McConnell Taping vs Kinesiology Tape: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need?

If you've ever stood in a pharmacy or searched online for taping for knee pain, you've probably come across two very different looking products.

One is a rigid, brown strapping tape. The other is a stretchy, colourful tape you've likely seen on athletes at the Olympics or on the footy field. Both are described as "sports tape." Both are used for pain and injury. But they work in completely different ways, and choosing the wrong one for your situation can mean getting little to no benefit.

What is McConnell taping?

McConnell taping uses rigid, non-elastic tape (like McConnell Therapeutics Rigid Tape) to physically reposition a joint, most commonly the kneecap (patella), and hold it in a corrected position while you move. The tape has very limited stretch, which allows the joint to move while still maintaining control of the new position. It acts as a mechanical corrector, changing how your joint loads and tracks in real time.

I developed this taping technique in the 1980s after identifying that a large proportion of patients with knee pain had a kneecap that wasn't sitting or moving correctly in its groove.^1^ By taping the kneecap into a better position, patients not only had an immediate reduction in their pain, but they could also activate their stabilising muscles more efficiently, because the tape shortened and stimulated muscles that had become poorly performing and elongated over time. That pain reduction then allowed them to do the exercises needed to build the muscle strength that addressed the underlying cause of the problem.^1,2^

The technique has since been applied to the shoulder, ankle and other joints, and is now taught to physiotherapists worldwide.

What is kinesiology tape?

Kinesiology tape (often referred to by brand names like RockTape or KT Tape) is an elastic, stretchy tape designed to move with the body. It doesn't restrict movement or reposition joints. Instead, it works by lifting the skin slightly away from the tissue underneath, which some research suggests can reduce pressure on pain receptors, improve circulation and provide a sensory cue to the muscles and nervous system.^3^

It's a very different mechanism to McConnell taping, and it's important to understand that distinction before choosing one.

The key difference: correction vs reassurance

The simplest way to think about the difference is physical correction vs sensory support.

McConnell taping corrects. It physically moves a structure and holds it there. If your kneecap is tracking laterally and causing pain, the tape pulls it medially and keeps it there while you walk and exercise. As the pain reduces, the muscles stimulated by the tape can begin working more effectively, addressing the underlying cause rather than just the symptoms.

Kinesiology tape reassures. It doesn't move or hold a structure in place. Instead it creates a sensory signal that can reduce pain perception and may influence how muscles activate. This can be genuinely useful when someone has recovered from an injury and needs confidence to return to movement, without the fear that pain will return. But it doesn't correct anything structurally.

The practical implication is this: McConnell taping is most useful when pain and poor muscle control are the primary problem. Kinesiology tape is more useful once those problems have been resolved and the goal shifts to reassurance during return to activity.^4^

When McConnell taping is the better choice

McConnell taping works in two main ways, and understanding both helps explain why it's effective across such a wide range of conditions.

The first is tissue unloading. Before any correction can happen, painful tissue needs to be relieved of the load that is irritating it. This applies whether the problem is an inflamed nerve, an acute muscle or ligament tear, or a compressed structure like the infrapatellar fat pad, the cushiony structure just beneath the kneecap that is the most common source of anterior knee pain. When this structure becomes impinged it causes intense pain, particularly with bending and straightening the knee.^5^ By unloading the affected tissue, the tape creates the conditions in which healing and rehabilitation can actually begin.
The second is joint alignment correction. Once painful tissue has been unloaded, taping can reposition joints that are moving or sitting incorrectly. The conditions where the evidence is strongest include:

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome, where the kneecap tracks too far laterally or tilts, causing pain at the front of the knee during stairs, squatting or sitting for long periods.^1,2^
  
• Knee osteoarthritis, where taping to unload the medial or lateral compartment of the knee can reduce pain during walking and daily activity.^6^
  
• Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff conditions, where taping to improve the position of the ball of the shoulder in the socket increases the available space within the joint and improves the efficiency of the surrounding muscles, reducing pain and allowing rehabilitation exercises to be performed correctly.^7,8,9^

In all of these cases, the rigid tape is doing something that stretchy kinesiology tape physically cannot: it is unloading painful tissues, repositioning structures and maintaining that correction. With good application, this repositioning can last for up to a week with the tape in place.

When kinesiology tape can be useful

Kinesiology tape has a role where the goal is to reduce swelling and bruising rather than to correct alignment. Some athletes use it as a sensory cue to improve body awareness during sport. For situations where the tissue has healed and the main barrier to returning to activity is confidence rather than structural correction, it can provide genuine benefit.

The taping system that makes McConnell taping practical

To avoid skin irritation, the standard clinical approach is to apply a hypoallergenic under-tape first as a protective layer, then apply the rigid tape over the top.
At McConnell Therapeutics, we've developed the tape specifically for this technique. Rigid Tape provides the structural correction. Under Tape protects your skin and extends how long you can comfortably wear it. For people with sensitive skin, Under Tape Sensitive is a gentle, silicone-based option well suited to larger joints such as the shoulder and back. Tape Shield is a transparent waterproof covering designed for people who need additional protection.

Check out our combo pack to get you started.

Final takeaway

If you have knee pain, shoulder pain or another joint issue where the problem involves how a structure is positioned or moving, McConnell taping is likely to be more effective. It is the only taping approach designed to unload painful tissues and, where necessary, correct joint mechanics. It has decades of clinical research and physiotherapy practice behind it.

If your goal is sensory support, reducing swelling, or building confidence during return to sport without a specific structural issue, kinesiology tape may be appropriate.
When in doubt, speak to a physiotherapist who can assess your joint mechanics and recommend the right approach for your situation.

This blog is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.

References

1. McConnell, J. (1986). The management of chondromalacia patellae: a long term solution. Aust J Physiother, 32(4), 215–223.
   
2. Crossley, K., Bennell, K., Green, S., Cowan, S., & McConnell, J. (2002). Physical therapy for patellofemoral pain: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Sports Med, 30(6), 857–865.
   
3. Banerjee, G., Briggs, M., & Johnson, M.I. (2019). The effects of kinesiology taping on experimentally-induced thermal and mechanical pain in otherwise pain-free healthy humans: a randomised controlled repeated-measures laboratory study. PLOS One, 14(12), e0226109.
   
4. Kilbreath, S.L., Perkins, S., Crosbie, J., & McConnell, J. (2006). Gluteal taping improves hip extension during stance phase of walking following stroke. Aust J Physiother, 52(1), 53–56.
   
5. Dragoo, J.L., Johnson, C., & McConnell, J. (2012). Evaluation and treatment of disorders of the infrapatellar fat pad. Sports Med, 42(1), 51–67.
   
6. Hinman, R.S., Crossley, K.M., McConnell, J., & Bennell, K.L. (2003). Efficacy of knee tape in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. BMJ, 327(7407), 135–138.
   
7. McConnell, J., & McIntosh, B. (2009). The effect of tape on glenohumeral rotation range of motion in elite junior tennis players. Clin J Sport Med, 19(2), 90–94.
   
8. McConnell, J., Donnelly, C., Hamner, S., Dunne, J., & Besier, T. (2011). Effect of shoulder taping on maximum shoulder external and internal rotation range in uninjured and previously injured overhead athletes during a seated throw. J Orthop Res, 29(9), 1406–1411.
   
9. McConnell, J., Donnelly, C., Hamner, S., Dunne, J., & Besier, T. (2012). Passive and dynamic shoulder rotation range in uninjured and previously injured overhead throwing athletes and the effect of shoulder taping. PMR, 4(2), 111–116.