.

I am now fresh off an introduction to myofascial taping course. Do you think my views have changed?

The Claims

Kinesio tape is an elastic, breathable, 100 percent cotton, hypoallergenic tape that sticks to the skin using a heat-sensitive acrylic adhesive. Once applied, it is water resistant, does not limit joint range of motion and can be worn for up to a week at a time.

Its developer, Dr. Kenzo Kase wanted a tape that could help traumatized tissues heal without reducing movement. He also wanted the tape to aid with fascial movement and lymphatic drainage. He claims it works by "microscopically" lifting the skin to allow for better lymph and blood flow.

Injury therapists worldwide are now using kinesio tape (and its variations) to treat a wide number of injuries. It can be used to help reduce pain and edema after injury; increase muscle activation; decrease muscle tone where necessary; improve posture control; delay fatigue and improve proprioception.

That's quite an impressive list, and I'm sure one that many therapists would be keen to take advantage of. These are the claims of the developers and countless dedicated therapists and athletes who swear by its use. But where is the proof?

The Research

Even the guys at Kinesio themselves concede there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of their product and taping technique. That's not to say there isn't any evidence, it's just limited and the positive results available are often produced in low-quality studies.

I would say that "mixed" is a good description of the current available evidence. While some good studies show improvements in factors such as postoperative pain and swelling and conditions such as subacromial impingement, others show no benefit in using kinesio tape over more conventional treatments.

Studies such as this one on the effect of kinesio tape on ankle proprioception showed no benefits, and these findings were backed up in a more recent paper. Furthermore, two review articles have examined the range of available evidence on the subject and found little quality evidence to support the use of kinesio tape in treating and preventing sports injuries.

The reviewers concede that there is some evidence to suggest minor increases in range of motion and strength as well as reductions in short-term pain among certain groups, but are clear to point out that further, high-quality research is required to back up the wealth of anecdotal and clinical case study support.

The Case Studies

Despite the lack of concrete scientific evidence, there are many thousands of therapists, as well as athletes and patients who swear by the effects of this tape. So there must be something in it. Right?

Here are just a couple of examples. One case study lists improvement in scapula elevation levels as well as a decrease in pain when scapula elevation taping was performed regularly over a two-month period in a male with scapula depression syndrome.

Similarly, kinesio tape has been used successfully to treat radial nerve entrapment. The patient immediately displayed an increase in grip strength and functional activities, followed by a reduction in pain and swelling. All benefits were maintained at six-month follow-up.

While anecdotal evidence from published case studies such as these, as well as from my peers in the field are convincing, we (in the course) wanted to run a little experiment of our own.

We took one person from the group and measured her end range of forward flexion while trying to touch her toes. At the start of the test, pretaping, her fingertips were eight inches away from the floor.

We then applied tape from both hamstring origins on the ischial tiberosities, centrally down the posterior leg, finishing at the Calcaneus. Tape was also applied from both sides of the cervical spine, through the thoracic and lumbar extensors to the sacrum. The aim was to target the entire posterior chain to see if improvements in range of motion occurred.

Immediately after application of the tape and on reproduction of the test, her fingertips were four inches away from the floor. Being a skeptic, I tried to question this change with theories of improvement from the previous stretch.

We left the tape in place and repeated the test again after 10 minutes, by which time her fingertips could touch the floor. A further 90 minutes later, after being seated for much of this time, a repeat of the test demonstrated she could now put her fingers flat on the floor.

I have to say I was astonished. This may not have been the most scientific of experiments and the taping application may not be practical for regular use, but the results were clear to see.

My Current Standpoint

My feelings towards the efficacy of myofascial taping are slightly more positive now than before the course and this research. While there is little good quality research out there to confirm its effects, I do believe in clinical results and anecdotal evidence.

I personally can't make sense of some of the claims for just how the tape works. For instance, I don't see how it could have any effect on deeper muscles, and I question whether it helps to "align muscles" as claimed.

But I do feel that elevating the skin and fascia in the area could have a positive effect on drainage and blood flow at an injury site and that pain may be relieved through alternative stimulation. I also see the possibility for increased range of motion due to improved myofascial movement.

But above all, I think the majority of the effects are psychological. I think the feeling of having this "magic tape" supporting your injury and speeding your recovery can do wonders for injured athletes. And I'm not knocking that. In some cases, a little mind over matter goes a long way.

So will I be trying it? Certainly, with a few cases initially. And who knows, soon more and more of my clients may be leaving my treatment room looking like multicolored zebras.