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| Mario Balotelli with Kinesio tape on his back |
I first noticed it on Mario Balotelli (a footballer) took off his shirt during Euro 2012 and revealed three blue sticky tape in his back. (He got a yellow card for this). I saw it again today when Stephen Gerrard (also a footballer) took off his shirt at the end of the match between Liverpool and Swansea where Liverpool won by 5 – 0. Steven’s black sticky tape was spotted on his shoulder.
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| Serena Williams with Kinesio tapes on her thighs |
These bright-colored strips of tape in odd patterns, increasingly being seen on professional and recreational athletes are called Kinesio Tapes.
Kinesio Taping first saw worldwide exposure during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Since then, Kinesio has become a popular form of muscle taping used by many Health Professionals across the world. This strong elasticated tape was developed more than 30 years ago by a Japanese chiropractor, Dr Kenzo Kase. He found that the application of the tape replicated some of the beneficial effects of manual therapy – such as massage – in taking pressure off overused muscles, reducing pain and soreness for injured patients.
Some features of Kinesio Tex Tape are:
- 100% cotton and latex free
- Elasticity of up to 30-40% from resting length
- Tape is applied with 10% stretch
- Medical grade, heat sensitive acrylic adhesive
- Allows the skin to breathe
- Thickness and weight approximates that of skin
- Easily tolerated
- Allows range of motion and does not restrict like conventional athletic tape
- Elastic properties to help to support and reduce muscle fatigue
- Can be worn for several days (3-5) without re-application
- Cost effective patient management (6-10 applications per roll)
