PT was a bit of a disappointment this morning. The trainer said I was making good progress and could tell I was being a good patient at home (which is good!), so all I did this morning was some foam rolling and 10 more minutes on the elliptical. What?! No “massage”?! 🙁
All I could think was, “Oh come on!” I can do that stuff at home- I am doing that stuff at home! But oh well, at least it was because I was doing well. I did convince the trainer to tape me up like she promised though.
Check out the new style I’m rocking:
Kinesiology taping can be used for support, but also for “fascia control”. The way I’m taped right now is to help (hopefully) loosen the band- not to support my knee. My IT band is taped in an “m” shape- the parts of the band between the m-humps are what the tape is targeting. As the tape recoils, it should help loosen the band of fascia- hence “fascia control”.
The athletic trainer isn’t sure whether it will do anything or not for me, but I’m willing to give anything a try!
Tips for taping:
– No lotions or potions on your skin!
– Warm up the area first- the trainer had me elliptical to get the blood flowing and warm up my leg. (Is elliptical a verb?)
– Once the tape is applied, rub gently to warm. (The adhesive is heat-activated.) After initial taping, don’t apply heat (ice is ok).
– Don’t get it wet for at least 45 minutes.
– When taking it off- completely saturate it with water or coat it in olive oil to help loosen the adhesive. The longer it’s on, the harder it’ll be to get off.
– You can leave it on for 3-5 days, but if it irritates your skin or hurts, take it off.
Ever used kinesio tape?! I’m looking forward to trying tape for knee support once I get more active. 🙂
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