IN ITALY CREATED THE INNOVATIVE CONCEPT OF DECOMPRESSION TAPING CALLED
“NEUROMUSCULAR TAPING”
WIDELY KNOWN IN MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION.
David Leonard Blow is the creator of the NMT decompression concept and founder/president of the Neuromuscular Taping Institute based in Rome since 2003, in New York from 2012 and in Jakarta, Indonesia for the ASIAN region since 2015, in Argentina and South America since 2016.
He is an international instructor of NeuroMuscular Taping and DermoTaping in Europe, the United States, central and southern Americas, Africa and Asia. He has over 35 years of therapeutic experience in rehabilitation, including training in Australia, China, Japan and Italy.
In 2003 he developed the innovative concept of Neuromuscular Taping (NMTConcept) and later on the DermoTaping methodology in 2005, which has become very popular creating significant changes in the field of medical rehabilitation. The NeuroMuscular Taping Institute stems from David Blow’s will to share “NMT KNOW-HOW” to train doctors and professionals in rehabilitation with taping protocols that can improve overall treatment results and consequently improve quality of life of patients.
David came in touch with bandaging techniques and taping in 1998. In the following years he studied these techniques focusing on their limitations from the point of view of rehabilitation. Arising from a background in Traditional Chinese medicine, he decided to explore the idea of decompression taping as a form of therapy. Based on clinical observations on the effects of an eccentric (opposing from concentric) application of a tape on the skin surface on muscle contraction and extension. It was readily seen that this “decompression taping methodology” has the capacity to influence all functional aspects of the body including the skin itself.
Since then David developed the NMTConcept, a dilation exteroceptive stimulation created by an elastic decompressive taping methodology (opposite to compressive) and when applied in the therapeutic area it has been shown to be a clinically validated concept reducing symptoms and improving treatment outcome. NMT is widely used in Italy in neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation, both in public and private healthcare hospitals and clinics, involving many university under and post graduate programs and is becoming a mainstream system for protocol treatment.
Starting in 2003 it became very evident how a dilation (the effect on fluid exchange when applying an eccentric stimulation) taping system could improve the oxygenation and fluid exchange not only at a skin level, but also at a vascular and lymphatic level. Initial treatments were aimed at improving scarring skin quality and the reduction of scar tissue adhesion after surgery, overwhelming burn scarring and post treatments (for example radio therapy).
Specific applications in the area of skin health were developed leading to the creation of the DermoTaping concept in 2005 offering a series of trainings in specific treatment areas; Body, Face, Décolleté, in collaboration with Medical surgical interventions and Oncological skin health care programs.
David has published several research, case studies and articles evaluating the clinical efficacy of NMT (please see Research Gate or Medline reviews on NeuroMuscular Taping, NeuroTaping, or David Blow). He is actively involved in numerous research projects, including projects involving the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’sdisease, oncological rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, innovative speech therapy treatments, pediatric conditions and neurological conditions.
Recent studies on the treatment of diabetes ulcer, burning scar treatment involving procedure development for assisting skin regeneration. Other studies cover NMT used to assist in autism, attention deficit disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and dementia. In order to share this innovative treatment modality David is the author of the following Medical Publications readily available all over the world;
- “Neuromuscular taping – from concepts to Practice”,
- “Neuromuscular taping – Treatment of Edema, hematoma and Scars”
- “Neuromuscular taping – Treatment Compendium of the upper limb” (available in 2022)
- “Voice T” – Treatment of speech therapy and facial paralysis. (available 2022)
- “Esthetic DermoTaping” – Esthetic compendium in elastic decompression taping. (available 2022)
- “Neuromuscular taping – Treatment Compendium of the lower limb” (available 2023)
However, his principal objective is professional education in medical and physical rehabilitation. He has developed a series of educational training modules for doctors (orthopedic, neurology, sport medicine, lymphology, vascular and surgical specializations), physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and nurses while currently teaches over 1,000 professionals per year through continuing education and certificate programs in Italy and in other countries.
David’s main objective is professional educational training. He has developed many training programs and specialization courses creating specialized teacher core groups in various countries assisting in local know-how development. David is referee of scientific committees, professional consultant, and is an authority in continuing education, recognized internationally by many hospitals and private clinics.
In Italy he is visiting professor in the post-specialisation Master programs in Sport Traumatology at the University of Pisa, the University Hospital Gemelli, teaching Hospital of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome sport master program, master program in Neuro-rehabilitation at Università La Sapienza of Rome, Speech therapy Master program in swallowing disorders at Turin University and Speech therapy Master program in Vocal rehabilitation at Bologna University.
David has developed and personally conducted many volunteer training projects in health service needy areas in Serbia and Sarajevo while in Africa in Congo and Ethiopia, in central America and in Argentina, and recently in Indonesia with the after earthquake health needs in 2018/2019.
