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Kinesiology Taping for Rehabilitation & Sports Performance
Posts Tagged ‘Rock Tape’
RockTape Fascial Movement Taping for Clinicians
posted by Tape Expert
RockTape, a leading kinesiology tape manufacturer, is in the forefront of kinesiology taping education for health professionals. Unlike other kinesiology taping protocols that focus exclusively on therapeutic applications, Rock Tape teaches both fascial movement taping techniques for therapeutic purposes and PowerTaping for sports performance enhancement. This creates a double benefit for athletes and those who treat them – they can use the therapeutic applications for injuries and the sports performance techniques for training and competition.
As part of their ongoing Continuing Professional Education program, RockTape is offering a new Fascial Movement Taping certification program in 2012. Targeted to therapists and other practitioners who are new to kinesiology taping, this in-depth, 2 day program covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of fascial movement applications for athletic performance and rehabilitation. An added bonus is coverage of insurance coding, billing and marketing for kinesiology taping modalities.
Fascial Movement Taping, Part l encompasses the first, full day, and covers :
- The “4 Pillars of Power Taping”
- Indications and Contraindications for Kinesiology Tape Use
- Movement Assessment
- Tape Application
- Special Conditions – Rehab, Posture, Pregnancy, and Edema Control
- FMS – squat and push-up patterns
- Performance Chain Taping
Fascial Movement Taping, Part ll is held on the second day and includes:
- Performance Chain Taping
- Sport Specific Chains and Taping
- Insurance and Cash Billing Practices
- How to Bill and Market Kinesiology Taping
The reference for the course is the RockTape PowerTaping Manual, 2nd Edition. This comprehensive 117 page reference guide covers all aspects of kinesiology taping, and includes over 70 color photos and illustrations. An additional training product designed for busy clinicians is The Patient Education and Desktop Reference Tool, with quick instructions for the 25 most-popular taping applications.
For more information about kinesiology taping training for clinicians, visit the Health Professional’s Resource page in the TheraTape Education Center.
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If you’ve ever been frustrated about having to remove your kinesiology tape to apply liniment or other topical analgesics, fret no more. Just get yourself a bottle of Rock Sauce, the brand new topical analgesic designed to work with kinesiology tape. Just in case you missed the connection, RockSauce is a creation of the innovative thinkers at the RockTape company. It’s equally effective, whether applied directly to the skin or on top of a kinesiology tape application.
The active ingredients in Rock Sauce include 20% methyl salicylate, 10% menthol and .3% capsicum – the maximum amount of these ingredients allowed in non-prescription, over-the-counter products. It was also carefully formulated to comply with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) guidelines, making it both safe and effective for athletes of the highest caliber.
It is already receiving rave reviews from RockTape’s sponsored athletes, including 2012 Olympic decathlon hopeful, Ryan Beckwith. “After a big block of training, I use Rock Sauce and RockTape to help relieve the aches and pains that sometime develop. Rock Sauce really helps take the edge off of the soreness,” says Beckwith. “I’ve used a lot of different pain relievers over the years and Rock Sauce is one of the best out there. When I combine it with RockTape, my recovery time decreases a lot which helps me get ready for my next block of training.”
Rock Sauce comes an easy-to-absorb lotion. After rubbing it in, the first sensation is that of coolness, followed by an increasing warmth that quickly penetrates deep into aching or fatigued muscles. Depending on your sensitivity, you may think it should have been named “Hot Sauce,” as it is said to be approximately 20% more intense than other topical analgesics. What else would expect from the Rock Stars at RockTape?
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Depending on the taping method used, RockTape kinesiology tape can be used either therapeutically or to enhance athletic performance. When the Rock Tape PowerTaping protocol is used, athletic performance benefits can be significant for athletes participating in endurance events. Delayed onset of fatigue and greater endurance result from improved blood flow to working muscles, better removal of lactic acid and enhanced muscle activation, which improves efficiency of movement. This makes it a high-demand item at endurance events such as marathons and triathlons.
The following video clip aired on Great Day SA, a daily news show on KENS5 in San Antonio, two days before San Antonio’s famous Rock ‘N Roll Marathon. Watch below as sports physician and professional athlete, Dr. Judy Stavely, discusses the benefits of RockTape …
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When it comes to kinesiology taping for athletic performance enhancement, RockTape leads the field. And, if podium results are any indication, RockTape’s cutting-edge PowerTaping protocol could become part of the pre-competition preparation of all champion athletes.
So far this year, Rock Tape athletes have reached the podium over 75 times and have amassed a total of 17 National Titles. Much of RockTape’s initial success was in cycling, but as the following list demonstrates, athletes in any sport can benefit from both PowerTaping for performance enhancement and/or therapeutic taping for injuries.
