Did you watch the Olympics and see that strange tape on Kerri Walsh’s shoulder? That tape had a lot of people, including myself, wondering what it was. It turns out it’s called Kinesio taping and the science behind it is very interesting.
This tape actually increases blood flow to the injured area instead of obstructing it like traditional taping does. The tape works by lifting the skin so that more blood flow goes to the injured area which reduces pain and speeds up recovery time.
The tape is water resistant and each application can be left on for three to five days. The tape comes in black, beige, pink and blue. It’s also 100% cotton and latex free.
This new science is changing the way that injuries are being treated. Kinesio tape provides just as much stabilization as the Norman athletic tape but doesn’t increase pain.
This practice is now used by most NBA teams and quickly moving into NFL and other sports such as beach volleyball. A great thing about the tape is that it’s not expensive and there are cheap books that explain how to apply the tape on each part of the body. You don’t need to be an athletic trainer to buy Kinesio tape and use it on the part of your body that is injured. You can also use it on areas that you don’t want to injure because it adds extra support. It is now available online and is getting great reviews from all that have used it.