Volunteer training projects are free self financed trainings of health care professionals in short and frequent courses to provide updated medical rehabilitation therapies in areas that are of need. The objective is to create cross-country, multi-ethical and multi-cultural hospital and university collaboration and research development in orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation. Future projects will cover Asian countries and Indian sub continent.
The NeuroMuscular Taping Institute was created to develop studies and continue the work that David Blow started in 2000. This NMT rehabilitation system is not simply a technique, but has evolved over the years creating human skills and application protocols to facilitate rehabilitation and the healing process. To date, the NMT Institute offers specific training in various health areas such as medicine, physiotherapy, motor rehabilitation, occupational therapy, nursing, speech therapy and language pathologies, neuro rehabilitation and pediatric psychomotor development, sport sciences and medical care.
REFERENCE SITES
NeuroMuscular Taping Institute Europe. The NeuroMuscular Taping Institute was created to develop training programs, support research and development and continue the work that David Blow started in 2000. The NMT rehabilitation system, is not simply a technique and has evolved over the years creating new skills and treatment protocols to facilitate healing and rehabilitation processes. To date, the NMT Institute offers specific training in various health service areas such as medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, speech therapy, podiatry, physical education, sport medicine, and medical care in general.
NMT Teaching Core Group. Neuromuscular Taping ® is a registered trademark linked to a specific and codified procedures and protocols, which is linked to specific training and a NMT certification process. Only professionals trained in official courses by qualified teachers can guarantee high-level results and proficiency in NeuroMuscular Taping methodology. Make sure that the therapist or teacher is qualified and authorized by the NeuroMuscular Taping Institute.
NeuroMuscular Taping Institute International. In 2012 David Blow founded the NeuroMuscular Taping Institute in New York to offer the best resources and proper training to all rehabilitation professionals in the United States. Later, in 2014, the SAVA was created to provide specialization face to face training and online introductory training on NMT taping. The purpose of the Institute is to provide professionals who work in the rehabilitation field innovative and effective skills together with treatment protocols that can improve results during rehabilitation processes. Like all those who work in the field of medicine, your goal is to improve results of patients and improve their quality of life. Our primary goal is to provide high levels of excellence in training to maintain high quality standards to improve short and long-term rehabilitation care.
NeuroMuscular Taping Institute Asia Region. Three-fifths of the world’s population lives in Asia and consequently managing the different health needs is become a real medical and rehabilitation concern for all governments. The NMT rehabilitation system and training services has been introduced into various Asean countries with the scope of offering treatment protocols that are effective, low cost, patient friendly and are easily introduced into the existing university training and health systems.
NeuroMuscular Taping – Volunteer projects. The NeuroMuscular Taping Institute from 2011 supports training programs to prepare health care professionals to meet their specific health care needs at the international level. The project “NMT Volunteer Project” is now in its seventh year and over the years it has elaborated specific programs for the treatment of neurologic and orthopedic disorders, congenital pediatric clubfoot, stroke, facial paralysis, rehabilitation of burn scars, amputation, phantom pain, neuropathological pain, breast reconstruction, autism, ADHD, pediatric stroke and treatment of traumas and injuries of various entities. Some the collaborating countries include: Congo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Peru, Bolivia, India, Sri Lanka. Countries where the NMT Institute has started and planned training, research clinical trials and follow-up projects.
SporTape International. The SporTape Concept was created from the NMT Concept. A biomechanical and sensory corrective Taping technique that, based on the natural healing capabilities of the body, promotes improved blood circulation and lymphatic drainage in the treated area. In physiotherapy or more extensively in rehabilitation is used to treat various problems.
The use of NeuroMuscular Taping offers a new, innovative and non-pharmacological approach to treatment. While in the sport area the Sportape concept uses the same biomechanical action to assist during sport training and improve performance reducing fatigue and the risk of trauma.
The NADA ACUDETOX. NADA Group Italy offers training and consultancy for addiction treatment programs in public and private healthcare facilities, communities and prisons, to ensure the highest ethical and clinical standards for specialists in Acudetox. It is an organisation that brings together experts in the field of substance addiction and those of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTC).
Dr. Michael Smith, the driving energy behind the creation and sharing of the Acudetox unique concept of substance abuse treatment has made a significant mark on how drug abuse is seen and treated. Programmes have assisted family and drug abusers for over 40 years in the USA, where they are present among the major services offered for the treatment of drug addiction, and for over 30 years in Europe.
There are currently approx. 1000 programs in Europe, are currently 2800 programs worldwide. Acudetox treatments also exist in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Australia, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Nepal, Holland, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, South America, UK, Hungary, USA. Public or private services are trained with the Acudetox protocol and are certified by NADA Italia. Only with certified Acudetox training together with the annual NADA re-qualification you can guarantee proper continuous training.
