How Does Sports Tape Help An Injury?

What is a Sports Tape?

Sports tape is an elastic taping applied directly to the skin to help bones and muscles stay in a stable position during athletic activity. The tape can also work as a bandage for sprained body parts, accelerating healing. Sports tape comprises polyester and cotton with elastic fibers, or pure cotton and elastic fibers, with acrylic adhesive components to make it stick to the skin.

This tape was first introduced in the late 1970s by a Japanese chiropractor, Dr. Kenzo Kase. Since then, sports tape has been adopted as a modality for soft tissue injury, pain management, edema reduction, and tissue and joint alignment.

How Does a Sports Tape Assist Injuries?

A sports tape helps injuries based on supporting the body while allowing free flow of blood and other body fluids to the affected area. Wrapping the sports tape around an injury stabilizes the area by applying pressure that keeps connective tissues intact. Meanwhile, it encourages the flow of blood, lymph, and other fluids to heal the injury without needing surgery or medications.

The Benefits of Using a Sports Tape

Provide Support and Stability

One main benefit of sports tape is providing support and stability to weaker body parts without restraining the range of motion. Taping various parts of the body that often veer away from their natural position helps provide needed stability. The patella tendon and navicular bone are some of the most commonly supported body parts.

Prevent Injuries

Beyond offering support and stability, sports tape is beneficial in preventing injuries, particularly among athletes. By gently applying pressure to bones or muscles in a specific position, sports tape can help prevent breaks, sprains, and other injuries during exercise and sporting activities.

Relieve Pain

Sports tape is significant in pain relief. The decompression force applied by the tape on injured body parts effectively disrupts and relieves pain.

Reduce Swelling and Edema

Sports tape can help reduce congestion causing inflammation on injured body parts while facilitating blood and lymph circulation. This circulation cleanses affected parts, reducing swelling and edema.

Improve Proprioception

Taping helps improve proprioception by providing feedback regarding body location and posture. When wrapped around the affected body part, sports tape offers a robust proprioceptive cue through its contact with the skin, increasing body awareness and ability to sense action, movement, and location.

Increase Confidence and Offer Psychological Support

Wrapping sports tape on body parts reduces pain and enhances performance. Having the tape wrapped on a weak or injured area for support and protection may make individuals feel more confident and provide psychological support needed to engage in physical exercises and sports.

Correct Posture

Another benefit of sports tape is improving posture. Postural taping helps re-educate muscles that have lost their rightful position after injury or illness. By gently and continuously supporting proper body position, the tape can make affected body parts align back to correct posture.

Aid Rehabilitation

When injuries occur, sports tape comes in handy during rehabilitation. Using the tape to wrap injured parts and limit range of motion for affected joints and muscles results in faster healing. The tape can serve as a splint for twisted joints and ligaments to enhance recovery, and aids rehabilitation by reducing swelling and alleviating pain.

Three Different Types of Sports Tapes

Rigid and Elastic Tapes

Rigid sports tapes are less stretchable and valuable for offering optimal support for greater stability and reducing excessive joint movement to prevent injuries. Elastic sports tapes are more flexible and helpful in providing moderate support.

Kinesio Tapes

A kinesio tape is a sturdy, stretchy tape made using nylon and cotton. It offers maximum support and stability while enhancing normal blood flow to affected areas.

Kenso Kase Tape

Originally designed by Dr. Kenzo Kase, the kenso kase tape is elastic and significant in enabling natural healing of injured body parts. It provides needed support and stability without interfering with bodily fluid circulation and range of motion.

Various Uses of a Sports Tape

Range of Motion Training

One common use of sports tape is performing range of motion exercises. Whether recovering from joint injuries or wanting to maintain mobility, sports tape can facilitate these exercises, which decrease pain, improve balance, enhance joint movement, and increase function of a joint, muscle, or limb.

Treatment of Acute Injuries

Sports tape effectively treats acute injuries, including strains, sprains, and other ailments affecting joints and muscles. When wrapped around the injured body part, the tape enhances healing by aligning connective tissues and promoting normal blood and lymph circulation.

Treatment of Chronic Injuries

Beyond treating acute injuries, sports tape can manage chronic injuries like tennis elbow, heel inflammation, stress fractures, and ankle sprain. By offering support and enabling free blood flow, the tape helps reduce pain and facilitate healing.

