When watching sports events, you will sometimes find that many contestants have a lot of colorful tapes on them, which is very puzzling. Why should you stick these tapes? What is this tape used for?
In fact, the scientific name of these tapes is called Kinesio Taping, which is used to prevent and treat muscle, tendon and soft tissue damage. Pain relief, swelling and motor function improvement. Used by professional athletes for better on-field performance. In recent years, it has gradually become popular among sports professionals and patients with sports injuries. The colorful stickers on the tendons have become a new fashion. After sticking, they are more confident and perform better, which can be called a physical plug-in.
Kinesiology tapes were first developed in the late 1970s by Japanese physician Kenzo Kase, who wanted to invent a tape that would provide support, but be flexible enough to not restrict physical movement. Today, there are more than 50 brands of kinesiology tape products on the market that are easily available online.
The kinesiology tape is just an adhesive tape and does not contain drugs, so it is less irritating to the skin. The main working principle of the kinesiology tape comes from the design of its own tension and elasticity, whether it is the weave of the upper "cloth" of the sticker itself, or the material of the "glue" attached to the skin on the lower layer.
The kinesiology tape is made of a blend of cotton and nylon, which has good stretch properties, can simulate the elasticity of the skin, and can provide support without affecting limb movement. The medical-grade adhesive used in the kinesiology tape is also waterproof. , which is strong enough to last for three to five days and stays sticky even when you work out, sweat, and take a shower. When the kinesiology tape is attached to the body, it gently pulls up the skin due to its elasticity, helping to create a space between the skin and the tissue below it. For example, when applied to the surface of the knee and shoulder joints, it can increase the space in the joint and reduce the pressure and irritation in the joint.
Some scholars believe that kinesiology tape can reduce the signal of pain transmission by decompressing the tissue. For example, applying an kinesiology tape to the skin on the surface of tense muscles can reduce the pressure on the muscle fascia, help reduce muscle soreness, and improve flexibility.
In addition, kinesiology tape improve blood circulation and lymphatic return to the injured area to reduce swelling.
In the field of sports medicine, intramuscular stickers are used for the prevention and treatment of common muscle, tendon, fascia and other soft tissue sports injuries. The operation is simple, and ordinary people can master it through simple learning. Its main functions can be roughly classified into four categories:
1. Relieving swelling and pain in acute soft tissue injury: By increasing blood and lymph circulation, it can eliminate congestion or tissue fluid that stays in the local area, improve original edema or internal bleeding, reduce tissue pressure, reduce pain and discomfort, and reduce inflammation.
2. Relax and protect the injured tissue: For the injured soft tissue, it can relieve muscle tension or spasticity, moderately relax the taped muscles and local fascia, and relieve the traction of the damaged tissue during exercise.
3. Support and strengthen soft tissue: Taping for the main muscle groups used in sports, the tape can assist muscle contraction, increase muscle performance, and improve motor function.
4. Promote tissue healing: Intramuscular sticking can increase local circulation and metabolism, relieve inflammation, externally fix damaged soft tissue, and avoid traction damage. For the repaired tissue fibers and mature scar tissue, a certain local stretching tension can be given to reduce the proliferation of collagen fibers and the irregular arrangement of fibers.
