For professional athletes, you can see the colorful strips stuck on the skin now often. But for anyone else suffering from muscle tension and pain in the back, shoulder, knee or other areas of the body can benefit from the use of kinesiotapes.
What is kinesiotape?
The “taping” means that elastic adhesive strips are stuck on painful areas on the body. Taping alone provides quick pain relief in many cases. The word “tape” comes from the English language. It is used to describe an adhesive tape. Taping” means that elastic adhesive strips are stuck to painful areas on the body. Taping alone already brings quick pain relief in many cases. In the treatment with the kinesiotapes, apart from the often colored adhesive strips, no additional active substances play a role in the success of the treatment. The tapes of the Kinesiotapes consist of a pure cotton fabric, which receives its elasticity by the coating with acrylic. The conventional rigid taping is usually used only to immobilize and stabilize painful and particularly stressed joints.
Shapes, types and types
Kinesio taping is a further development of taping. The skin-friendly kinesiotapes can also be applied to the skin wherever muscles and tendons are causing problems and swelling and inflammation have occurred. The freedom of movement is not restricted in any way by the taped strips. Kinesiotaping has been around for more than 30 years. Dr. Kenzo Kase, a doctor working as a chiropractor, developed this type of treatment in order to effectively relieve pain without the use of medicinal substances. The Japanese first treated sumo wrestlers who came to see him. In the meantime, kinesiotaping has proven itself as an alternative therapy, especially for orthopedic conditions. The worldwide spread of the method is supported by the media presence of athletes who wear highly visible colorful patches on their bodies.
Structure and mode of operation
The mode of action of kinesiotapes has not yet been sufficiently researched scientifically. Nevertheless, it works. Even conventional doctors are increasingly using kinesiotapes to supplement their usual treatment. The numerous applications speak for themselves. However, it is important that the kinesiotapes are applied correctly to the skin so that they can develop their optimal effect. Patients treated with kinesiotapes report not only pain relief but also a strengthening of the taped muscle strands. Therapists who offer kinesiotaping also observe a stimulation of the metabolism in the skin and muscles. As a result, inflammatory substances are removed more quickly and the discomfort recedes faster. The use of the tapes activates the nerve pathways located in and under the skin. With the colorful kinesiotapes, muscle groups can be specifically brought into a contraction or relaxation and thus a therapeutic success can be achieved. The big difference of the Kinesiotaping to the conventional firm and rigid Taping, which is used for the stabilization of joints, consists of the large stretchability of the multicolored plaster strips. The therapeutic effect of the kinesiotapes can only develop during movement. Only then the tissue structures under the skin are influenced, blood circulation is stimulated and nerve activity is activated. The adhesive strips also stimulate the lymphatic flow due to the patient’s full freedom of movement. As a result, swellings and inflammations disappear more quickly after injuries. Another special feature of kinesiotaping is the different colors of the adhesive strips. They are skin-colored and come in red, blue, green and several other shades. Therapists trained in kinesiotaping sometimes choose the color of the tape according to the complex of complaints of their patients. In Asian folk medicine, not only certain foods are attributed warming or cooling effects. Colors can also have a therapeutic benefit. For example, red is attributed to the element of fire, which warms and activates metabolic processes in the skin and muscles. Blue, on the other hand, is said to have a cooling and anti-inflammatory effect and provide relief after acute accident injuries.But not all users of kinesiotaping adhere to the theory that the color of the adhesive strip plays a role in the treatment. It is also possible to apply only skin-colored strips. Sometimes the patient is allowed to choose a color that suits him/her the most. However, it is important that the kinesiotapes are never stuck on open injuries.
Medical and health benefits
Kinesiotaping can provide improvement, especially for orthopedic problems. Whether in professional or amateur sports or after an everyday mishap in which someone sprains a joint, for example, kinesiotaping can be used when joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles are sore. Problems with the Achilles heel, the ankle, at the shoulder, in the neck, knee pain, back pain, from the cervical vertebrae down to the lumbar spine, are among the proven areas of application. Also with a carpal tunnel syndrome, with a tennis elbow or with pain in the thumb saddle joint the tapes bring relief. In sports, tapes are sometimes applied before problems arise. The purpose of the tape is to prevent any injury or overloading of tissue structures and joints during training and competitions. That is why even perfectly healthy athletes compete with visible taping. It is also interesting to note that in addition to orthopedic specialties, other fields in medicine are now using kinesiotaping. The alternative therapy can help with period pains and migraines as well as with sinusitis. The adhesive strips also provide faster improvement for muscle cramps and bruises.
