If you’ve been following my Facebook and Instagram pages, you’ll most certainly have seen a number of posts recently of rather elaborate, multi-coloured tape adorning a range of body parts. You might also have seen something similar on the legs of professional footballers and rugby players. So what the hell is it?
What is it?
Well, to give it its full name, it’s Kinesiology Tape (or K Tape, which is an awful to easier to pronounce!). K Tape is a stretchy, fabric tape with an adhesive on one side, which can be used to rehabilitate ligaments, tendons, joints and muscles. Dependant upon the area of the body, it can be used in straight strips, Y shapes, X shapes or in intricate crossed patterns. Its available in a range of colours, sizes and patterns – some more garish than others! It can be worn for 3-5 days straight and you can even shower whilst wearing it.
What does it do?
It is claimed that K Tape can:
- reduce pain
- reduce swelling
- reduce bruising
- offer support to muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments
- have a positive effect on blood flow, fascia and the lymphatic system
So, does it actually work?
This is an interesting question. It’s easy to be sceptical when you look at a roll of K Tape. Despite it looking ‘pretty’, it can seem odd that something lacking in the rigidity of traditional sports taping (i.e. zinc oxide tape) could offer such a range of benefits.
However, after using it on a couple of my own injuries (plantar fascia on my right foot and bunion support on my left foot), I have to say there was a noticeable difference. After using the tape for 4 days on my plantar fascia I found that the symptoms and pain were significant reduced. It also helped reduce the pressure and straighten the toe where I have the bunion, which may well be interested to any dancers or girls who wear heels a lot! I have also had very positive reports from people I have used it on to support injuries such as ankle ligament sprains, quad injuries and back pain.
Will it work for me?
If you would like to try K Tape, get in touch and book an appointment. Appointments involve the same consultation as you would have for a sports massage treatment, where I will ascertain range of motion and discuss with you your injuries and how you hope to rehabilitate them. Stand-alone K Tape appointments are 30 minutes and cost £20. You can also include K Taping as part of your sports massage session, with prices dependant upon the area to be taped.
