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Colorful body tape makes a big appearance at the Olympic Games
Posted at: 08/09/2012 5:56 PM
| Updated at: 08/09/2012 6:04 PM
By: Subrina Dhammi
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ALBANY - It has emerged during the London games as a fashion trend, but experts say it, in fact, has some physical benefits.
It's called Kinesio tape, named for the Japanese doctor who invented it. It's light, stretchy, and you can barely feel it. It's something 26-year-old Jessica Poloski has started using, after injuring her knee three times. The Nathan Littauer Hospital intern says the tape helps take away the pain while she runs.
"It takes away a lot of the pain, it doesn't restrict the motion, it feels good," said Poloski.
Bill Oates, the Director of Sports Medicine and the Rehabilitation Department with the hospital, says the tape mimics the quality of skin. And while it's heat activated, there's no medicine in the adhesive. It helps to stabilize and support injured or strained muscles. Oates says they use it a lot on their physical therapy patients.
"70% of kinesio taping today is actually for non-athletes," said Oates. "Research suggests by athletic trainers and therapists that work with the Olympics that they feel the same way, there's strong evidence to support their patient outcomes."
The color of the tape is a personal preference. And while it's available online, Oates suggests having an expert apply it for you.
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