Kinesiotaping, Kinesiotape is what all the Olympic Athletes are using for their injuries now!

Have been watching the Beijing 2008 Olympics Women's Beach Volleyball and wondered what those funny strips on some of the women's shoulders are? Well, it is called Kinesio Tape ( http://www.kinesiotaping.com/ ) and it is all the rage in the athletics and physiotherapy world now.

Check out this interview on the Fan 590 r adio , at 31 minutes they interview the owner of Kinesio Tape.











According to the manufacturers, "The elastic, latex-free tape takes very little time to apply, is long-lasting (stays on 3-5 days) yet is easy to remove, and is suitable for patients of every age or condition. Kinesio Taping® is extremely versatile in its ability to re-educate the neuromuscular system, promote lymphatic flow, reduce pain, enhance performance, prevent injury, and promote injury resolution."

What does this mean for you? Well, it looks like the days of tight, inflexible athletic tape strapping down a painful muscle are over. If you are an athlete with a pulled groin or shoulder problem, this Kinesio Tape could support the muscle without preventing or hampering natural movement! I think this is amazing for athletes because it will allow them to perform at their best while still nursing an injury!











Apparently, Kinesio Tape can last on your skin for three days before it's effects begin to wear out and a new strip must be applied. You can shower, exercise and sleep with the tape on without affecting it's performance.









Learning the application techniques takes some training but after that you can do it yourself. According to the manufacturer, "The basic principle of therapeutic taping for weakened muscle is to wrap the tape around the affected muscle. Start from where the muscle begins [ORIGIN] and continue along the muscle, and finish where the muscle ends [INSERTION]. This particular application process is typically used for supportive purposes. As the muscle fibers contract, Kinesio Tex® Tape supports the contraction by pulling and stimulating the skin and muscle back towards the point of origin."





I haven't tried this for myself, but after watching a bunch of Olympic athletes wear it during competition I can guarantee you that it will become hugely popular. The question is, is it as good as people hope it is, and will it last in the physio industry?





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy3BwPgrSME