KINESIO TAPE

A lifesaver, I had read about this tape previously, but when my left Achilles started to play up during a 9-mile training run the week before a half marathon I knew I had to find something that would enable me to run but also keep me injury free.

Kinesio tape was the answer after scouring the net for different things this seemed to make sense, I could also use it on my knees, It seem unobtrusive unlike the knee supports I had been wearing which although worked seemed to restrict blood flow.
I could also continue to train, which was very important to me.

I rushed in an order praying it would arrive before the half marathon and yep the Saturday before the big day a much welcomed packet was pushed through my letter box.

It comes in a roll, the colour I chose was black supposedly there is no difference between the colour’s but the black one is meant to be more water resistant and since I like to shower at the least once a day if not more I thought that would be the better option, plus none of the colour even represented my skin colouring so black it was.


Closely following the runners world video’s of how this so called magic tape should applied I carefully put some underneath either knee, and also followed the direction on how to tape my left Achilles.


POSITIVES

The tape worked, the usual ache in my knees was a lot less bothersome and my Achilles hardly twitched at all, I made it through the half marathon with no injures, and my niggles that were there already did not increase.
It is unobtrusive.
You can wear it under clothes without anyone seeing it.
It just feels like a plaster.
It does work.

CONS

It is not cheap, about £7 plus a roll, but to me it is worth every penny.
It is meant to stay on for 5 days, but this does not always happen, the rough and tumble for everyday can make it come off more quickly than that.
If you’re hairy, it may be a little uncomfortable to pull off, but we’re runners hey, and used to a little bit of discomfort.
You have to put it on properly according to the injury your treating, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier.
You will get comments from people, wondering why you look like a cyborg.


Like everything I recommend on my blog, they are only things that I have used and that have worked for me, this tape worked in conjunction with a stretching routine and regular use of a blue foam roller. I take my aches and pains very seriously as I did not want anything to stop me from taking part in the London Marathon and now I have caught the running bug I do not want anything to stop me running.

I do not know if it works for everyone but for me, it really helped, and I now tend to run with it as a safely measure, my knees no longer ache, I ran a half marathon yesterday in 2 hours 15 minutes, (I don’t know about you but for me that is a long time to be running) with no knee pain, this is the girl whose knees were so bad back in August 08 I ran the NIKE 10 in 1 hour 33 minutes due to the pain when I can usually complete a 10k in just over an hour. My Achilles I handle by stretching out my lower calves whenever I run and continuing to use my blue foam roller, to be honest I wonder if I even need the tape any more but for the time being it is a comfort and gives me confidence, so I won’t be turning my back on it just yet.

Kinesio tape is not a miracle cure it should be part of a care routine that you use to ward off injury or help alleviate injuries you already have.

I personally swear by it and would not run without it.
Remember to get any injures checked out by a doctor, best to have a professional opinion and not self diagnoses, taking a break from running for a few day's is better than being sidelined for months because you ignored a problem.


I have added links that explain how it works,
Links to videos to demonstrate how it is meant to be used and links to the UK companies that sell it.


HOW TO APPLY THE TAPE
http://www.runnersworld.com/video/1,8052,s6-1-0-5,00.html?bcpid=2888993001&bclid=6520521001

WHAT IT DOES
http://www.kinesiotape.ca/whatitdoes.htm


WHERE TO BUY IT

http://www.kinesiotaping.co.uk/?gclid=CNHJotrH15oCFZwA4wod6xa42w
http://www.vivomed.co.uk/listproducts-KI1000/Kinesiology_Tape.html
For any Americans reading, Kinesio tape seems widely available in the States so just google it and you should be able to find a good number of outlets and a good price, UK readers the two links above are the only two sellers over here for the moment that I could find.

Happy running.