6 questions about Kinesium tape answered by experts –

Maybe you don’t remember them by name, but you’ve certainly seen Kinesium tapes out there — several athletes walked with colorful stickers during the competition. Rio Olympics. Invented by chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1970, in Japan, they are used to help treat injuries injuries to nerves and muscles.

“This type of elastic bandage has been widely used by physiotherapists for pain relief. pain and the improvement of moves of your patients. Clinically and empirically, excellent results have been reported with its use”, says physiotherapist Mateus Martinez, from the company Pés Sem Dor, from Campinas (SP). However, the expert comments that recent research has shown that kinesio is not capable of treating more serious orthopedic conditions and that it would act more like a placebo, as seen in the study published in Journal of physiotherapyin 2014. Below, we clarify the main doubts about the accessory:

1. How does kinesio tape work?

The tapes are applied to muscles or joints in order to inhibit pain, limit or facilitate some movement. Because it is elastic, it provides constant traction on the skin with upward force (unlike a regular bandage). “Any stimulus on the skin — whether with tapes or bandages, massages… — arrives at the brain as information that something is happening there. With the tape, this local stimulus is constant and the pressure generated by it, many times, superimposes the sensation of pain”, explains Martinez

In addition, Ted Forcum, specialist in recovery, sports medicine and physical therapy, and VP of Clinical Development for the KT Tape brand, explains that the tapes do not release any remedyone of the big differences between them and plasters “That’s why we don’t have to worry about doping tests or dosages (each person would need a different amount)”, he says.

2. Who is it nominated for?

Despite being more popular in sports, the tape is not just for physical activity practitioners. “Perhaps physically active people will benefit more from the tape – as their bodies are under more stress – but it’s useful for anyone. KT Tape, for example, has versions for elderlychildren, people with sensitive skin… In addition to, of course, the versions for high-performance athletes.”

Contraindications include not placing it under an open wound, thrombosis, shingles cancerous active or area with some infection.

See also: Too much pain after training? 3 techniques that will save you

3. How long can I keep the tape on my skin?

Depending on the model and brand, it can last up to 7 days in skin without needing to be changed — the one with rounded edges tends to stay longer, as it takes longer to unglue. Is it possible to take bath and practice water sports without worries.

4. Is it better to use it before or after exercise?

According to Ted Forcum, applying the tape before practicing physical activities would make it possible to extract more benefits from it. “That’s when your body goes through the highest levels of stress,” he says. The ideal is to put it on at least 30 minutes before, “but it is common to apply it in athletes in the middle of competitions depending on need.”

5. Can I apply it to myself?

Yes. The process is easy and intuitive. She doesn’t need to be in the exact place of pain to work, just be close. “The difference in having the application done by a professional is that he knows the human anatomy and will know which others to use. muscles you can compensate for the pain and thus cover all the necessary areas”, explains Forcum.

6. Can the tape be cut?

They come in many different sizes, but it’s not a problem to cut them to reach small places, such as fingers.

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