ABOUT KINESIO
SINCE 1979
Learn more about the Kinesio Taping® Method and the Original Kinesio® brand Tape, who we are, our history, our mission, and more about our founder, Dr. Kenzo Kase.
OUR MISSION: TAPING THE WORLD FOR HEALTH
OUR VISION: ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE WORLDWIDE
WHO WE ARE
At Kinesio®, we live by our mission: “Taping the World for Health.” We carry out our mission by providing the highest-quality education and products, which we continuously refine and update based on scientific and technological research and advancements.
Through product development, education, research and certification, Kinesio® ensures that patients and users are confident they are receiving the highest standard of the Kinesio Taping® method and our Kinesio® Brand Tape. We have been the original global brand since 1979.
Kinesio® is a group of three organizations dedicated to the Kinesio Taping® Method: Kinesio University™, Kinesio Taping® Association International (KTAI) and Kinesio® Holding Corporation (KHC).
KINESIO UNIVERSITY
The Kinesio Taping® Method has two very important elements: the education and the tool. Kinesio Taping® has never been (and never will be) a one-size fits all philosophy. Knowing how to apply the tape is instrumental in an application’s success, and this is highlighted in the globally recognized education and certification program. Today Kinesio University® approved seminars and courses are offered in more than thirty countries across the globe. In 2014 alone more than 1,000 approved programs were hosted, training tens of thousands of practitioners worldwide.
KINESIO TAPING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL® (KTAI)
The Kinesio Taping Association International® is a certification and membership organization that provides accreditation to individuals who successfully complete our educational programs. KTAI collaborates with Kinesio University® to advance healing through scientific research, high-quality education and the hands-on practice of Kinesio Taping®.
KINESIO HOLDING CORPORATION
Kinesio® Tape is the only tool specifically designed and tested to meet the unique requirements of the Kinesio Taping® Method. Developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase, our products achieve consistent results. With nearly 40 years of development, research and application, Kinesio® sets the standard in the elastic therapeutic taping industry that was pioneered in 1979 by our founder, Dr Kase.
The collaboration between Kinesio University®, KTAI and KHC provides unsurpassed technical, research and educational services to practitioners, patients and users around the world. This, combined with our history, provides the foundation for our current and future innovations as we continue to work together towards our vision.
WHAT WE DO
“Tape the world for health” is not just our slogan—it’s what we do every day. For over 35 years, Kinesio’s® focus has always been on making people feel better by relieving their discomforts.
Most think of Kinesio® Tape as a treatment strictly for athletes, but that’s a misconception. More than 85% of Kinesio® Taping applications are designed with general patient populations in mind.
Kinesio Taping® design in combination with the proper evaluation of clinical conditions and unique application techniques comprise the Kinesio Taping® Method. Dr. Kenzo Kase, inventor of the method and the tape, relied on his chiropractic experience to understand the need for high-quality patient assessments before treatments to develop individualized patient goals.
Dr. Kase developed the Kinesio Taping® Method to assist practitioners with tape application based on the needs of the patient. Proper taping is strategic, based on patient assessment and careful decision making. Applications of Kinesio® Tape can be offered alone or with other therapeutic treatments, such as cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, electro-stimulation, acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathic, massage therapy and ultrasound.
Kinesio® has evolved into a total therapeutic treatment system. Currently, there are eight primary Kinesio Taping® Assessments. These screening tools provide taping practitioners with a framework to determine the mobility of the skin, fascia, muscle, joint and fluid dynamics in painful regions. Dr. Kase continues to develop therapeutic interventions for assessment and treatment based on the science of tissue structure and function.
The Kinesio Taping® Method was first used with sumo wrestlers in Japan. It gained recognition outside of Japan during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. It was then introduced in the United States at the Northwest Athletic Trainers Association Annual Clinical Symposium in Portland, Oregon, in March 1995 and entered the European market in 1996.
Today, the method is used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, certified athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, doctors, nurses and acupuncturists around the world to treat everyday aches, pains and medical conditions.