RockTape Champion Athletes
Professional Women’s Cycling
Mara Abbott – 1st, 2010 US Nat’l Road Racing Championship; 1st, Giro Donne
Megan Guarnier – 1st, 2010 Tour de Nez
Kaitie Antonneau – 1st, 2010 US Collegiate National Track Championship, Omnium; 2nd, 2010 US Jr National Road Championships
Sinead Miller – 1st, U23 2010 US Road National Championship; 1st, U23 2010 US National Time Trial Championship
Olivia Dillon – 1st, Irish National Championship
Ruth Winder, Cari Higgins, Hanan Alves-Hyde – 1st, 2010 US National Elite Track Championship, Team Pursuit
Cari Higgins – 2010 US National Elite Track Championship: 1st 500m; 2nd Omnium; 3rd Points Race
Hanan Alves-Hyde – 2010 US National Elite Track Championship: 2nd, Points Race; 4th Omnium
Beth Newell – 4th, 2010 US National Elite Track Championship, Scratch Race
Professional Men’s Cycling
Daniel Holloway – 1st, 2010 U.S. Professional Criterium Championship, Gateway cup winner
Jackson Stewart – 2nd, Tour de Beauce, Stage 6
Tejay Van Garderen – 2nd, Tour of Turkey
Ian Moir – 1st, 2010 US Elite National Track Championship, Madison
Junior Cycling
Coryn Rivera – US Jr. Road National Championship: 1st, TT; 1st, Road; 1st, Crit; US Jr. Track National Championship: 1st, Keirin; 1st, Points; 1st, Sprint; 1st, Team Sprint; 3rd, Junior World Track and Road Championships
Daniel Farinha – 2nd, 2010 US Jr. National Championship, Madison
Ruth Winder – US Jr. National Championship: 1st, Flying TT; 3rd, Team Sprint; 2nd, Scratch; 2nd, Points
John Tomlinson – US Jr. National Championship: 2nd, Flying TT; 2nd, Points
Philip OʼDonnell – US Jr. National Road Championship: 1st, Road; 1st Crit; 2nd TT
Triathlon
Suzy McCulloch – 1st, 2010 Diamondman Half Ironman
Cogen Nelson – qualified at US Triathlon Nationals to represent Team USA in Beijing
Badminton
Derrick Ng – 2nd, 2010 Canadian Championship, U23
Inline Skating
Wouter Hebbrecht – 1st, 2009 World Championship Inline Speed Skating
As word spreads, more successful athletes are choosing to become RockTape athletes. The most recent addition is
2012 decathlon hopeful, Ryan Beckwith. a former CIF 4x100m relay champion who runs the 100m in 10.48 and vaults a 17ʼ5”.
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Running a website that sells kinesiology tape and writing a kinesiology taping blog keeps me up to date on taping terminology. With all of the brand names, generic terms and even mis- spellings, it can be difficult to keep all of today’s “kinesio” terms straight. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned kinesiology taping professional, you should find the following kinesio glossary useful.
Kinesiology Tape
Kinesiology Tape is a generic term for a thin, stretchy therapeutic tape that comes in assorted sizes, colors and configurations. Best known as an athletic tape or sports injury tape, it is also widely used in medical and rehabilitation settings such as physical therapy clinics, chiropractic practices and hospitals.
Kinesiology Tape Brands
There are currently 4 major manufacturers offering quality kinesiology taping products both domestically and internationally. They are Kinesio® Tape , KT Tape™, RockTape and SpiderTech™ Tape.
Kinesiology Tape Rolls
Rolls of kinesiology tape come in assorted lengths and widths. The most common size is the 2″ x 16′ single roll, which all of the major kinesiology tape brands offer. Several manufacturers also offer bulk rolls rolls that are 2″ wide and 105′ (Kinesio Tape, RockTape) or 125′ long (KT Tape).RockTape also offers 4″ wide rolls in both single and bulk roll sizes.
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Precut Kinesiology Tape Strips
KT Tape offers rolls of tear-off, precut strips in 5″, 10″ and 18″ strip lengths. The 5″ and 10″ strips are perforated longitudinally, allowing them to be applied in either “I” or a “Y” formations – the two most common application techniques. Precut strips eliminate most of the cutting that is required to apply kinesiology tape from rolls.
More recently, SpiderTech introduced SpiderTech PowerStrips, precut X, Y and I strips in convenient accordion-packs. The X and Y strips are 2″ wide by 8″ long, and the I strips are 1″ wide by 6″ long.
