Athletes and other people, who often experience great physical exertion, are constantly faced with the problem of muscle sprains, ligaments, and joint damage.
With care for them, various devices, preparations, means for a speedy recovery are constantly being developed. The latest innovation in this area allows you to prevent damage or not to break away from sports or work during the recovery period.
Kinesio tape: a unique healing patch for muscles and joints
Made from natural cotton with a small amount of polyester, the adhesive tape provides the skin and muscles with:
- gentle massage,
- the ability to breathe,
- relaxation,
- competent distribution of the load to protect the joints.
Properties of tapes
Unlike all known products (bandages, plasters, elastic bandages), Kineasio tape improves lymph flow and blood flow.
Lightweight, elastic bands provide effective recovery along with:
- Getting rid of edema and pain syndrome,
- Prevention of strong muscle contractions,
- Improved mobility
- Increased muscle tone,
- Tissue and muscle support during training or active work,
- Relieving stress.
The tape continues to work for several days (up to 1 week), without requiring replacement and without reducing its activity.
Operating principle
Injury to soft tissues and joints leads to accumulation of blood and fluid in the affected area. Such changes are associated with the onset of pain. The stronger the liquid presses on the receptors, the more pronounced the pain syndrome.
The process of inflammation, which often takes a liking to the sites of injury, can also enhance it. In case of serious damage, the vessels cannot ensure the rapid removal of the accumulated fluid and deliver the necessary nutrients and oxygen to this area, which significantly reduces the rate of healing.
The application of the tape causes the skin to tighten somewhat to provide micro-space between the muscles and the skin. Due to this, the entire damaged area turns into an alternation of zones with negative and positive pressure.
Negative pressure provides freedom of work for the lymphatic vessels working to remove fluid. Nutrition and blood circulation are restored in the shortest possible time.
Instructions for use
Breathable and at the same time waterproof, the patch can last several days without replacement when applied correctly to the skin.
To do this, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Prepare the skin. Remove all cosmetics and dirt from the skin. For cleaning, it is best to use rubbing alcohol rather than scented lotions. In the absence of alcohol, simply wash well and dry thoroughly. After training, you should allow the skin to cool slightly so that profuse sweating stops.
- Depilation. The presence of long coarse hair in the area of application of the patch requires their preliminary removal. Thin, soft or short hairs will not affect how long the tape is worn, nor will it hurt when you take it off.
- Directly gluing. The sticky side should only come into contact with the skin of the area requiring protection or restoration; touching it with your fingers during the gluing process is unacceptable. The ends of the tape should be on the skin without touching the surface of the other strip.
- Do not remove the tape before showering. Simply wipe it with a towel to speed up the drying process. Using a hair dryer heats up the adhesive that penetrates too deep into the skin, making it difficult to remove the tape.
- If the edges of the tape begin to come off prematurely, they are trimmed.
Taping techniques (overlay)
- Hard. It is used for injuries resulting from training or other physical exertion. The tape provides a rigid fixation of the damaged area.
- Prophylactic. With this option, it is possible to keep the muscles in good shape without constraining them. The tape is applied 30 minutes before training to protect the ligaments and muscles from sprains. The same method is used when it is necessary to recover from minor injuries.
Important! Serious injuries must be treated in a hospital setting. Taping does not have the power of a magic wand, so in this case its use will be ineffective.
Contraindications
Any, even the most effective, remedy cannot be universal for all people without exception.
The use of kinesio tapes is prohibited when:
- the presence of skin lesions in the form of rash, irritation, cuts, burns.
- oncological skin lesions,
- an allergic reaction to acrylic,
- first trimester of pregnancy,
- systemic skin diseases,
- parchment skin syndrome,
- the presence of many microtraumas, blisters, trophic ulcers,
- deep vein thrombosis,
- senile skin weakness,
- individual intolerance or hypersensitivity of the skin to the material.
