What is NeuroMuscular Taping Concept?

NeuroMuscular Taping is an innovative treatment method now available for the health care profession wordwide. NeuroMuscular Taping (NMT) may be defined as the following:

• a biomechanical therapy using decompressive and compressive stimuli to obtain positive effects in the musculoskeletal, vascular, lymphatic, and neurological systems
• a specific application of an elastic tape that form wrinkles by lifting the skin, facilitating venous and lymphatic drainage, improving blood circulation and relieve pain
• correct application will also assist in alignment of joints, support muscles during movement, improve stability and posture.

Innovation in the world of rehabilitation often follows the path outlined by research and clinical observation. This is what happened to NeuroMuscular Taping (NMT). NMT is a treatment and rehabilitation system designed by David Blow in 2003. This treatment method developed in Italy originates from the NMT Concept that has been used successfully ever since in hospitals, clinics and private practices by doctors, physiotherapists, speech therapists, nurses and health care professionals and is currently recognized as a therapeutic support in medical rehabilitation.

It involves the use of an adhesive tape applied in a specific way to improve therapeutic results. Most treatment protocols uses a decompression method to reduce pain and to facilitate recovery. All NMT neurological rehabilitation protocols uses decompression to improve mobility and coordination while reducing pain. The correct use of the tape is to create dilation that will improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage.

This is the key in a progressive rehabilitation approach. Contrary to what happens in other techniques, the tape is applied in a way that it creates waves and undulation which is constantly activated through body movement. The ‘”wave” does not mean it was applied incorrectly but instead correctly ensuring that there is improved blood circulation and oxygenation of the area and by activating a complete and continuous drainage of the treated area treated. This is the underlying principal of action that was created by David Blow in 2003.

The NeuroMuscular Taping (NMT) method is therefore based on a simple idea that to be effective requires special training. For years I have been engaged in the training of doctors and rehabilitation professionals with NeuroMuscular Taping with the aim of transmitting this therapeutic “know-how” and results obtained in years of clinical experience and research in the medical-rehabilitation area.

The NMT Institute was founded in Rome in 2003 and in New York in 2011, in Jakarta in 2015, in south America in 2016 to continue this philosophy and to offer treatment improvements through certified teaching programs. Motivated, trained, qualified and certified teachers are a guarantee for acquiring new skills in this effective treatment that will overall improve your professional status.

Our training courses take into account orthopedic and neurologic rehabilitation requirements, while NeuroMuscular Taping fits perfectly with manual and instrumental treatment ensuring the best possible results. The goal is to improve treatment options and improving treatment recovery.

The specialization courses in medical and rehabilitation field are available with specific training programs, learning verification and updates. The specialization courses follows a learning process based on thorough comprehensive training and implementation of what has been learnt in the designated treatment area.

SAVA Rehabilitation Training Area and Programs together with the NeuroMuscular Taping Institute was created to give a framework to course design, coordination and implementation of innovative medical and rehabilitation training activities. The final certification in NeuroMuscular Taping is divided into specific courses to improve multidisciplinary treatments with the possibility of deepening specialist understanding.

What is the difference between NMT Concept and other taping techniques?

Various modern day taping techniques were developed in Japan and Korea starting some 40 years ago and have developed over these last years are based on a taping application that is compressive. Evan though the original compressive taping technique has ancient origins in Greece and Egypt dating at least 2400 years. These techniques originated principally in sports applications and applied Kinesiology concepts and use a tape pulled over the skin surface to improve muscle contraction, sometimes called space or fascia or mechanical treatments.

These techniques have found applications widely in the sports area, basically during sport performance. These techniques often apply various tapes one over the other to create (so called) stability over joints, but various tapes one on top of another often create excessive compression reducing mobility and limiting athletic movement and performance. These techniques have existed for many years but have not made major inroads into mainstream neuro-rehabilitation and rehabilitation of post surgical conditions precisely due to their compressive nature.

NeuroMuscular Taping (NMT) together with specific manual therapy techniques that have been developed and are creating inroads in physical rehabilitation. Unlike other forms of taping, correct and complete diagnosis, patient evaluation and clinical objectives are the starting points for correct NeuroMuscular Taping applications. Neurological disorders and acute fase post surgury rehabilitation is the objective of the NeuroMuscular Taping method, which improves drainage and blood circulation and movement while improving overall recovery time.

NeuroMuscular Taping is a therapeutic rehabilitation concept based upon patient evaluation, clear cut therapeutic objectives and treatment choices focused on improving patient recovery. Only professionals competent in rehabilitation can apply NMT correctly to obtain maximum results. Often results with other forms of taping are poor due to insufficient reasoning and evaluation together with incorrect applications creating incorrect stimulation.

Correct NMT application is based upon precise knowledge of lines of skin maximum elasticity, muscle and anatomy. NeuroMuscular Taping Concept has developed new horizons and knowledge in cutaneous elasticity which is the basis for correct application. NeuroMuscular Taping is a extracutaneous stimulation. As we know the skin is our most expansive sense organ which has many properties not only relating to movement and sensorial positioning.

Tape is applied over the skin surface with clear objectives whether there are cutaneous, fascia, muscle, tendon, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, joints, or over neurological pathways. Tape is never pulled and the elasticity of the tape (pulling the tape) is rarely used. NMT Concept Taping is an extension of doctors and therapists hands working on the patient 24 hours a days.

In recent years the NeuroMuscular Taping have given important results in post surgical, orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation. Cardiovascular stroke, central nervous system and spinal trauma, pediatric CP and degenerative neurological diseases are costly treatment areas which require time and resources that many health care systems have difficulty in caring for.

High levels of results means that NeuroMuscular taping is at the forefront in the discovery of new therapeutic techniques which improve patient outcomes without overloading their economic situations. NeuroMuscular taping is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological treatment system, that is capable of offering a mechanical stimulation promoting cellular metabolism and activating the body’s natural healing abilities through normalizing body neuromuscular proprioception.

NeuroMuscular Taping was introduced in organized training modules from 2003 and has been quickly well accepted by rehabilitation specialists in many countries. All countries have to deal with their growing population facing difficult health based problems in the future. Stroke, cardiovascular disease, CP, autism, Down syndrome, Parkinsons, Multiple sclerosis, respiratory disease are some of the current day and future rehabilitation challenges. Cost effective treatment options through professional training is primary in any government health service planning foreseeing future needs.

NMT training programs is the result of our dedicated and enthusiastic teaching staff and highly trained practioners. Research and clinical studies from various health areas will assist in understanding of how NeuroMuscular taping may improve our treatment choices. NMT Know-How, clinical trials together with published articles on the effectiveness of NMT will follow you in making the best therapeutic decisions improving you patients.

Please view the REGISTER of NMT professionals trained in your area.

David Blow

Founder NeuroMuscular Taping