.Precut Kinesiology Tape Applications
SpiderTech is the only brand that offers individually packaged applications, already precut for different parts of the body. The step by step instructions included in each package allow even those with no kinesiology taping experience to apply the 16 different “Spiders.”
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Kinesio® Tape
Although Kinesio® Tape and Kinesio Tex® Tape are both trademarked brand names, these terms have become to kinesiology taping what Xerox is to photocopying. Many people now use the term Kinesio Tape to refer to kinesiology tape in general, which isn’t a bad thing at all for Kinesio® sales! Common misspellings I have seen in search terms include kinesiotape, kinisiotape, and so on.
Where to Buy Kinesiology Tape
Each of the manufacturers and many medical supply companies now sell kinesiology tape. Many sites, however, sell only to licensed health professionals. Theratape.com is the only website specializing in kinesiology tape and carrying a complete line of products from all 4 major brands. Theratape also provides a comprehensive Education Center with detailed information on each of the brands, plus instructional videos and printable application instructions. No registration is required to purchase from Theratape, and all educational resources are available free of charge.
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Swollen ankles are one of the most common miseries of pregnancy. Fortunately, kinesiology taping can provide a safe, simple and convenient remedy for this, as well as many other miseries of pregnancy. This is the second in a series of posts covering the use of kinesiology tape for the discomforts of pregnancy.
The kinesio taping technique used for swelling and edema is called lymphatic taping. It involves applying the anchor end of the tape close to the lymphatic drainage ducts, with “fingers” of tape extending along the nearby lymphatic channels. The tape is applied with a light stretch, lifting the skin just enough to relieve pressure on the lymphatic vessels, allowing them to drain excess fluid more efficiently.
The makers of RockTape Kinesiology Tape have provided a series of simple taping instructions for common pregnancy complaints. The following illustration shows the lymphatic taping technique to use with ankle edema.
How to Cut a Fan Strip
To cut a fan strip for a lymphatic taping, take a strip of kinesiology tape and make several longitudinal cuts beginning at one end and finishing 3-4″ from the other end (the anchor end). For ankle edema, the anchor end is applied above the ankle and the “fingers” are spread out directly over the swollen area. If necessary, multiple fan strips can be cut and applied crossing over each other.
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This is the first in a series of posts providing instructions for taping a variety of conditions related to pregnancy.
The physical changes associated with pregnancy put strain on many different parts of the body. The accompanying swelling, aches and pains can make the latter stages of pregnancy extremely uncomfortable. With the precautions against taking medications while pregnant, it can seem as though there are few solutions to deal with things like back pain, swollen feet, carpal tunnel and more.
Kinesiology taping is an ideal solution for all of these issues. The soft, elastic tape is comfortable to wear and it contains no medications. It’s hypoallergenic acrylic adhesive is safe and non-irritating. And, the best thing about kinesio taping during pregnancy is that is can dramatically relieve many of the physical discomforts that can make life miserable.
The Baby Belt Kinesiology Taping by RockTape
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Begin by cutting 2 pieces of tape, approximately 3 feet long. Remove the backing from the end of one piece and apply it over the hip area (photo 1). Have the subject hold her arm above her head as you apply the kinesiotape in a spiral pattern along the lower margin of the abdomen, over the ribs and up the back, finishing just above the opposite shoulder blade.
Repeat the process starting on the other hip.
Cut two more strips of kinesiology tape, each approximately 15″ long. Have subject hold both arms above her head.Apply the end of the first strip just above and to the side of the pelvic bone, then run the rest of the strip straight up over the abdomen, finishing on the ribcage just below the breasts.
Repeat on the other side with the second strip of tape.
Rear view of completed taping.
Remember that, if properly applied, most kinesiotaping applications can be worn for up to 5 days. This makes kinesiology tape a convenient and cost effective way to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy.
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Airrosti (Applied Integration for the Rapid Recovery of Soft Tissue Injuries) is a unique approach to treating injuries to the soft tissues of the body. Based in Texas, Airrosti initially focused on the elite athlete population and rapidly gained a reputation for helping athletes recover from strains, sprains and overuse injuries in record time. Their track record is impressive – the average recovery time from common strains and sprains is 1-3 visits.
I have been anxious to personally experience Airrosti for a couple of reasons: (1) I’m prone to soft tissue injuries and am always looking for anything that will get me back on the tennis courts sooner, and (2) I’d heard that virtually everyone who goes for an Arrosti treatment leaves with kinesiology tape applied to the area being treated. My recent flare up of iliotibial band syndrome (IT Band) provided the perfect opportunity to visit my local Airrosti provider.
