What Is the Purpose of Athletic Tape?
Do you ever wonder why athletes use athletic tape? Allow us to explain the benefits and purpose of using athletic tape in this guide.
The athletic tape has substantial effects on muscle activities. Athletes are often exposed to injuries during various activities. To ensure they can pull through and complete the sport, maintaining their muscles and bones in a stable position is essential. To accomplish this without getting to a hospital is, therefore, possible through the application of athletic tape.
Another use of the tape is during exercise to manage or prevent an injury. Although the use of tapes is not clinically tested, its use still gaining popularity from all walks of life.
Athletic Tape: How It Works
When a body tissue experiences injury due to overuse or impact, lymphatic fluid builds, causing swelling or inflammation. As the fluid accumulates, your muscles experience increased pressure, hence develop pain or significant discomfort.
However, when you apply this tape correctly, it decompresses the layers of fascia and lifts the skin to allow lymphatic fluid movement. The fluid removes waste products, bacteria, cellular, and debris and transports white blood cells.
Types of Tape
These tapes come in a wide range, and they all have respective purposes. If you are thinking of venturing into the taping world, here are a few types to consider.
Elastic Tape
Just as the name suggests, elastic tape is designed using flexible material for high flexibility. When applying it, it offers added flexibility to your muscles, skin, and soft tissues.
It also features cotton material, which allows your skin to breathe comfortably and transmit moisture.
Rigid Tape
This tape is stiff and it helps in reducing or holding joint movement. It has zinc-oxide glue, which holds on the skin to minimize movement completely. If you are looking for a piece of adhesive testing equipment, the rigid tape will work well.
Under Tape
It’s almost similar to rigid tape but is kind to the skin. Under tape is tight to the skin but it also allows your skin to breathe without moving the injured part.
Cohesive Bandages
Cohesive bandage works as a barrier. It doesn’t have glue on it but it sticks together, making your skin feel more comfortable. This tape guarantees to minimize muscle movement to eliminate possibilities of increasing the injury.
How to Tape
Although this tape is designed explicitly to tape areas that experience pain, there are dos and don’ts of taping to put in consideration.
If your injury involves an open scar, taping is not suitable. Avoid taping on areas where the skin is hypersensitive or has active psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis.
If you’re undergoing a particular medical treatment, taping shouldn’t be in your mind. However, in case you tape up and are experiencing numbness, take the tape off.
Using Athletic Tape
Taping up helps athletes to experience super comfortable even when under pain. With athletic tape, it gets easy to correct dislocations and other soft tissue injuries. However, before taking on this road of treatment, it is essential to communicate with your doctor to ensure the injury is not acute.
Additionally, if you’re thinking of getting a tape, but you are not sure which type fits well, check out our blog and learn more.