Does Athletic Taping Work For Recovery?
The world of sports is something amusing. Different athletes from around the world get paid millions of dollars to play competitively, and in order to do that they must prevent themselves from getting injured. From LeBron James to Lionel Messi, these athletes train and do whatever it takes to improve their performance and body.
Unfortunately, some things in life are inevitable, whether it be bruises, burns or even major injuries like dislocations or fractures, everyone at some point in their lives has gotten injured or has at least felt some type of pain before. Sports competitors usually try to prevent injuries from occurring or from getting worse by applying athletic taping. NBA players, soccer stars or volleyball athletes tend to use these special types of taping to improve their workout, rehabilitate and avoid injuries.
What is Athletic Taping:
Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin in order to decrease swelling and pain by helping increase the amount of blood flow to the injured area.
Kinesio-type tape (KT) adjusts to the skin and accommodates movements. As you can see, there are different kinds of taping, people can use, it really just depends on what they prefer. We have all seen athletes on the court, field or pool wearing stripes of coloured tape that are not even wrapped around the limbs or muscles like an elastic support bandage.
Instead, it is a long tape is applied to the skin and sticks on, so what type of athletic taping do athletes use?
As we are talking about athletes, the taping that would be best for them is Kinesio-type taping. Physical therapists use it to treat pain from sports injuries and boost athletic performance, among other things. Sports and Medical Orthopaedists Dominic King, DO explain how KT tape is different than the others, by saying “It’s different than your standard athletic tape, which is used to immobilize a joint. Elastic therapeutic taping has the benefit of being stretchy. When you apply it to a joint, it helps to act almost like a rubber band, supporting muscles and tendons, and taking a little stress off the joints. It also can help relieve swelling in certain areas”. Most notably basketball star James Harden, who is known as a great scorer and known for staying healthy. He is always seen regularly with a sporting KT tape on his right shoulder, and even though he is not injured, he is taking the right measure to make sure that his muscles and joints are behaving the way they should.
Houston Rockets’ Head Athletic Trainer Jason Biles commented “I’ve been in the NBA now eight years, and I’ve been using it probably seven or eight years, right when I came in. I like the KT Tape specifically because it promotes a sort of natural healing response, helping with swelling reduction, encouraging optimal movement and proper movement, and the appropriate alignment of the joints. It gives the athlete great feedback of where their body is in space — we want them to be aware of if they’re in a vulnerable position, or if they’re in the proper position they can move optimally from… So, it’s the tape that we use for those things and also just to sort of encourage the movement that we would like. So, if a joint tends to want to, say, become maligned, then we can apply some tape to encourage the proper movement to achieve what the athlete needs on the court”.
James Harden uses it mostly as injury prevention and having the tape placed on his shoulders says it has helped him mentally as well “Whenever I’m sore, whether it’s my knee or my shoulder, putting the KT Tape on gets the blood flowing and circulating around my body… I’m able to go out there and play free, not really thinking about injuries. It just gives me that confidence. It gives me the confidence to go out there and not worry about getting injured. If you’re playing free and you’re confident, great things are going to happen on the court”.
Additionally, this method can help keep muscles or bones in a certain position in order to prevent an injury from occurring. For this to happen, athletes must put the athletic taping near the joints like the ankles, wrists, and hands for added support due to the elasticity of the athletic tape. It naturally returns to its original position, which alleviates some of the athlete’s muscle strain, which is one of the benefits of the tape; however, Dr. King explains that people report feeling a little more comfortable with the tape, and it seems as if it gives them some added support, and with backed up research, it also shows that people experience short-term benefit from using the tape. “For the short term it actually can help with some joints that might be painful, for a couple of hours or maybe for a day; but it doesn’t really have that type of long-term relief, where this is going to be the only thing, you’re going to need in order to take away all of your joint pain,” he says” Dr. King explains, as research indicates that Kinesio tape may help alleviate pain for individuals who suffer from persistent musculoskeletal pain, it is in no way superior to other treatments. In addition, he asserts that there is no scientific evidence that Kinesio tape can lessen disability among people who suffer from chronic pain.
Some other short-term benefits that KT taping provides are that it helps with stabilizing ankles, supporting knees, solidifying shoulders, opening elbows, supporting weak or injured muscles, improving muscle contraction, and preventing overuse.
Finally, King goes on to mention that the tape should only be used as part of a program that also includes physical therapy to treat muscle soreness as a last resort, nor are there any long-term benefits from Kinesio taping.
Why is Athletic Taping Important?
Taping makes life easier for athletes as it can be effective for rehabilitation. Even though athletic tape can help prevent injuries brought on by exercise, accidents do still happen as it is expected to happen. Athletic tape might be the solution you need when they do. When limiting the range of motion for particular joints and muscles with conventional athletic tape, the body may heal more quickly than if the movement were unrestricted. It can also be used as a splint for sprained joints, which expedites the healing process. Traditional athletic tape can help reduce swelling by compressing the muscle, which can reduce pain and prevent further injury.
The reasons for using elastic therapeutic tape are the same but in different ways. Athletic tape reduces swelling and reduces pain by helping to increase blood flow to the injured area. The elasticity of the athletic tape can also provide the affected muscles with support. It naturally returns to its initial position, alleviating some of the athlete's muscle strain. The tape can help protect the previously injured area from re-injury and reduce pain when the athlete is well enough to resume their sport or activity.
Additionally, the athletic tape can assist in correcting any form of issues caused by injury or other conditions. A trainer can do a runner's analysis to apply the tape in the best position for their injury, which will help them fix their form and stop them from hurting themselves again. Again, Athletic Taping is more beneficial short-term than long term and shouldn’t be depended on without addressing injuries.
How can athletic taping help you?
Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to stay healthy, KT taping can help you to reduce injuries and feel your best.
And we offer sports taping at Flow Spa.
Flow Spa is the premier float therapy and sports recovery centre in Peterborough, Ontario.
Our centre focuses on helping people deal with stress and pain so that they can recover and feel better.
We ensure that we make our customer’s experience better than any other float centres. As a team, we provide the customer’s needs and wants and deliver phenomenal services.
Our mission is to provide the ultimate relaxing and rejuvenating experience to help you ease your stress and pain.
Flow Spa has the best tools and treatment options available: float therapy, massage therapy, reflexology, reiki, infrared saunas, cold plunges, contrast therapy, Normatec compression therapy, and health coaching.
KT Taping can be included as part of your massage therapy session. Book your appointment online and mention you want taping done or give us a call at 705-230-8575.