Forums >Health and Nutrition>KT Tape question
Member Since 2008
I am dealing with a calf strain and need advice regarding KT tape.
How do I use it? (I know how to apply it)
How long do I leave it on for?
Is there a pair of socks that will do the same thing?
Thanks for your help.
Chief Endurance Dork
You can leave it on as long as it will stay on. It will help during your run and when you're just going about your day too. Any tape is tough on your skin taking it on and off, so you can shower with it too.
Socks? Not sure -- it depends on how the tape is being applied, but usually not since most socks can only provide compression where the KT tape is providing a different effect.
endurancenerd.com
What exactly is the effect KT tape provides?
Best Present Ever
Not sure what they claim to be doing. However, I was sure it was all voodoo until I had plantar fasciitis. I taped up my foot/leg according to the directions and got pretty substantial relief right away. I'd used other things (inserts, vytorin, oral nsaids, various exercises) and the KT tape was the only thing that seemed to help immediately. Time appears to be what healed me.
Hmmm my mom got some samples that she passed along to me. They've been sitting in a drawer while I forgot about figured out what to do with them. I've had PF in the past and I still sometimes get flare ups. Maybe I'll try this!
First or last...it's the same finish line
HF #4362
Well, guess who happens to be suffering from PF right now?! Moi. I'll try anything so I guess I'll go ahead and tape up my foot and see what happens. We actually have a big roll of Rock Tape that was given to my wife to use for her tennis elbow and wrist issues. She's used it and thinks it helps but I always thought it was all placebo.
Bacon Party!
For plantar fasciitis (or even a ruptured PF), I've found the tape can help as an "external" plantar fascia ...
Apply from ball of foot to heel in two strips or as a split-Y. Adjust tape tension and plantar/dorsiflexion of fool during taping to get something that offers a comfortable/useful amount of support.
(For me, if there is too much tension, my foot can't fully flatten and/or (even if it can) the tape interferes with proprioception and causes me to run funny. If I'm desperate, I'll tape that way; but, prefer to keep it as light as possible while still being effective.)
In general, I've found kinesio tape to be helpful in restoring proprioception, encouraging better mechanics when a muscle imbalance has taken hold (when muscles are either not activating/"weak" or become overly active/dominant/"tight").
As for marketing claims about lymph flow ... meh, sounds like voodoo-doo to me.
Liz
pace sera, sera
queen of headlamps
KT tape to me seems to be one of those things where there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that it works, but not a lot of proof that it works better than traditional taping, and not a really solid theory why. My own half-baked idea is that in some applications it helps with alignment, but in most it just provides a bit of support and a bit of a reminder about the injured area.
In any case, I've found that taping my bunions helps, but toe socks work just as well for shorter runs in helping to straighten the big toe joint. So whether there's a sleeve or something that would work for you probably depends on how you're using the tape.
Hey, another running blog.
I know it seems odd, it's easy to think that until you see someone with severe lymphaedema for weeks and then 2 days after KT tape their leg is half the size.
Many of the above posters are correct...it also acts as a reminder, a small mechanical support, and it also helps provide assist to the neuromuscular system so that we activate certain muscles in proper sequence
I am dealing with a calf strain and need advice regarding KT tape. How do I use it? (I know how to apply it)
youtube is a great resource for everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTxAREiYFE
In order to see the truth, sometimes you have to loose an eye.
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Utri/