If you’re living with a sports injury and your performance is suffering, then you might have already been recommended kinesiology tape, a kind of sports tape you may have noticed at least once before on a passing jogger, cyclist, or athlete. This method of rehabilitation and sports support is rapidly gaining popularity due to the overwhelmingly positive results and the non-invasive nature of the treatment. Pacific Health and Sports Therapy offers kinesiology taping for patients suffering from sports-related joint and muscle injuries.
What is Kinesiology Tape?
The seemingly ordinary tape easily adheres to your skin using heat activation without pulling or pinching and is designed to have the same feeling that skin has for ultimate comfort. Kinesiology tape falls under the umbrella term of “athletic tape,” which consists of many different forms of bandages and wraps that are designed to help heal an injured joint, muscle, or tendon.
How Does Kinesiology Tape Work?
Unlike other athletic tapes, kinesiology tape speeds up the process of healing by working with the muscles instead of keeping them constrained like traditional splints. Taping supports your injury without causing the build-up of the lactic acid that leads to cramping and delayed onset muscle soreness. Applying kinesiology tape helps guide and support a joint so the movement becomes easier and more efficient. When we’re in pain, we automatically adjust our movements to mitigate the pain, like limping when we twist our ankle. The skin-like property of the tape and the careful application into a pain-free range encourages the brain into thinking that you are carrying out movements without being hurt, which helps your muscles relax.
The Benefits of Kinesiology Tape
- Waterproof, skin-like quality makes it easy to wear for long periods at a time
- Supports and stabilizes your injury without compromising circulation or range of motion so that you can return to the activities you love much sooner
- Faster than traditional muscle splints that keep the injured area in a static position
- Easy, inexpensive non-invasive sports therapy treatment that is suitable for all ages
- Reduces swelling and inflammation by improving drainage of lymphatic channels
- Significantly helps in the treatment of common sports injuries to the knees, elbow, shoulders, and ankles
- Allows the wearer to continue using the injured area while supporting it
Contact a Professional Sports Therapist
If you’re interested in trying kinesiology tape, we don’t recommendtrying it at home for the first time. Although athletic tape is available without a prescription, we don’t recommend using it without the help of a professional sports therapist. When not applied properly, you might end up causing more harm than good. The tape has to be applied very precisely in order to move with your body correctly, depending on your injury and the tissues involved. Once shown the correct application for your injury, you can repeat this application on your own at home. If you wear athletic tape, use only as directed. If you suffer another injury while wearing kinesiology tape, consult your sports therapist before applying tape to the other area, as they may suggest another method of treatment. Visit us at Pacific Health and Sports Therapy, where we will demonstrate the proper technique and position for taping. Contact us for more information.
