Kevin is a footballer, and he just sprained an ankle when he fell and landed awkwardly on the field. The same thing could have happened even if he wasn’t on the field; he could have tripped at home or on his way to work. This shows that he didn’t have to be an athlete to sustain any injury. Kevin is now going to employ kinesiology sports tape to hasten his healing. Kevin is not the only person who can sustain an injury; athletes aren’t the only people who get injured. Therefore, Kinesio tapes are for more than just athletes.
However, this is just a short version of the answer to the question: “Is kinesiology tape only for athletes?” Stick with us to get more clarity on this situation. Let’s start from the beginning, way back in the 1970s.
This was when the tape was developed by a Japanese chiropractor, Dr. Kenzo Kase. He had previously discovered the need for a tool that would help relieve pain without causing any discomfort. He hit the nail on the head with this invention. So, how does kinesiology tape work?
How Kinesiology Tape Works (Even for Non-athletes)
If you didn’t know this before, it must sound very strange that something as simple as a tape can relieve pain. How? Here’s how.
Kinesiology tape relieves musculoskeletal pain through a process called decompression. Beneath the skin are different structures, including vessels, muscles, fluids, tissues, and nerves. Many of these structures are close to the skin, which is not necessarily a good thing when you are injured due to inflammation and compression that may be caused by friction. Applying kinesiology sports tape will create a tiny but relevant space between your skin and these subcutaneous structures. This is decompression.
The small subcutaneous space helps to reduce the friction between your skin and the structures beneath it. This, in turn, reduces musculoskeletal pain. In addition, this space causes a change in the signals received by the brain. Rather than sending pain signals to your brain, the receptors change the signals completely thanks to the effect of decompression. Now, if your brain does not sense pain, how will you feel it? You won’t. This is how kinesiology tape reduces musculoskeletal pain through a series of intricate, mostly unseen, but effective mechanisms. However, that is not all Kinesio tape does.
Kinesiology tapes can also be used to prevent injuries. While this may be better suited to athletes, it is still not exclusive to them. Wearing tape around your joints before participating in strenuous activity can reduce your chances of getting injured. The tape will help provide stability and protection for your joints. For athletes, this has the added effect of not restricting their movement. It rather aids movement while keeping them comfortable.
Furthermore, kinesiology tape can help reduce swelling and inflammation. This is an additional reason why it is used to treat injuries. Swelling is caused by the build-up of fluid beneath the skin. Thanks to the subcutaneous space that the tape creates, fluids can pass more easily to their target locations. Kinesiology tape creates an easy pathway for bodily fluids like lymph to pass through. This is why it is not advised for people who just had their lymph nodes removed.
Lastly, kinesiology tape increases self-awareness and your sense of proprioception. Anyone looking to improve their posture can gain a lot from this function. If you are also healing from an injury that can be aggravated by being in the wrong position, you will find a use for Kinesio tape.
Things to Consider When Choosing Kinesiology Tape
Moving on, you are now aware of how useful kinesiology tape is. You can not just dive in head first and pick the first tape you get your hands on. What are the factors you need to consider when you decide to buy kinesiology tape?
- Comfortability: This should be your priority regarding anything you use on your skin. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we are not talking about books. So, if it looks itchy or even slightly uncomfortable, you should do away with it. If you can test it on your skin before purchasing, consider how it makes you feel.
Kinesio tape should not feel heavy, itchy, or uncomfortable. Hampton Adams is a brand that can guarantee you all that, but we’ll talk about that later. For other brands, you can check the packaging for the materials the tape is made of. This is especially important if you are allergic to any possible components. As a side note, avoid anything with latex. If the tape does not meet these criteria for comfortability, scrap it.
- Adhesion: The next thing you have to consider is how well the tape sticks or if it even sticks well at all. Any Kinesio tape that has poor adhesion is not worthy of your skin! Adhesion is one of the defining characteristics of any kinesiology tape. Find one that has quality glue. Apart from ensuring that the glue is strong, ensure it is a tape that will not irritate your skin or leave behind gross residues when you take it off. Hampton Adams is one of the few tape companies that promise you a no-sticky-residue policy.
- Flexibility: One more factor to take into consideration is flexibility. This is extremely important for athletes but does not make it any less necessary for you if you are not an athlete. Unless you are on bedrest and won’t be moving any part of your body while wearing the tape, then make sure the tape is something you can easily move around in. It should be not only flexible but also elastic. The material the tape is made of largely contributes to this. Hampton Adams’ kinesiology tapes are made of materials that aid your movement rather than restrict them.
How to Apply Kinesiology Tapes
Applying tape to your skin sounds like it should be an easy task. However, there are ways to do it if you want the maximum effect. You may have started the therapy with a medical professional, but what happens when you have to do it yourself? Here’s how to go about it.
- Clean the area you want to tape. Wash the area and dry it thoroughly with a clean towel. Ensure you get rid of all forms of moisture, like lotions and oil. Get rid of any excess hair as well. Taping a hairy spot reduces effectiveness and makes removal painful.
- Next, cut off the length of tape you need. It shouldn’t be too long to avoid tangling.
- Peel off the backing paper on the tape and start from the point you wish, usually the base of a limb.
- Apply the tape firmly without stretching it too much, ensuring it stays in place and is effective for as long as possible. Make sure you don’t touch the glue as you apply.
- You can hold the ends of the tape as you apply. If necessary, secure the ends with a clip when you are done.
- Optionally, rub it gently for a while to activate the glue.
Why Hampton Adams?
We have been talking about Hampton Adams a lot. So, what exactly is it about us?
Our Hampton Adams 16ft Kinesiology Tape is the most comfortable Kinesio tape you’ll come across. As you now know, feeling like a second skin is one of the criteria for quality Kinesio tape; we considered that! The comfort of our tape is thanks to our use of a hundred percent cotton substrate in the manufacturing process. This also ensures elasticity and flexibility.
You will remember that these are also core factors when determining the quality of Kinesio tape. All these ensure the efficiency of our Kinesio tape. You may have been wondering whether the lightness will affect its function; rest assured, it makes it work even better.
Our kinesiology tape contains only hypoallergenic and medical-grade materials. This helps reduce the risk of reactions and irritations. We can assure you that our tape is latex free. With these, we promise you rash-free use!
Our tape is also made with top-tier adhesive. The glue is strong and effective. At the same time, it is also very easy on your skin. You don’t have to worry about irritations and skin damage. In addition, you can forget about sticky residues and will never have that problem with us.
With all the characteristics mentioned above, we’re sure you can already tell that Hampton Adams Kinesio tape is the answer to your problem. Already convinced? Hop over to our website and make a purchase! Still with doubts? Our customer service professionals are more than willing to answer all your questions!
