Limitations and contraindications for anti-cellulite taping
In what cases can anti-cellulite taping harm the patient?
Kinesio taping is quite effective in correcting cellulite. Before introducing this procedure into your practice, it is very important for a specialist to understand the limitations in order to avoid possible complications, unpleasant or dangerous situations for the patient’s health.
Tkachenko Svetlana Gennadievna , candidate of medical sciences, dermatovenerologist, associate professor of the department of dermatology, venereology and medical cosmetology of KhNMU, doctor of the medical center " European Dermatology ", Kharkov
Continuing the current topic of taping and its anti-cellulite properties, in previous articles we analyzed in detail the evidence on the effectiveness and features of its use for special hormonal conditions in women . But to be completely objective, it is also worth analyzing the disadvantages of this procedure. In this part, we analyze possible situations when the negative impact of kinesio taping may prevail.
Limitations for anti-cellulite kinesio taping
Relative contraindications for the kinesiotaping procedure include easily injured and poorly healing skin. This condition often occurs in patients with diabetes. Problems will arise after removing the tape: from light linear abrasions to small blisters, even with a correctly performed (without tension) application. These lesions heal quite quickly with the use of topical epithelizing agents. When collecting anamnesis, it is necessary to warn the patient about the possibility of such a complication, and possibly exclude kinesiotaping from the correction program.
Another relative contraindication is kidney diseases of various origins. In this case, according to the recommendations for kinesiotaping [1], it is necessary to avoid applying tapes to the area of projection of the renal visceratoma. However, there is another danger here. During active lymphatic drainage, kinesio tapes significantly increase diuresis.
In my practice, there was even a weight loss of 3 kg per week due to increased diuresis after the first volumetric anti-cellulite application. Moreover, subsequent similar applications in this patient did not cause either an increase in diuresis or weight loss. Probably, this case requires separate study and publication, since there was a history of abuse of diuretics and the use of many anti-cellulite techniques (massage, mesotherapy, cryolipolysis, etc.) with little effect. Good clinical dynamics, combined with weight loss and reduction in edema, greatly pleased the patient, but seriously worried me as a specialist.
It is necessary to be prepared for similar lymphatic drainage effects of anti-cellulite taping, carefully collect anamnesis and, in the case of even minor kidney pathology, refuse volumetric taping, even to the detriment of the clinical effect. Similar tactics must be followed in the presence of edema due to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Contraindications to anti-cellulite taping
Contraindications are oncological diseases (risk of lymphatic metastasis), thrombophlebitis and the presence of blood clots, infectious and non-infectious inflammation of the skin in the area where kinesio tape is applied, and allergies to the tape material. As for cancer patients, this contraindication is not absolute. As a rule, treatment of oncological pathology is accompanied by a ban on all lymphatic drainage procedures. But in some cases, oncologists include kinesio taping in their rehabilitation programs. For example, kinesio taping is effective for postmastectomy lymphedema associated with breast cancer [2], and to date, dozens of such studies have been published, involving thousands of women. In addition, in case of successful treatment, oncologists lift the ban on lymphatic drainage procedures after 3-5 years of observation.
If you have a history of cancer, it would be appropriate to coordinate lymphatic drainage procedures with your oncologist.
Also, some gynecologists prohibit lymphatic drainage procedures during pregnancy. A contraindication for any physiotherapeutic methods is the procedure in the abdominal area in the first trimester of pregnancy.
A relative contraindication to kinesiotaping is applications in the abdominal region and in the projection of the Michaelis rhombus (sacral rhombus) in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. A recent review [3] analyzed 7 studies of the use of kinesio tape to reduce back pain in a total of 444 pregnant women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The use of kinesio tapes statistically significantly reduced back pain in pregnant women, improved their quality of life and did not cause side effects.
A detailed analysis of all the advantages and limitations regarding kinesiotaping in these articles will be useful for a specialist in terms of selecting the correct tactics for each clinical case. Also, for effective and safe results from anti-cellulite taping, theoretical, practical training and a professional approach to post-procedural monitoring of patients’ condition are no less important.
Bibliography: