“Kinesiotape” has become a household name around Columbus and the world after the London Olympics. Athletes in a wide variety of sports wore the brightly colored strips of tape on any body part possible with hopes of improving performance. While this special tape may be promising and allow some athlete’s to feel as though their performance is improved with its use, it has not yet been proven to be of great benefit in foot and ankle through clinical studies.
What is the difference between kinesiotape and normal athletic tape?
Kinesiotape, or elastic therapeutic tape is different from the other types of tape your podiatrist may utilize to pain relief and treatment of conditions in the foot. Athletic taping is typically restrictive and limits undesired motion of a joint. Kinesiotape is not utilized for this purpose, but has been marketed as supporting the function of muscles.
How is taping used to treat your foot and ankle?
Traditional taping methods have been successfully used as conservative treatment of plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial tendonitis and ankle sprains. Traditional taping may also be used to create a temporary support to determine if custom orthotics will be successful as a permanent conservative treatment of these conditions and many others in the foot.
Kinesiotape has been demonstrated as having only a minor beneficial role in improving strength and range of motion compared to other tapes.
Currently, as the popularity of kinesiotape increases with its use by elite athletes, patients should think twice before splurging on the colorful tape as a treatment of pain in the foot and ankle. Taping of any sort may not be indicated or beneficial in many athletic injuries of the foot and ankle and patients should consult with their podiatrist or other physician at the onset of any painful condition.
– See more at: https://columbusfoot.com/blog/post/crazy-colored-tape-is-not-crazily-successful-in-helping-many-foot-and-ankle-conditions.html#sthash.5AwqNEOS.dpuf
Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.