Perks for Weekend Warriors and Health Practitioners

Better Blood and Lymphatic Fluid Flow

Whether injured or not, using sports tape helps improve blood flow and lymphatic movement by creating convolutions. Enhanced fluid movement means better delivery of oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues, and removal of carbon dioxide and waste. Free flow of bodily fluids improves general health and well-being.

Improved Muscle Function and Movement

Sports tape enhances muscle function and movement, primarily because it improves performance by lessening pain and increasing range of motion for different muscles. It enhances function and movement by supporting tired body parts.

Support Connective and Soft Tissue

Sports tape supports connective and soft tissues by compressing these tissues, providing strength and structure to wrapped body parts. This support can increase performance and lower the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should you not use sports tape?

Sports tape is not suitable in various circumstances. Do not use it to wrap open wounds or surgical incisions. Avoid sports taping if you have a history of allergic reactions to acrylic, as sports tape uses acrylic-based adhesives. People with active cancer, deep vein thrombosis, and uncontrolled diabetes should not use sports tape.

Does taping help healing?

Yes. Taping helps healing by encouraging blood flow to the affected area, increasing oxygen supply and reducing swelling and inflammation.

Does sports tape really work?

Sports tape works and is very effective. It offers support and stability, prevents injury, and enhances healing. Taping also improves performance and boosts confidence.

How long do you leave tape on an injury?

Sports tape comprises high-quality materials and can stay on an injury for three to seven days. It is water-resistant, meaning individuals can shower or bathe with it wrapped around the injury.

Is it OK to sleep with sports tape?

Yes, individuals can wear the tape to bed. Sleeping with sports tape on a wound can help relieve pain, allowing for a good night's sleep.

What are the side effects of KT tape?

KT tape has some side effects. It can cause skin irritation, pain, and swelling. The tape can feel tight if worn for long periods. It can also be difficult to remove after many hours of use—it can tear or blister the skin if removed incorrectly. Having a professional apply and remove KT tape is highly recommended.

What are the disadvantages of taping?

KT tape can cause severe allergic reactions in people whose skin reacts to acrylic and other adhesive components. Tape can trap moisture on open wounds, leading to bacteria growth and infection. Taping can worsen active cancer tumors by increasing blood flow to affected cells. Tape can also worsen pin-and-needles sensations in individuals with diabetes.

What injuries need taping?

Not all injuries need taping. It is ideal for muscle, tendon, or joint injuries, including runner's knee, ankle sprain, and mid and low back postural pain.

What are the pros and cons of taping?

Taping benefits include providing support and stability, preventing injury, providing postural support, and relieving pain. Other perks include swelling and edema reduction, improved proprioception, enhanced confidence, and psychological support. Conversely, taping has drawbacks: repeated taping can be costly, it can cause skin irritation, requires someone else to apply it, and can restrict movement.

When should KT tape not be used?

KT should not be used to cover open wounds. It is not great for covering peripheral neuropathy in people with diabetes. Tape should not wrap deep vein thrombosis clots, as it can worsen the condition.

Who should not use kinesio tape?

Beyond pregnant women and individuals allergic to acrylic, people with diabetes, deep vein thrombosis, and congestive heart failure should not use kinesio tape. Patients undergoing dialysis should also avoid taping.

Can you put athletic tape on an open wound?

No. Putting athletic tape on an open wound traps moisture, which can lead to bacteria growth and cause infection.

When should you tape an injury?

After recovery from injury, individuals can tape affected areas when getting active again to provide support and prevent re-injury. Taping a swelling injury can also help reduce inflammation.

What is the difference between sports tape and KT tape?

Compared to KT tape, sports tape is stronger and does not allow greater range of motion. It is suitable for taping active injuries. KT tape is more elastic and promotes more flexibility.

How long does sports tape last?

Sports tape can last for three to seven days. It is breathable and water-resistant, making it very comfortable when appropriately applied.

Should athletic tape be tight?

Athletic tape should not be tight. Tight taping can cut off blood supply to the affected area and even cause numbness.

How do you remove sports tape?

Individuals can remove sports tape by rubbing baby oil on it. Let the oil sit for about 20 minutes, then peel it off gently. If baby oil is unavailable, lather the tape with soap and water, then pull it off the skin.

What happens if you leave tape on for too long?

If tape is left on for too long, it can cause skin irritation. Tape should be removed after three to seven days of continuous use.

How does kinesiology tape work?

When wrapped around an injury, kinesiology tape supports and encourages blood circulation in the affected area. This taping results in reduced swelling, pain reduction, and fast healing.