If you’re a runner (or watch sports) chances are you’ve seen it or you’ve worn it. No, it’s not a fashion statement and they aren’t trying to hide that tattoo they got in Vegas. It’s called kinesio tape and runners and athletes alike are putting it all over their bodies to improve athletic performance. Athletes are always looking for that edge and kinesio tape can definitely deliver. You may have seen athletes such as Kerri Walsh, Serena Williams, KG, David Beckham and Lance Armstrong sporting kinesio at some point. The actual KINESIO brand was invented by Dr. Kenzo Kase, a chiropractic physician, in the mid 1970’s because of the limitation he encountered with traditional athletic tape. The main premise of the tape is to facilitate the body’s natural healing, while allowing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting your body’s range of motion. The tape is also used to reduce inflammation, relax muscles and decrease pain.
Although the scientific evidence is limited I have personally experienced the pain relief and witnessed great patient outcomes with its use. For the runner, it is particularly useful for shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), calf strains, quad/hamstring strains, runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis and many more. However, the tape is not limited to runners. I’ve seen it used in swimming (yes its water proof), soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey ect.
If you’ve read this far you are probably wondering, where can I find it? Who can I see to have it applied? There is one company called KT tape that sells it at Big 5, Dicks Sporting Good and Sports Authority or you can buy it online. On their website you can watch videos on how to apply the tape yourself. That is option 1. Option 2. If you really want to solve your condition and have the a professional evaluation you should find a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP). Most CKTP’s are Doctors of Chiropractic or Doctors of Physical Therapy. They are trained professionals, seeing these conditions daily, treating them daily and have the post-graduate education with tape application. If you are serious about treating your condition I strongly suggest seeking one of these individuals out. If you are training for that spring 5K, 10K or marathon and need the extra edge I highly suggest doing your homework and discovering what kinesio tape can do for you. Thanks for your time.
Respectfully,
Tony Rhodes DC, ART, CKTP
3 comments:
I think I could use some of this for my shin splints, in pink of course!
LaDawna Rhodes
Another type of Athletic Tape is called "Kinesio Tape". It has been the latest craze with Professional and Olympic Athletes alike for several reasons. First of all, it’s thinner than regular tape, which makes it much easier to place over slightly stretched skin and muscles. Doing this helps to promote healing without straining the muscle by using the subtle elastic properties of the tape itself. Second, it can be worn for several days at a time which reduces the amount of time spent taping.
Athletic tape
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Sports Tape
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