Why Tape?
Many of you will have seen athletes wearing the brightly coloured tape, or know the brown physiotherapy tape that has been around for years. Some of you may even have had it used on your skin. But what exactly does it do and why do we use it?
The main difference between the standard brown fixed tape and the coloured tapes is that the latter has a stretch capability. This allows the patient or athlete to move unrestricted, making it ideal for the sporting setting. Hence this tape is often called ‘sport tape’ or ‘kinesiology tape’.
Physios use both forms of tape to offload, support or restrict joint movement. The brown tape is used if your physio wants to firmly support a joint and potentially restrict movement. This tape may be used in conjunction with an underlay white tape, which is used to protect sensitive skin.
Bring Some Colour in to your Life
The sports tape comes in different colours. These colours are purely for fun, and have no reflection on the strength of the tape. Sports tape gives a slightly lighter sport, due to the stretch properties of the material. This tape can also be applied in a specific way to help improve areas of swelling.
With any tape, it is important to let your physio know if you have sensitive skin or any skin allergies. Tape can stay on for up to 2-3 days and then will needs to be removed to allow the skin to breathe. We would recommend that you keep the tape dry to ensure its stays fixed down in position. Sports tape however can be applied for swimming, but then would need to be removed afterwards. If you do get the tape wet, pat it dry lightly. When removing tape, do not pull it off quickly, have a warm shower or bath and then gently peel each layer way from the skin.
When you have tape on, if any redness of itching occurs, you need to remove it immediately and gently wash the area with soapy water. Inform your physio on your next visit if this occurs.
Another important take hope message with tape is that is should make an immediate difference when applied. If you do not feel that your movement is easier or that the joint feels supported, inform your physio or remove the tape!
For any further information on tape or to book in with one of our expert team of physios, please call us on 0207 6030040 or email us on info@kenphysio.com