I had been forewarned that the treatments could be extremely painful, and that proved to be true. The “manual therapy” part of the treatment involves hands-on manipulation of the fascia, the fibrous tissue that surrounds and connects every other tissue in the body. Fascia can become tightened, twisted or distorted as a result of trauma or overuse, and will remain that way unless manually corrected. Airrosti providers manipulate the fascia through deep, hands-on “massage” with their thumbs. In my case, this involved tracing the entire length of my iliotibial tract and quadriceps muscles, beginning at the knee and ending at the hip. I quickly developed a nice set of “racing stripes” as I bruised under the pressure of the manipulation. However, being an athlete familiar with the pain of injuries as well as the pain of rehab, I immediately knew that this was the “good” kind of pain, associated with the release of tissues to a healthier state.
A peek into the supply cupboard showed a good supply of the three major brands of kinesiology tape – Kinesio Tape, SpiderTech Tape and RockTape. I had the privilege of being the first patient taped with Airrosti’s new private-labeled RockTape. The black Rock Tape with the Airrosti name and logo in white made quite a fashion statement as I left in my shorts.
What makes kinesiology taping such a great fit for Airrosti?
The improved lymphatic drainage will help minimize swelling and bruising of the treated tissues- The enhanced blood flow to the injured tissues supports more rapid healing
- The lifting action of the tape on the skin decreases pressure on pain receptors, making both the injury and the effects of the treatment less painful
- Kinesiology tape provides support for injured muscles or joints while still allowing a full, healthy range of movement, an important component in rehab
After only one Airrosti treatment, I was able to complete my next run with no ITB pain. I’ll return for two additional treatments next week to complete the process. And, in the meantime, I’ll be a walking, running, tennis playing advertisement for both Airrosti and Rock Tape!
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Kinesiology tape has become a mainstream item in the treatment of sports injuries and other health conditions involving pain, inflammation and muscle dysfunction. Now, however, a new kinesiology tape combined with a new kinesiology taping technique is helping athletes run faster, jump higher and last longer.
The tape is called RockTape, a kinesiology tape engineered especially for performance athletes. The taping technique is called PowerTaping, and involves taping entire “kinetic chains” responsible for specific athletic activities. This post is going to focus on the features of RockTape that allow it to enhance athletic performance.
Most kinesiology tapes have a 130-140% longitudinal stretch that is the key to the amazing pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits they produce. Rock Tape, however, has a 190% longitudinal stretch, coupled with a high-quality nylon reinforcement of the cotton fibers. This gives RockTape a superior “snap back” ability compared to other kinesiology tapes, similar to the difference between a strong, thick rubber band and a weaker, thinner one.
RockTape Elastic Fiber – Stretched Position
This enlarged photograph shows a single strand of Rock Tape elastic fiber in the stretched position. Note the similarity to the coils in a spring.
RockTape Elastic Fiber – Relaxed Position
The tightly wound elastic coils allow the tape to snap back to its resting position very quickly when released. When RockTape is stretched, then applied to a muscle that is contracting and relaxing, the recoil properties of the tape help the muscles return to a resting state more quickly after every contraction.
This assistance in returning to a resting position allows muscles to expend less energy as they continually contract and relax. This results in less muscle fatigue and greater endurance – a huge benefit to athletes in all endurance sports. Power athletes can also benefit from the same principle, as the snap back phenomenon enhances the speed and power of the contraction/relaxation cycle.
Click here to learn more about PowerTaping techniques for athletes.
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April 27, 2010
“Bright-colored strips of tape in odd patterns are increasingly being seen on professional and recreational athletes. Kinesiology tape can help take pressure off overused muscles, reduce swelling and alleviate pain from injuries, say companies that sell it. Scientific evidence is mixed, but clinicians say it seems to work—at least in the short term. “
So begins a detailed article on kinesiology tape in today’s Wall Street Journal. Overwhelmingly positive overall, “Putting on the Stripes to Ease Pain” discusses how kinesiology tape has rapidly established itself in North America and introduces the companies that have taken it to a new level.
The three major manufacturers are profiled, including Kinesio Tex Tape, SpiderTech Tape and RockTape. Each has established itself by virtue of a specific market niche – Kinesio Tex Tape as a clinical product, Spider Tech as the leader in precut kinesiology tape for different body parts, and Rock Tape as a premium performance-enhancing tape for athletes.
As kinesiology taping applications are being seen on more athletes in more sports, the demand for the products at the consumer level is exploding. Many online retailers sell only to health professionals, but all three brands are available to the general public on a specialty kinesiology tape website, www.theratape.com.
If the validity of kinesiology taping was ever in doubt, this profile in the Wall Street Journal has given it the official “big business” stamp of approval.
Click Here to read the entire article.
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