Athletic Taping
Many of the clients at Push Pounds Sports Medicine are what most people call “the weekend warriors”: the type of person who enjoys vigorous and sometimes strenuous physical activity as a pastime. For people who have a real passion for sports and exercise, slowing down is not an option even on the onset of aches and pains. Other clients may be training for their first major marathon, recovering from an injury, or suffering from daily aches and pains due to overuse or other degenerative conditions. There are many reasons why our clients can benefit from athletic taping, the most important being to get back to their daily activities, whatever they are.
Athletic taping is the process of applying tape to the skin in order to increase the support and stability of joints and muscles during physical activity. This can significantly reduce irritation and pain caused by inflammation and instability. Taping allows individuals to stay active during a recovery from a sprain or overuse injury without risking further injury. Tape may also be used prophylactically.
The main focus of using athletic taping is to restrict the movement of an injured joint and compress the soft tissues in the injured area. Taping can also be used as a splint or to secure a splint in place. Essentially what it does is support and protect the injured joint/muscle in a particular position to prevent it from being re-injured. The tape should be applied by trained professionals who have the knowledge and understanding of anatomy and how they are affected through different motions.
If you have never used athletic taping before, it feels just as it looks. It is generally comfortable, flexible, and durable which will not limit you as you continue to move. Once applied, it can be worn for 2-3 days without the adhesive wearing out or losing its effectiveness. Its durability does depend on where the tape is applied. For example, the tape around a shoulder where there are lots of degrees of motion may not last as long as a tape on the knee. It is not recommended to constantly re-tape the area, as the tape should be removed for some time before reapplying to allow the skin to breathe.
Athletic taping can be used by countless conditions or injuries, here is a list of common injuries that can benefit from athletic taping:
- Low back pain
- Knee pain
- Shoulder pain
- Sprained ankle
- Tennis elbow and/or Golfer’s elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Labral tears
- Biceps and triceps tears
- Elbow sprains
- Postural correction
The list continues, speak to a specialist at Push Pounds Sports Medicine about the pain or discomfort you may experiencing and find out if athletic taping can help you. Some people have allergic reactions or skin irritations to certain tape materials and may not be suitable for everyone.