Saturday, June 11, 2011

Kinesio Tape for Athletes

By Mondo Humboldt


If you are wondering if that black or bright colored tape seen on a few high profile athletes like David Beckham or Kerri Walsh is a fashion statement, well it's not. It's called kinesio tape and it is the latest craze in the fitness world. The tape is great for aiding professional athletes, like Serena Williams, by providing support to their problems areas all without restricting blood flow or range of motion. Many athletes are turning to this special tape to help them facilitate healing in their sore joints and muscles.

So how can a simple piece of tape make a difference in one's athletic performance? Well, it may not seem possible but Kinesio tape has been proven to decrease inflammation in problem areas. The tape gently lifts up the skin, which increases blood flow to the area. This helps remove congestion and gets the endogenous system going as well as increases the interstitial space. Some types of the tape are designed with cooling properties which also helps fight inflammation. Kinesio tape is known for aiding a wide range of injuries, foot problems, sore muscles and joints, and even headaches.

This new kind of tape was the idea of Japanese chiropractor, Dr. Kenzo Kase. Dr Kase was experimenting with elastic tape, trying to find ways to use it for rehabilitation purposes. He noticed that the usual athletic taping methods limited range of motion in order to provide support. These standard methods also restricted blood flow to the injured area which slowed the healing process. In 1979 Dr. Kase developed a new kind of tape, and named it Kinesio Tex Tape. Since then the tape has seen amazing results and is being used by athletes around the world.

Kinesio tape isn't just something sticky you place over your troubled area. There is a method to the placement of the tape. It is important that the tape is strategically placed according to the type of injury and the area of the injury. This strategic placement is known as the Kinesio Taping Method and was also founded by Dr. Kase. This method requires practitioners to be certified after proper training. The Kinesio Taping Association provides the training courses, updates the curriculum and regulates the certifications of practitioners. The association works with other academic bodies and is constantly researching and improving the quality of their courses.

Kinesio Tex Tape is safe for all ages; it's latex-free, and can be worn for days at a time. However, in order to receive the best results from the tape, it is very important to get an evaluation from a certified Kinesio taping method practitioner. In some cases, the treatment of a condition may require treatment of other underlying conditions as well. The evaluation should include the manual testing of the muscle or joint, range of motion testing, gait assessment, and any other orthopedic special tests that may be necessary. The information gained from these assessments will allow for the proper treatment to be executed, with the Kinesio tape being a valuable addition to this treatment.




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