The best athletes in these sports depend on Kinesio® Tape to optimize performance, quicken recovery and compete when injured. In July there were 2 Opens in England. The British Open (golf) and Wimbledon (tennis). The winners of each, Rory McIlroy and Novak Djokovic, respectively, have used Kinesio® Tape when needed.
So what is this colorful tape and how does it work? Kinesio® Tape was developed by Dr. Kenso Kase, a Japanese based chiropractor over 45 years ago. Dr. Kase’s developed Kinesio® Tape because he wanted to be able to keep his hands on his patients after they left his office. It wasn’t until the 2008 Summer Olympics that Kinesio® Tape made it to our side of the Pacific because it was worn by the US Beach Volleyball player Kerri Walsh. Now it seems you can not watch a sporting event without seeing at least 1 athlete Kinesio® taped.
Most athletic tapes inhibit motion. Kinesio® Tape is functional tape and promotes motion. It is a hypoallergenic , latex-free cotton tape. It has many benefits depending on how it is applied. It can relax muscles that are in spasm. It can make weak muscles stronger. It can reduce swelling and bruising. It can stabilize sprained joints. It can improve lymphatic drainage. How can a piece of elastic cotton do all these things? It all depends on how it is applied. The applications to achieve any of these purposes are very specific. There are certification courses for Kinesio® Taping. All 4 Health Care Providers at Performance Health Center have completed the mandatory training.
The trapezius muscle, whose upper portion goes from the base of the skull to the shoulder, is tight on many people since one of it’s roles is to keep you head up. The first think our instructor did in my Kinesio® Tape certification course is have the students apply tape on the trapezius muscle, one side to relax the muscle and the other side to tighten/or strengthen the muscle. Then she started to lecture. Within 5 minutes everyone in the room ripped off the tape on the tightening side because it was causing our shoulders to lift to our ears and many reporting headaches.
As simple as the tape looks and is, proper application is the key a successful clinical outcome!
For more info you can log onto the Kinesio® Tape Website at http://www.kinesiotaping.com/about/kinesio-taping-method