The Uses of Athletic Tape
Many people would love to engage in sports activities.
Why not, when it translates to a wide variety of health benefits.
But the catch is - ouch! - when the athlete encounters injuries.
Times like these, whether it is a wound or a sprained ankle, the tool for healing or for avoiding such kinds of injuries that most sports aficionados turn to is the athletic tape.
The Scoop On: Athletic Tapes So, just what is an athletic tape? It is an basically a kind of bandage which has the following uses: 1.
To keep arms, wrists, ankles or joints that have suffered from injuries such as sprains or fractures steady and immobile, thus hastening treatment and avoiding them to be injured further 2.
When taped around the palms or on sports tools such as baseball or hockey bats or sticks, the tool helps hasten the player's hold or grip on the sports tool, thus increasing their chances of winning a game It usually comes in many types, which an athlete could choose from depending on the following factors: his purpose in using it, the level of comfort he wishes to have, how much support he wishes to be accorded to him by the tool, and how long he prefers to have it on him.
Following are the most common kinds of tapes: 1.
Regular or conventional athletic tapes - these are the most common kinds that are sold in the market.
These provide support and comfort to the user for around 3 to 4 hours only.
2.
Adhesive athletic tapes - these are tapes that have adhesives on it, which provide for more convenient attaching.
3.
Non-adhesive athletic tapes - these, on the other hand, are tapes that need to be tied or taped to be able to adhere on the skin 4.
Cotton athletic tapes - tapes made of cotton, the purpose of which is to allow the skin to breathe and to help in keeping irritating sweat off the skin 5.
Kinesio athletic tapes - the newest kind of tapes in the market.
This is also known in the market as KT.
It is a kind of adhesive tape that also has the comforting properties of cotton tapes, and it can be remain taped on the skin for a maximum period of up to 3 days.
Aside from that, kinesio tapes are also held to be the best when it comes to controlling damage in the area of concentration.
Using the Athletic Tape Using it involves the initials TWC, which stand for taping, wrapping, and changing.
Taping - cut off about 2 to 3 strips, depending on the need, of athletic tape and tape on to the area where the it is intended to be put.
Ensure that it goes on the limb's direction.
This is important because it keeps the muscles in question steady and immobile.
Wrapping - once it has been secured on to the area of concentration, start wrapping the tape around the area.
Wrap tightly, but not too much, so that blood flow to the area will still be normal.
Changing - depending on the kind of tape used, they usually have a life span of up to two days, after which, the user would need to change it.
But if the user continues to engage in active sports, then he might have to change it every time it gets dirty, which may be after every two hours.
Why not, when it translates to a wide variety of health benefits.
But the catch is - ouch! - when the athlete encounters injuries.
Times like these, whether it is a wound or a sprained ankle, the tool for healing or for avoiding such kinds of injuries that most sports aficionados turn to is the athletic tape.
The Scoop On: Athletic Tapes So, just what is an athletic tape? It is an basically a kind of bandage which has the following uses: 1.
To keep arms, wrists, ankles or joints that have suffered from injuries such as sprains or fractures steady and immobile, thus hastening treatment and avoiding them to be injured further 2.
When taped around the palms or on sports tools such as baseball or hockey bats or sticks, the tool helps hasten the player's hold or grip on the sports tool, thus increasing their chances of winning a game It usually comes in many types, which an athlete could choose from depending on the following factors: his purpose in using it, the level of comfort he wishes to have, how much support he wishes to be accorded to him by the tool, and how long he prefers to have it on him.
Following are the most common kinds of tapes: 1.
Regular or conventional athletic tapes - these are the most common kinds that are sold in the market.
These provide support and comfort to the user for around 3 to 4 hours only.
2.
Adhesive athletic tapes - these are tapes that have adhesives on it, which provide for more convenient attaching.
3.
Non-adhesive athletic tapes - these, on the other hand, are tapes that need to be tied or taped to be able to adhere on the skin 4.
Cotton athletic tapes - tapes made of cotton, the purpose of which is to allow the skin to breathe and to help in keeping irritating sweat off the skin 5.
Kinesio athletic tapes - the newest kind of tapes in the market.
This is also known in the market as KT.
It is a kind of adhesive tape that also has the comforting properties of cotton tapes, and it can be remain taped on the skin for a maximum period of up to 3 days.
Aside from that, kinesio tapes are also held to be the best when it comes to controlling damage in the area of concentration.
Using the Athletic Tape Using it involves the initials TWC, which stand for taping, wrapping, and changing.
Taping - cut off about 2 to 3 strips, depending on the need, of athletic tape and tape on to the area where the it is intended to be put.
Ensure that it goes on the limb's direction.
This is important because it keeps the muscles in question steady and immobile.
Wrapping - once it has been secured on to the area of concentration, start wrapping the tape around the area.
Wrap tightly, but not too much, so that blood flow to the area will still be normal.
Changing - depending on the kind of tape used, they usually have a life span of up to two days, after which, the user would need to change it.
But if the user continues to engage in active sports, then he might have to change it every time it gets dirty, which may be after every two hours.
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