By Calvin Sim, Senior Physiotherapist, Back2Sports

Functional Fascial Taping – or FFT for short – is an effective method of managing most injuries, especially those for which you are able to pinpoint the exact spot of pain. This article will explain what FFT is. But do note that its role is mainly to decrease pain, and not to solve the root problem. FFT should therefore be used as an adjunct to therapy and not as a treatment by itself.

FFT is different from other forms of taping that are on the market. The most common taping technique is restrictive or protective taping, which does not allow full range of movement. Kinesio taping is another technique, generally used to facilitate the healing of muscles. The main purpose of FFT on the other hand is to decrease your pain significantly to allow you to either do your exercises or to be able to continue with your activity temporarily until you have completed your rehabilitation.

How does FFT work? It's been proposed that FFT decreases pain by changing the loading on the fascia, which is a layer of tissue that lies beneath the skin. Virtually every organ, muscle and joint in the human body has a fascia attached to it, and distracting the fascia normalises the way the muscle or joint would function, thus decreasing pain. This then allows the patient to do his or her prescribed exercises better without any compensatory mechanisms which may arise from pain avoidance behaviour.

For the best possible relief, FFT should be applied in a direction-specific manner onto the area(s) of pain. This may involve one or more directions, including seemingly opposed directions. This is believed to be able to distract the fascia in the most appropriate manner, decreasing the strain on the joint or muscle which then causes a decrease in pain. Done correctly, FFT has been known to decrease pain by as much as 50% or more.

To achieve the best possible result, preparation of the skin is essential. The skin should be shaved at least 24 hours before the application of the tape and it is best to have the area cleaned properly. However, Singapore's humid environment creates a challenge for FFT because the tape might not adhere well to the skin. You could consider an adhesive spray to enable the tape to stick properly. The main precaution for anyone using tape is watch for itching. Itching indicates that your skin is very sensitive to tape so you will need to remove the tape immediately. You should also wash the affected area thoroughly and apply calamine lotion or anti-itch cream.

Back2Sports – Sports Injury Management is a division of the Core Concepts Group, a leading musculo-skeletal therapy specialist group in Singapore. For more information, visit www.Back2Sports.com.sg.