What Is the Purpose of Athletic Taping?

If you’ve ever seen athletes wearing elaborate tape across their bodies, you might be wondering if it’s part of a new fashion craze or if it actually serves a purpose—and the answer is, that depends. Doctors and researchers are torn on the actual effectiveness of athletic taping in Napa County, CA, but knowing what it is and how it’s supposed to be used can help you decide if it’s right for you. Interested in learning more? Ask a physiotherapist.

What is athletic taping?

There are several major types of athletic tape:

• Under: Under tape is designed to sit underneath rigid tape, as a soothing buffer to rigid tape.
• Rigid: This sort of tape is designed to inhibit or lessen joint movement, and utilizes an extremely strong zinc oxide-based glue, which adheres to skin (or under tape) quite well.
• Elastic: Elastic tape, as the name suggests, is designed to move with your body. It’s usually made of cotton, affording it more breathability than other types of tape.
• Felt: Felt tape is just a barrier between your skin and something else—whether that’s more tape or clothing.
• Kinesio-type tape: This type of tape is useful in sports because it glides along with the skin as it moves.
• Cohesive bandages: This type of bandage doesn’t stick to the skin so much as it sticks to itself, allowing you to wrap a joint multiple times.

How does it work?

The theory behind using athletic tape in Napa County, CA is that it “lifts” the skin to allow better circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids, which helps remove waste product faster and allows your injury to heal. It’s also been proven to create space in joints, which is helpful if you have joints that grind against each other and cause pain.

Some scientists and doctors suggest that it may even cause your brain to interpret pain signals differently, not only allowing your body to heal faster, but distracting your brain from the discomfort you’re feeling. This can also reduce tension and muscle issues in an injured area.

Generally, athletic taping can help support injuries, but it’s also used to “re-educate” muscles (helping them go back to their normal functioning abilities) and “wake up” the muscles for long-distance runners and other endurance athletes.

If you think athletic taping might be right for you, contact your doctor or physiotherapist for more information. Correct application and placement is crucial for getting the best results, so you’ll want to proceed under the supervision of experts.

Learn more about athletic and kinesiology tape in Napa County, CA

The team at Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy can help you decide if athletic taping is right for you, and show you how to apply it properly. Our team is made up of licensed physical therapists who specialize in integrative manual therapy (IMT). You’ll love our holistic approach, which is designed to address your physical problems at the root. Wondering if athletic taping could be right for you? Call us today to set up an appointment.

Categorised in: Athletic Tape

This post was written by Writer