Kinesiology Tapes

Kinesiology tapes help to treat sore and aching muscles as well as a broad range of repetitive stress injuries. The repetitive stress injuries treatable using this tape include carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, muscle & tendon strains, ligament sprains and many others.

Kinesiology tapes fall under the general category of adhesive tapes. However, their mechanism is very different from that of traditional adhesive tapes.

Traditional adhesive tapes seek to limit the normal range of movement of muscles, ligaments and tendons in order to allow injured structures to rest and heal. Kinesiology tapes, on the other hand, rely on the body’s natural and unrestrained movement to do their job. As the body performs its natural movements, these tapes cause the skin over injured tissues to “lift” away from them. The result of this lifting action is improved blood and lymphatic fluid circulation through the injury site. It also improves the body’s ability to take waste materials away from the injury, thus reducing pain and promoting healing.

Kinesiology tapes are waterproof, latex free and hypoallergenic. The aim is to permit the tapes to be comfortably worn for extended periods of 4 of 5 days at a time. The tape can even be worn in the shower or while swimming. This improves the chances of a full and quick recovery from injury. The tapes are also highly elastic in order to help them to more efficiently perform the “lifting” action described above.

As with traditional adhesive tapes, the effective use of kinesiology tapes requires the user to know what he or she is doing. As a result, you should be careful to follow the application directions for your particular injury.