Episode 81: Does Tape and Cupping Really Help? The Fascia and Nervous System Science Behind It - Behind the Sports Medicine | Lyssna här

Does Tape and Cupping Really Help? The Fascia and Nervous System Science Behind Them

What's actually happening beneath a strip of colorful tape or a cupping mark? And what does science actually tell us about their effects on fascial dynamics, neurosensory feedback, and chronic pain mechanisms?

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA Convention, chiropractor and RockTape co-founder Steven Capobianco joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to unpack what we actually know about elastic therapeutic tape, cupping, and other manual therapies. He explains how tape creates space between layers of tissue, how cupping acts as a magnified form of decompression, and why the neurosensory effects of these interventions may be just as important as their mechanical effects.

The conversation also gets personal as Capobianco shares his experience with persistent pain following major shoulder surgery, including why aggressive treatment made his symptoms worse and how light touch, education, and an understanding of pain neuroscience helped him move forward. He discusses the gap between traditional rehabilitation and the needs of patients with chronic pain, the role manual therapists can play alongside physicians, and the research into chronic pain that has him most excited about the future.

MEET THE GUEST

Steven Capobianco – DC, DACRB, CCSP, CSCS

– Chiropractor and Co-Founder, RockTape

TOPICS DISCUSSED

How elastic therapeutic tape influences tissue and the nervous system
Mechanical "tenting" and improving fascial layer sliding and gliding
How cupping affects tissue, sensory input, and pain
Personal lessons from navigating chronic pain and post-operative fear avoidance
Where manual therapy and recovery modalities are heading

HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 – Introduction

00:58 – The Evolution of Kinesiology and Elastic Therapeutic Tape

03:12 – How RockTape Affects the Tissue and Neurosensory Input

05:46 – Sponsor: Beck Bode

06:12 – Understanding Fascial Layers Through the Sandpaper Analogy

08:25 – Using Tape to Influence Fluid Dynamics & Tissue Dynamics

09:52 – How Cupping Changes Movement and Restricted Tissue

14:15 – Steve's Experience with Post-Surgical Pain and Chronic Pain Care

18:37 – The Psychosocial Side of Capobianco's Recovery

20:19 – Lightning Round: Overrated Tools, Favorite Modalities & Future Research

QUOTES:

04:35 - “I almost liken it to, I'm Italian, so it would be the lasagna of the body; multiple layers of tissue. … What we're learning about tissue and dynamics of tissue through movement is that they need to be able to slide and glide. And so using something as simple as a strip of elastic tape to create some space so then we can improve the dynamics of those tissues to slide and glide, it's a starting point of creating that change mechanically.”

17:39 - “As well as the education: …even though that I knew, I needed to be told that this was no longer a threat. The surgeon did his job, and I still felt fearful in moving my shoulder because of all of the trauma that I experienced from the procedure as well as my experience. So I had to navigate through those waters, and light touch as well as understanding really got me through that period of time.”

LINKS

Steven Capobianco - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencapobianco/

RockTape - https://rocktape.ca/

Neuro Orthopaedic Institute - https://www.noigroup.com/

NATA - https://www.nata.org/