Getting injured is a part of being active, and research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an annual average of 8.6 million sports or physically active related injuries. Many of these injuries are not serious, consisting of sprains and strains and other minor issues, but the pain can still affect your performance and your ability to exercise.
Sprains and strains account for about 41.4% of sports injuries, including neck and calf strains, sprained ankles, shoulder separations, and other damage to tendons and ligaments. While medications, compresses, and rest can help ease the pain in many cases, Kinesio taping® is an effective solution that helps your body relieve pain and cope with injuries while allowing you to stay active in most cases. Let’s explore this treatment option by examining common sports injuries, how this method works, and what it can do to help.
If you live in the Houston or Spring, Texas, area and you’re trying to manage sports injuries and other related issues, Drs. Billy Cheong, Kesia Broome, Elias Madrid, Theresa Shaw, and the skilled medical team at Elite Spine and Health Center can help.
Common sports injuries
Your body relies on your muscles, bones, and your musculoskeletal system to perform most every physical action, whether it be related to sports or just basic movement. These are the ligaments, tendons, and other tissues that work with bones and muscles at the joints and elsewhere to help support your weight, control your posture, and allow for most movement. Damage to any of these areas can inhibit movement and make physical activity more difficult.
Injuries that are common to intense exercise and sports include tears or stretching of ligaments (sprains), muscles or tendons (strains), swollen muscles, dislocations, fractures, and problems that affect specific areas such as your knees, shoulders (rotator cuff), or ankle (Achilles tendon). Any of these can lead to stiffness, swelling, or impaired movement in the affected areas, and treatment often varies depending on the severity.
How Kinesio taping works
Despite this becoming popular in recent years, it was actually developed in the 1970s by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase, who was trying to make a tape that offered support but didn’t limit mobility. The result is a unique blend of cotton and nylon which is very flexible and stretchy with a medical grade adhesive. This allows the tape to be placed on an injury and mimic the skin’s movements, lasting for days and staying on even during workouts and showers.
What it can do to help
This tape allows people to enjoy full range of motion while keeping the injured area supported, and helps to improve circulation, reduce joint irritation, and helps to retrain damaged muscles. Many athletes use the tape to protect from injury and stay in top shape by supporting muscles and tissue that may be potentially damaged in events or competitions. There is also speculation that this method also alters the information on your pain pathways, relieving tension in the area and creating a different response to the pain you would normally endure.
Using this tape can help to prevent injuries and make it easier to function while recovering from an injury. If you’re struggling through a sports injury and want to see the benefits that this tape can provide, make an appointment with Drs. Cheong, Broome, Madrid, Shaw, and the medical team at Elite Spine and Health Center today.