The Importance of Athletic Tape and When to Use It

16 Jun.,2025

 

The Importance of Athletic Tape and When to Use It

The world of sports and fitness is a constantly evolving one. It seems that every week, athletes are trying something new to enhance their performance and preserve their body’s health. Even those who are simply looking to maintain their own personal fitness are trying new and trendy exercise preparation methods. One method that remains effective and has withstood the test of time is the use of athletic tape. From track stars and NBA players to those just beginning their fitness journey, the benefits of athletic tape can help any exerciser improve their workout and, more importantly, stay injury free. Here are some of the different types of athletic tape and how they might help you.

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Preventing Injury

Traditional taping is one of the most common methods of preventing injury, especially among athletes. This is a method that involves using a more rigid athletic tape in an effort to keep muscles or bones in a certain position. This is especially used in areas of the body near joints, such as ankles, wrists, and hands. This added support can help prevent sprains, breaks, or other injuries that may occur from exercise and competitive sports.

Athletes also use less restrictive tape to help prevent injuries. Elastic therapeutic tape is one of the most popular types of athletic tape. Its popularity skyrocketed after the Beijing Olympics when most of the athletes were seen wearing the colorful material on their skin while competing. What makes this athletic tape important is that it is used during exercise preparation in an effort to slightly lift the skin, leaving enough room between the skin and muscles to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage. Essentially, the increased flow can help prevent muscle cramps, spasms, and other common athletic injuries. Athletic tape is also unique in that it does not restrict the range of motion, allowing athletes to maintain their flexibility and comfort while exercising or competing. In fact, this athletic tape has been known to increase the range of motion for athletes since it reduces inflammation. If you’re somebody who suffers from chronic muscle fatigue or cramps, the athletic tape could be the key to alleviate this during your workouts. Though useful, elastic therapeutic tape should always be applied by a certified athletic training professional to prevent injury and increase effectiveness.

Rehabilitation

Though athletic tape can help prevent injuries caused by exercise, injuries can, unfortunately, still occur. When they do, athletic tape can be the effective remedy you need. The use of traditional athletic tape in limiting the range of motion for certain muscles and joints can help the body heal faster versus if the movement was not restricted. It can also serve as a splint for sprained joints, which helps the injury heal at a much faster rate as well. By compressing the muscle, traditional athletic tape can help decrease swelling, which can alleviate pain and prevent further injury.

Elastic therapeutic tape is used for the same reasons but in different ways. By helping to increase blood flow in the injured area, athletic tape decreases swelling which alleviates pain. The elasticity of the athletic tape can also serve as support for the affected muscles. It naturally goes back to its original position, which takes some of the workload off of the athlete’s muscle. When the athlete is well enough to return to their sport or activity, the tape can help support the previously affected area from re-injury and keep any pain at bay. Athletic tape can also help correct any form issues that may stem from injury or preexisting conditions. A trainer can perform a runner’s analysis to apply the tape in an optimal position for their injury, helping fix their form and prevent further harm.

Chronic Issues

Though athletic tape is often associated with fitness and athletes, it can also be used to help treat certain issues of chronic pain that people may suffer from. Athletic tape, specifically elastic therapeutic tape, has been used to relieve discomfort caused by chronic pain. Rather than resort to surgery or painkillers, athletic tape has been known to decrease some of the pain caused by this common ailment for more than 100 million Americans. Using athletic tape on the back and neck has also been used to alleviate headaches and migraines. By helping improve a person’s posture and allowing easier blood flow in the neck and back, wearers of athletic tape have reported less frequent headaches and a decreased severity in their migraines. It can also be used to help with other conditions such as carpal tunnel and tendonitis, which goes to show that you do not necessarily need to be an athlete to appreciate the importance, usefulness and capabilities of athletic tape.

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When Should You Use Kinesiology Tape?

