Athletic Tape Info Center

Part 1: Precut Kinesiology Tape

Kinesiology taping is everywhere these days. From professional athletes to school sports teams to therapy clinics, the use of kinesiology tape to reduce pain and inflammation from injuries, surgery and chronic conditions has become the “go to” therapy. Initially, the use of kinesiology tape was limited to health professionals who had special training in cutting and application techniques. Now, however, more and more home users are trying kinesiology taping for the first time.

One of the factors contributing to the upsurge in home use is the recent introduction of pre-cut kinesiology tape for specific parts of the body. While cutting and applying kinesiology tape from rolls requires significant expertise, most people can quickly acquire a basic proficiency in applying precut kinesiology tape with no formal training. For this reason, I recommend that all home users begin with pre-cut kinesiology tape. Only after experiencing success with this simpler method of application, should home users attempt to work with rolls of tape.

The only manufacturer of pre-cut kinesiology tape for specific body parts is SpiderTech Tape. There are currently 16 different  SpiderTech applications: Ankle, Calf and Arch, Elbow, Full Knee, Groin, Hamstring, Hip, Lower Back, Neck, Shoulder, Upper Back, Upper Knee, Wrist, Small Lymphatic, Medium Lymphatic and Large Lymphatic. The first 13 applications are designed for specific body parts, while the three lymphatic applications can be used on any part of the body to reduce severe swelling and edema.

Each SpiderTech product comes individually packaged, with step-by-step application instructions included. The backing of the tape is marked by individual, sequentially numbered sections. After tearing the backing along all of the serrations, the backing is removed from one section at a time, allowing the tape to be applied in easy-to-handle segments. This helps prevent a common problem among beginning tapers – removing too much backing and getting the tape stuck to itself!

The top image depicts the reverse side of the SpiderTech Lower Back application, showing how it will be applied in 5 separate sections. The bottom image shows the Lower Back Spider after application, with the numbers indicating the sections from the reverse side. Every SpiderTech product comes with similar images, making it easy to visualize how it will be applied.

With that said, however, there is a learning curve involved with applying even pre-cut kinesiology tape. It’s a good idea to start with 2-3 applications and not feel discouraged if full benefits aren’t achieved the first time. Experiment with various amounts of stretch in both the tape and the muscle to see which combinations provide the best results.