Super Scientific Strapping or Snake Oil?
Kinesio Tape
In my sports injury clinics and in various other areas of my work I often apply tapes to assist me with compression and support of injuries. Occasionally I will also use tape to act as a stimulus to encourage a muscle to work and finally also as a stimulus to “propriorecption” (body part awareness). I should add that I have been doing this for almost 30 years. The tapes I most commonly use are rigid zinc oxides and elasticated bandages.
There is a new kid on the sports tape block. It has several brand names but generally goes under the name of the most popular brand Kinesio Tape (KT). It has seen much exposure since the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games when many high profile athletes were seen wearing it. However that doesn’t explain why they’d actually use it. One good reason seems to be good marketing in that KT donated 50,000 rolls of the stuff to the Olympic teams.
The manufacturers claim pain management, injury treatment, injury prevention, enhanced performance, increased range of motion, and just about anything else an athlete might want. It sounds like a miracle — one simple product that does everything you can imagine.
In short, a textbook snake oil product.
Self generated and sponsored “studies” have been produced by the manufacturers and of course their results and conclusions are favourable. But in truth the reports are full of pseudo science. But whether its appearance on the international athletic scene is a sign of its therapeutic benefit or just smart marketing remains to be seen.
Kinesio tape is said to be modelled on the thickness and elasticity of real skin. The flexible tape is applied to the skin in specific patterns, depending on the injury, a technique designed to create support and guide injured muscles and joints without limiting the athlete’s range of motion. Kinesio claims that in addition to supporting injured muscles and joints, the new taping method helps relieve pain by lifting the skin, allowing blood to flow more freely to the injured area. All tapes will do this to a degree.
Is it any good?
Well it is a latex free, non-medicated, thin, porous cotton fabric with a medical grade acrylic adhesive. It is very malleable and does allow for careful and precise application. However, all of the claims it makes could be said of the other types of tape I have used in isolation and in combination. I have some of these wonder tapes in my drawer and I do use them on occasion for awkward areas that need strapping, but if I need to tape my rugby boys at the weekend I’ll be sticking (groan!) to heavy duty zincs and elastoplasts.
I’m cutting my own throat here (on a marketing front) in saying they aint what they appear to be. I’ll charge you a good price for applying theses tapes but don’t be fooled.
In truth I think this is an expensive placebo and credit to the The Power of Positive Thinking and heavy duty hard sell marketing.