Where to buy kinesio tape
Despite the fact that the tape was invented by a Japanese orthopedist back in 1970, it has gained universal acceptance and popularity relatively recently. This explains the fact that it is quite rare in pharmacies. Like any product that is in low demand, in the pharmacy chain, tapes are offered to be purchased at a price that is many times higher than their real cost.
It is easier and cheaper to get a unique tape by ordering it on the website.
Prices in pharmacies and online stores
The pharmacy price depends on the amount of payment to the intermediary, the cost of renting the premises, the amount of remuneration of employees, the percentage accrued on the risk.
In online stores, the cost of kinesio tape fluctuates slightly. For small tapes, the price ranges from 170 to 200 rubles. The large size of the tape suggests a cost from 490 to 600 rubles.
Reviews about kinesio tapes
The wife loves to experiment, constantly acquires bright new items on the Internet. Constantly swears because of this. Among her purchases was this patch. At the dacha he unsuccessfully fell down the stairs, bruised his elbow. There were no painkillers. Evening. The last bus left. I had to try her kinesio tapes, which he took out of the house by the way. The next day, I had to seriously apologize. The plasters really work. In the morning I was already able to work a little, and a day later I forgot about the pain altogether. No swelling, no bruising.
Evgeny Soldatenko, 29 years old
I go in for sports professionally. In training before important competitions, he injured his shoulder joint. The coach said that it was not serious, but the joint needed to be calm. I pasted the tapes. On the third day, the hand moved freely. At training these days, the load had to be reduced, but at home I did not make any restrictions.
Maxim Buslov, 19 years old
Once I managed to cross the rails, stumble and fall, so that I hit my knee hard. The pain was such that the first thought was that everything was a fracture. Kind people helped to get to the emergency room. They said to drink painkillers and wear an elastic bandage. My stepmother works as a sports coach, as she found out, she immediately forbade me all this. I brought bright stripes, pasted them (by the way, they look very stylish). The pain subsided within a couple of hours. In the evening I was even able to go out to my friends to show off my jewelry, and I live on the fifth floor.
Regina Pogorelskaya, 26 years old
Even small bumps, shocks leave painful bruises on the skin. I decided to try kinesio tapes. I didn't notice much difference. The only thing is that they began to pass a little faster, but the Velcro did not affect the pain intensity.
Gorbunova Vera, 52 years old
I work as a social security officer by vocation. I never hide behind paperwork, I prefer to visit my wards every day. When I twisted my leg, for two days I felt completely helpless, and even for an urgent call I could not go. The Childhood Studio received one of these teips under a grant. I decided to try (then buy and put in place). The joint immediately appeared to be in limbo. I was able to walk, and every step ceased to respond to wild pain. Now I sincerely recommend this remedy to everyone I know, and in the home medicine cabinet there are already ribbons of different colors.
Oksana Kavalerova, 36 years old
I am engaged in auto repair, I cannot do without injuries. Previously, you had to either finish work and then go on sick leave for a long time, or immediately give up work. I tried a bunch of medicines, different bandages, protection. The tapes, due to their bright colors, even provoked neglect at first. But behind their cheerful appearance, they hid serious work. The elbow joint, which would have had to forget about work for at least a week, bounced back on the second day. Of course, I smeared the tapes a lot during work, but they washed off great with me in the shower and did not even come off. Just in case, I wore the plasters for another 3 days.
Vladimir Tarakanov
When my wife said that we would have twins, I was incredibly happy, but the pregnancy was difficult. I was sincerely sorry to look at my wife, when my belly grew, the bandage rubbed her, pressed, it was hard for her to walk, sit, lie down. Found on the Internet that these colored strips help relieve tension and pain, suitable for pregnant women decided to try. My Ira just blossomed. Her doctor even asked us for a link to a resource to recommend to other patients.
Andrey Tkachenko, 28 years old
Kinesio tapes take over the supporting function of the skin, allowing damaged tissues to take over their own repair. They are distinguished by a small number of contraindications and have no side effects; they are not felt in everyday life. Sticky tapes are disposable, but each can be used for several days.
