The adhesive patch for relieving muscle pain was invented by the doctor Joseph Comp, who patented his miracle invention back in 1970. The Japanese doctor Kenzo Case (Kase), having studied in detail the existing kinesiotape patches, added a stylish design to them, detailed methods of application, developed new methods and again, after more than 25 years, he patented. Now Kenzo Case knows the whole world, and his patches are used by athletes and those who are very far from sports. The kinesiotape method helps everyone. Why are these newfangled plasters so good and what is the essence of their action?
Kinesiotape section
In London at the 2012 Olympics, the eyes of the audience were attracted by multi-colored ribbons, dotted on the bodies of many Olympians. Then, few people knew about the miraculous method of treatment without drugs.
Now anyone can buy and use kinesiotape. The reviews of those who have already tested them, note such convenient properties of the new plasters as their reliable attachment to the body, water resistance, elasticity. All this provides a unique kinesiotape structure. It is made of four layers:
1. Frame - created from cotton fibers intertwined by the type of gauze.
2. The base layer (on one side of the frame) - is treated with silicone oil, which makes it waterproof.
3. Elastic fabric (on the other side of the frame) - is created by interweaving cotton and stretch fibers, due to which the patch is able to stretch for 40% or more.
4. An adhesive layer, very sensitive to pressure - made from synthetic resins based on acrylic with anti-allergenic properties, applied to elastic fabric with stripes.
But not only tenacious attachment to the skin and the lack of reaction to glue differ in kinesiotape. Reviews of people report that with this patch, the skin can breathe freely, even though the tape is waterproof. The effect is achieved due to the gaps between the strips.
These patches are available in different colors (beige, black, color) and in different widths - from 1.5 to 10 cm.
Operating principle
Many people know that there are blood and lymphatic systems in muscle fibers. The blood flow, stimulated by cardiac activity, moves through the veins, capillaries and arteries, and the lymph, pushed by muscle contractions, provides drainage and transportation of nutrients. In injuries, muscle tissue fibers are either overly stressed or swollen. Both negatively affect the lymphatic flow. Once compressed by the edematous tissue, the lymph vessels cannot perform their functions. This leads to stagnation of fluid in the intercellular spaces of the muscle, compression of the nerve endings, capillaries and pain.
Stretching the skin, as if to lift it, providing the lymph vessels with space - this is the main principle by which kinesiotopes work. Reviews of people note that a sharp pain after gluing the patch passes very quickly, in about 10-20 minutes. In a problem place, thanks to kinesiotape, blood begins to circulate better, the skin tightens, and the work of nerve endings stabilizes. With all this, the mobility of the joint and muscle is fully preserved.
Application area
Kinesiotape patches are now used very widely. They help with:
- injuries to muscles and joints;
- varicose veins;
- flat feet;
- osteochondrosis;
- painful periods;
- arthritis;
- radiculitis;
- headaches;
- getting rid of scars;
- intervertebral hernia;
- distortion of posture.
Even during pregnancy, it is useful to use kinesiotape. Reviews report that these tapes help fix the stomach, relieve lower back pain, remove swelling of the legs.
New patches are also widely used in pediatrics, especially for posture correction.
Contraindications
One of the main advantages of kinesiotape is that they are treated without medication, that is, they are harmless to the digestive tract, do not enter the bloodstream, and do not cause side effects typical of any pill. But, despite the gentle therapy that the kinesiotope patches perform, the instruction limits the circle of people who can use them. So, plasters are not recommended for use:
- senior citizens;
- everyone with thin sensitive skin;
- allergy sufferers;
- persons suffering from skin diseases;
- all who have open wounds;
- suffering from diabetes;
- cancer patient;
- people with severe renal and heart failure;
- patients with thrombophlebitis.
Osteochondrosis patch treatment
This disease develops with degenerative changes in the articular cartilage in the spine. In osteochondrosis, several stages are distinguished. At the first, called preclinical, initial deformations of the gelatinous nucleus and fibrous ring occur. Patients may experience discomfort from neck and back muscle loads, discomfort bordering on pain, from being in an uncomfortable position, for example, from prolonged work in a sitting position. In the next stage, necrosis of cells, and sometimes the entire gelatinous nucleus, a decrease in the height of the vertebral discs, and a violation of blood circulation gradually occurs. Patients begin to experience local pain, difficulty in moving, for example, bending, turning the head. It is at these two stages that kinesiotape gives an excellent result. With osteochondrosis they are used in conjunction with therapeutic physical exercises. The patch helps the muscles of the back and neck to cope with pain, keeps them in the right position, improves blood flow and lymphatic drainage.
There are several methods of applying teip to the neck. Which one to apply for each specific patient, the specialist decides. Most often, the first segment of the tape is glued Y-shaped, without tension. The second piece is placed perpendicular to the first approximately in its center. The edges of the tape are rounded. With crankshaft, scoliosis, "buffalo hump" kinesiotape also helps. Their use in the last stages of osteochondrosis practically does not give an effect. At the final stage of the disease, irreversible changes have already occurred in the intervertebral discs, and the patient feels severe pain, is not able to carry the load, constantly experiences discomfort from any of his movements. In such a situation, kinesiotape can only be used as a good complement to more effective treatments.