Kinesiology tape is a therapeutic tape used for supporting joints and muscles. It is meant to help reduce pain and is regularly used by physical therapists, athletes, and athletic trainers. It is making a big difference in the areas of physical therapy, pain management, and sports performance. So, when should you use kinesiology tape and what are its benefits? At Advanced Manual Therapy Institute, we would like to answer this question based on our experience and expertise.

Basic Benefits of Kinesiology Taping

Kinesiology taping provides you with a wide range of benefits. There are multiple research studies to support these benefits. The basic benefits of this technique are as follows:

  • Reducing or relieving pain
  • Decreasing inflammation
  • Reducing swelling
  • Promoting circulation, muscle activation, and proprioceptive mechanisms

Thus, the therapist in your Las Vegas therapy clinic may use kinesiology tape to provide you relief from pain, reduce swelling, and/or prevent the reoccurrence of injuries. It can help improve blood flow to the area where it is applied. Studies also show that the use of kinesiology tape in older adults reduced their risk of falls. It helped improve dynamic surface balance when used in women who had a history of falling.

Uses of Kinesiology Tape

Some of the different reasons why kinesiology tape is used are as follows:

1. Treating Injuries

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Kinesiology taping is often used in physical therapy in Las Vegas as a treatment option for injuries. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, this technique is more effective when it is used along with other treatment options. It has shown positive effects in improving chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Some of the common types of injuries which are treated with the help of kinesiology taping include the following:

  • Quad Strain: Quad strain may be caused by a combination of different factors including over-usage, impact, and dehydration. You can develop quad strain if you engage in a sport or activity that requires a lot of running.
  • Hamstring Strain: Such strain is caused when you are sprinting and stopping abruptly. Various sports that can cause quad strain can also cause hamstring strain. 
  • Knee Injuries: Kinesiology taping for the back of the knee has been known to help address a wide range of problems including baker’s cyst, overextension, hamstring tightness, and bursitis.
  • Ankle Stability: Everyone has sprained their ankle at one point in their life. If you get your ankle slightly tweaked every now and then, it is recommended to tape it up before engaging in activities that can cause a twist. Examples of such activities include soccer, trail running, and basketball.
  • Plantar Fasciitis: If you have inflammation of the plantar fascia, your Las Vegas physical therapist may suggest kinesiology taping. Plantar fasciitis is caused by factors such as poorly fitting shoes, poor ankle mobility, and over usage. The use of taping before the activity when combined with post-activity acing can help reduce pain and discomfort. 

Some of the other injuries that can be improved or prevented with kinesiology taping include Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and tennis elbow.

2. Re-Training Muscles

Kinesiology taping also helps in re-training the muscles that no longer function to their full capability. It also re-trains muscles that have become used to unhealthy or improper ways of functioning. For example, the taping technique is often used for correcting the posture of the neck and head. It has also delivered positive effects in improving the way stroke patients walk. Many Las Vegas physical therapists believe that the sensation of having tape on your skin makes you more aware of your posture.

3. Managing Scars

The use of kinesiology tape is not recommended on open wounds. Still, there are research studies that show that the tape is capable of improving the long-term appearance of scars received from injuries and surgeries. It is recommended to discuss this form of treatment with your Las Vegas occupational therapist and doctor first.

4. Support Weak Areas

Kinesiology taping is also used for providing additional support to joints and muscles that are weak. Some of the conditions or injuries where this is suggested include:

  • IT band friction syndrome
  • Patellofemoral stress syndrome
  • Achilles tendonitis

Kinesiology tape is different from athletic tape and white medical tape in that it allows you to move normally. According to some research studies, this form of taping can improve not just movement, but also endurance. Studies involving athletes have demonstrated performance improvement when the tap is used on fatigued muscles.

5. Improved Performance

Many athletes rely on kinesiology taping for improving their performance while keeping safe against injury. Runners often use it whenever they have to run a marathon. Your Las Vegas physical therapist can place the tape along your glute to help wake up the muscle. This ‘reminds’ the muscle to keep working.

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