Posts Tagged ‘muscle pain tape’
Most people are aware of the time-honored mantra “ICE,” for painful, stiff or spasmed muscles. The acronym refers to Ice, Compression and Elevation, and has been the mainstay of injured athletes the world over for decades. While this may still be appropriate for serious injuries, let’s face it, most of us aren’t going to take the time to sit with our minor aches and pains swathed in ice packs and elevated on pillows. And, compressing everything in that stiff sports tape isn’t exactly conducive to ongoing activity, either.
A newer and much more convenient solution is a new type of athletic wrapping tape called kinesiology tape. Completely different from the athletic wrapping tape associated with the hands of boxers and MMA fighters, kinesiology tape is much more convenient for those dealing with muscle stiffness or soreness, overuse injuries, cramps and the like.
Kinesiology tape, first popularized at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is appearing more and more these days, on amateur and professional athletes alike. It’s thin, lightweight and stretchy, which means it can be worn comfortably without restricting range of motion. It’s unique properties allow it to relieve pain, reduce swelling and increase circulation – all important factors in getting back into the game sooner.
In addition, a single application of kinesiology sports tape can be worn for 3-5 days, providing therapeutic benefits and pain relief around the clock. Both professional and recreational athletes have found that it often allows then to continue to train and/or compete as they recover from their minor injuries.
Kinesiology tape has traditionally been available in 2″ wide rolls, which must then be cut and applied in specialized configurations based on the injury and part of the body being treated. More recently, a breakthrough product called SpiderTech Tape was introduced. SpiderTech kinesiology tape comes in pre-cut applications for specific body parts. This greatly simplifies the process of applying and benefiting from kinesiology tape.
If you don’t want your minor aches and pains to keep you down, you might be a perfect candidate for kinesiology tape!