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Kinesio tape; does this really work and prevent injuries, reduce pain, reduce inflammation and improve performance
A number of years ago, I noticed that certain athletes were wearing Kinesio tape while doing gymnastics, playing tennis as well as playing beach volleyball in the 2008 Olympics. This was the beginning of a phenomenon that propelled the popularity of Kinesio tape, that was invented by a chiropractor in Japan in the 1970’s.
With the increased popularity came increased usage by chiropractors, physical therapists and athletes for problems ranging from ankle problems, shoulder pain and swelling. In 2010, I took the Kinesio seminar part 1 and began using it for back pain mostly, but when on site at an athletic event, sometimes the tape was helpful to athletes who were experiencing pain in their knees or feet.
The course certified by Kinesio taught us that it was the thinking man’s tape, and that the tape if applied properly can be used sparingly to change movement patterns. I have personally used it on back pain sufferers as an alternative to a more restrictive corset at times with nice results.
Does it really work, or is the effect placebo?
In the instances that I have recommended it for, people have had good results since I had thought through the way I wanted to alter function.
I came across this great blog post that discusses the tape, its history and its uses. It is so popular that many stores carry it but, if not applied appropriately with the right thought in mind, it is likely more placebo than a therapeutic agent.
To reduce inflammation, recently, there has been a lot written about a new organ that controls lymph flow in the interstitium. It is likely that Kinesio tape utilizes this organ to reduce swelling and move it away from the affected area.
There are now a number of brands and imitators Rock tape that have a stronger or slightly different adhesive, and the people who teach these methods of application may have a different spin on how to apply and use their tape. Many brands offer pre cut tape for specific uses to make it easier to use and it comes in different colors.
Check the post out here
A LOT OF PEOPLE SWEAR KINESIOLOGY TAPE WORKS, BUT SCIENCE CAN’T EXPLAIN WHY
By Katherine Ellen Foley April 15, 2018
If you’re a fan of the Olympics or professional sports, you’ve probably seen athletes wearing patterns of brightly colored tape over their skin. Skillfully plastered over muscles and joints, this “kinesiology” tape bends and puckers with movement, and gives athletes a “super elite” appearance: the crisscrosses and star patterns look like a high-tech performance enhancement too complicated for amateurs to understand.
It started in the sumo-wrestling ring. In the late 1970s, a Japanese chiropractor named Kenzo Kase, who treated the ailments of some of these giant men, invented a flexible, latex-free, water-resistant stretchy adhesive substance intended to mimic human skin. He claimed it could solve two crucial problems for his patients. First, it would act as a support system for muscles and joints without blocking any movement, allowing users to recover from injuries with their full range of motion. Second, it would alleviate pain without drugs or surgery. This was the first iteration of kinesiology tape.
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