Varicose veins treatment
Varicose, that is, swelling and protruding under the skin, can expand any veins, including those located in the internal organs, but visually we see only varicose veins on the legs. It is on the lower extremities that the maximum load falls when walking, without which there is no normal life. Dr. Kenzo Case has developed a methodology that helps kinesiotape to cope with the problem of diseased veins. With varicose veins for various reasons, the venous valves become too weak. Because of this, they cannot cope with the blood pressure that is always present in the blood vessels, the walls of the veins become thinner, respectively, their diameter increases, characteristic nodes appear. But even before the swollen veins become clearly visible, the sick person experiences heaviness in his legs, fatigue when walking, long standing. Often, swelling of the legs, night cramps, and pain in the veins are added to the symptoms of varicose veins.
Further development of the disease causes inflammation of the walls of the veins, they swell and close the lumen of the vessels. As a result, blood clots form. This condition is called thrombophlebitis. With it, in no case should adhesive tape be used on problem areas. Kinesiotape is used only for the treatment of varicose veins in the initial stages. The patch is glued on for a short time, allowing sick veins to get the best lymph flow and slightly reduce the pressure on adjacent tissues. As a result, pain decreases, swelling is relieved, convulsions disappear.
Joint treatment
Not only elderly people, but even young people and children can have joint pain for various reasons. In medicine, there are about 20 such diseases. Each has its own characteristics, causes and symptoms. The overall picture is this: degenerative changes occur in the joints , and the joint tissues become inflamed. All this causes pain, restrictions on movement, local changes (redness, swelling). Thanks to advanced technologies, doctors began to use kinesiotape for joint pain. A particularly good effect is achieved with knee problems. Here, ligaments, tendons, inflammation of the meniscus, other injuries, as well as diseases such as arthrosis, diseases of Schlatter, Baker, and Kening can lie in wait for a person. In any case, the patient experiences severe pain at every step. To fix the knee joint, but at the same time leave it some mobility, and use kinesiotape. How to stick the tape on the knee? To do this, one piece of it with a slight tension should be applied on the inside of the knee, the second - on the outside, as if to glue the affected area around the perimeter. The third segment is imposed for maximum fixation perpendicularly below the knee, immediately below the tuberosity region. As a result of such treatment, pain, swelling, inflammation are relieved, joint flexibility and elasticity are improved.
Help with painful periods
About 70% of girls and women are familiar with various unpleasant sensations that occur during menstruation. In medicine, this condition is called algomenorrhea. She has three degrees:
- mild (minor short-term pain before or at the beginning of menstruation);
- medium (in addition to pains in the lower abdomen, malaise, nausea, lower back pain are observed);
- severe (pain up to loss of consciousness, vomiting, fever, tachycardia, diarrhea).
Various causes can cause algomenorrhea - from almost harmless ones, such as stagnation of blood in the uterus and contraception, to very serious inflammatory processes, fibrosis and oncology. Every woman should find out the cause of her pain from a gynecologist. If they are not associated with pathological diseases of the genital organs, you can use kinesiotape during menstruation. The instruction tells in detail how to stick them in such cases. This is done crosswise. The first patch patch is mounted horizontally in the area between the navel and pubis, the second vertically in the same place. The third is again horizontal, but already on the lower back. Wear kinesiotape for at least 5 days. As a result, blood and lymph circulation improves, muscles are supported. This helps to completely relieve pain in the lower abdomen and lower back or significantly reduce it.
How to choose the right kinesiotape
The simplicity of the unique patch design led to the fact that many companies were engaged in its release. Now in the market of medical products you can find outwardly similar, but different in quality kinesiotape. The price from different manufacturers varies from 200 to 900 rubles per roll. Kenzo Case himself advises to purchase Kinesio Tex products. Practice shows that teips of this company meet all the required parameters - they stay on the body for up to 5 days, do not stick off after water procedures, almost never cause allergies (only in rare cases in people with hypersensitive skin). In addition to the manufacturer, Dr. Case advises paying attention to the color of the tape. It turns out that teips do color not for the sake of beauty, but taking into account the therapeutic possibilities of color. So, red helps to reduce puffiness, blue and blue cool better, pink relaxes more.
In addition to Kinesio Tex products, RehabTape, RockTape and BBTape from Korean manufacturers are also popular. There are also Chinese kinesiotapes on sale. The price is much lower, but the quality is poor.
However, it’s not so important whether you have Chinese teip, Korean or American, in any case it must be hermetically sealed, have a production date, expiration date, logo, marking for slicing, data on size, country of manufacture, brand name and website, as well as the address of the company. If any of the above is missing, there is a high probability that the seller offers a fake.
Reviews
Today, a lot of people have already experienced the healing effect of new-fangled therapeutic plasters. They are used in their practice by doctors, masseurs, and trainers. About taping broadcasts where they learn how to use the new treatment method correctly. Therefore, many want to buy kinesiotape. In pharmacies, unfortunately, this product is almost impossible to find. But on the Internet there are lots of offers, even with home delivery. Judging by the reviews, for most consumers, new teips help cope with pain in muscles and joints. However, there are those who were disappointed. There may be several reasons for this:
- low-quality kinesiotape;
- incorrect tape overlay on the problem area;
- a health problem that cannot be resolved with the patch.
In general, the kinesiotape advantages noted in the reviews:
- quick relief of pain;
- the opportunity to swim with a plaster, visit the pool;
- therapeutic effect.
Noted disadvantages:
- allergic reactions to the skin at the patch;
- not for all pain helps.