Kinesio tex tape is Kinesiology Tape. K-Active Tape, KT Tape and SpiderTech Tape are brand names of different kinds of kinesiology tape-- each offering different application benefits. Also dubbed ‘tattoo tape’, this review is for the Kinesio Tex Tape brand.

Prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, elite and pro athletes as well as some physical therapists and ATCs (athletic trainers) were religious in their use of Kinesio Tape  in relieving pain and promoting the healing process of injured and surgically-repaired muscles. Lance Armstrong has written about the tape and soccer superstar David Beckham has endorsed the K-Active brand of this tape.

Two Kinesiology Tape Brands in the U.S. and Europe. Kinesio is the original kinesiology tape brand marketing in the U.S. and K-Active is the European brand name. There is also Rock Tape, SpiderTech Tape and KT Tape. See one reviewer's opinion of the difference below.

Until Kerri Walsh applied the tape to her previously injured shoulder in the beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Olympics, this athletic tape was relatively unknown. Thanks to the marketing genius of donating over 200,000 rolls of it to the Olympic athletes, this tape was thrust into the spotlight.

This is the basic principle behind
Kinesiology tape, the magic tape.

Get Kinesio Tape Kinesio Tape - Bulk Roll Tape is 2" wide. I buy the bulk roll now. I have a small roll for gym bag and travel and keep big roll at home.

Kinesiology, or Human Kinetics, is the science of human movement. It focuses on how the body moves and functions. The practice of Kinesiology involves applying principals of movement to facilitate rehabilitation, prevention and management to maintain, rehabilitate and enhance movement, performance, and function in the areas of sport, activity and labor.

How kinesio tape works

Kinesio Taping® alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin.

The taped portion forms convolutions in the skin, thus increasing interstitial space. The result is that pressure and irritation are taken off the neural and sensory receptors, alleviating pain. Pressure is gradually taken off the lymphatic system, allowing it to channel more freely.

So what is Kinesio Tape?

Print Guide for rank amateurs. Uses layman's terms appropriate for those who do not speak anatomy. Click here for Kinesio Taping Books for Beginners Acupressure Taping- A beginner's guide to taping for chronic pain and injuries. I have this book and the one below. What injuries one doesn't cover the other one does. Pictures are better in this one.   I own this book and the one above. Kineseo Taping Guide for non sports med pros Kinesio Taping Guides for sports med pros. Uses clinical terms and appropriate for ATCs, PAs, PTs, OTCs, MDs and those who know their anatomical terms. (See above for non-clinical guides.) Get the Illustrated Kinesio Taping Clinical Book Guide to Kineseo taping

It’s not glamorous looking and it basically looks like an ordinary roll of tape. For purposes of sports med, this tape helps in ligament injuries, muscle conditioning, fascia repositioning and even carpal tunnel syndrome.

This flexible tape with the elasticity of skin is supposed to be applied to the skin in patterns that mimic the muscles. It is designed to support and guide injured muscles and joints for faster rehabilitation without limiting an athlete’s range of motion.

The Kinesio Tape is 100-percent cotton and modeled on the thickness and elasticity of real skin. The flexible tape is applied to the skin in specific patterns with your muscles, and it doesn’t stick until you warm in with your hands in the application process. So you can lay it down in patterns and not have to unstick it to move it since it doesn’t fuse to the skin until you rub it to warm and activate the glue.

Application of Kinesio Tape

The application of Kinesio Tex Tape is crucial to its effectiveness. It requires stretching it in just the right places. If you want an application to work it's best, you need to pay close attention to applying it the correct way.

From the Kinesio Tape Manufacturer

Extra Water-Resistant Kinesio tape for water sports

Benefits of Kinesiology Tape

The key benefit to Kinesio taping is to reduce and prevent contraction of the affected muscle. It accomplishes this by helping to increase the natural blood flow around the muscle facilitating the natural healing process.

It can be used to reduce localized swelling associated with surgery. But to athletes, the real benefit is that it helps individuals continue with their normal daily routine and sports activities or speeds up the healing process so there’s less time spent on the sidelines.

• Durable and economical: 3 to 4 days per application
• Versatile: 1200 recognized applications
• Revolutionary Design: Microscopically lifts the skin
• Rehabilitates when you use the kinesiology taping method
• It is 100% high grade cotton, latex free, breathable, elastic and maintains flexibility of human skin and muscles
• Heat activated adhesive is mild and hypoallergenic
• Comes in a range of colors and sizes
• Used by pro athletes and organizations including the olympic athletes, NFL MLB and NBA teams
• Cycling, motorsports, soccer, golf, volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, running and other endurance sports

Therapeutic and Correctional Applications

The therapeutic technique gives the practitioner the opportunity to actually give support while maintaining full range of motion. This enables the individual to participate in their normal physical activity with functional assistance.

The second technique, correctional applications, which are used for rehab, function, helps prevent overuse/over-contraction and helps provide facilitation of lymph flow for an entire 24 hour period. So there are a number of correctional techniques depending on what it's used for.

Kinesio Tape or K-active tape has been used by pro athletes. Examples in sports medicine include: Bicyclists use Kinesio® Tex Tape for Patellar Tendonitis Beckham has used it to take the strain off his back Venus Williams has used it to relieve knee pain Coaches used Kinesio® Tex Tape on his riders during and in between stages of the Tour de France as well as overnight to enhance their recovery time Kinesio Tex Tape helped Lance Armstrong with shin splints during his first New York Marathon Safety First racing team first used KinesioTape for fascia muscle injuries and strains by taping the riders' forearm muscles for support which they believe has resulted in preventing or reducing arm pump. Golfers have used it to facilitate healing after ACL knee surgery There is EXTRA WATER PROOF for swimmers.

The art of Kinesio Taping

This is not tape you slap on randomly. It is supposed to be applied in a specific pattern that follows your muscles in a specific way for particular injuries.

There are taping seminars to learn to apply it to specific types of injuries to facilitate healing. There are also books and DVDs for practitioners and for the athlete to learn to apply it correctly to get benefit from it. water resistant

The 2” width design is perfect for average sized patients and is easy to use for all four of the most common taping strips, the “I” strip (which is just a regular cut strip), “Y” strip, “X” strip, “Fan” strip.

The Different Kinesio Strip Types

	Kinesio tape Y Strip	Kinesio X Strip	Fan Strip or Fork Strip

What is Kinesio Tape? How does it work and on what does it work?