Lumbar Taping For Postural Awareness

Is your lumbar patient only partially compliant with postural correction/derangement reduction exercises? Here is a simple, yet effective method to improve postural awareness of the lumbar spine with taping.

Patient:

prone on elbows to increase lumbar lordosis
alternatively may sit or stand with slightly increased lumbar lordosis
both positions are because the tape may slightly slip on the skin eventually
may have to clean the skin/shave to prep!

Technique:

start around the postero-lateral border of the 12th rib and tape diagonally (medially and inferiorly) to the postero-lateral iliac crest on the contralateral side
half-overlay another piece of tape on the first and pull slightly tighter
repeat on the other side to make an "x"
finish the "x" on each side with a superior to inferior pieces of tape, also half overlaid
rub your hands over each tape application to slightly warm the glue

Instruction

slightly slouch/round forward to feel the tape feedback
no "hulking-out" which will prematurely stretch the tape
be sure to ask if they are allergic to adhesive (first)
leave it on for 3-4 days max before re-taping, re-tape 1 more time at most before trying something else

A lumbar roll can be used with this technique and the tape should only slack. Like my previous post for scapular postural awareness, I recommend using Kendall Wet-Pruf tape as it's waterproof, and easy to tear.

Hope it helps! As if your non-compliant patients disliked you enough! Give them another reason, they'll thank you in the end!