无论是在健身房，比赛还是物理治疗师办公室, you’ve probably seen kinesiology tape before. Usually, it looks like colorful strips of tape placed in patterns over shoulder blades, around knees or along someone’s back. So what is it, and what does it actually do? Here’s what you need to know.
什么是KT胶带？
“Kinesiology tape is a special type of elastic therapeutic tape that can be used to treat a wide variety of injuries,” explains Hannah Dove, DPT, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified kinesio tape practitioner atProvidence Saint John’s Health Center’s Performance Therapy在加利福尼亚州圣塔莫尼卡。
It’s super versatile and can be applied in hundreds of different ways and stays on the skin for several days, she adds. “It will even stay on in the water or in the shower.”
Kinesiology tape is also different from regular athletic tape. “It is stretchy in one direction (along the length) and it serves to lift the skin,” notes Erwin Seguia, DPT, certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder and owner ofMatch Fit Performance。
WHO SHOULD USE IT AND WHEN?
Dove说，运动机能学胶带最常用于诸如胫骨夹板和肌腱炎等受伤的人。它通常也用于减少手术后的肿胀或改善关节支持。许多人还认为，当以某些方式应用时，它可以改善肌肉功能，关节对准和姿势。
至于使用磁带的最佳时间，这取决于您使用的磁带的原因。塞吉亚说：“如果运动不适，您可以在运动前申请。”“如果您正在寻求锻炼后或受伤肿胀的帮助，请在锻炼后申请。”
Seguia说，虽然大多数人可以安全使用运动机能磁带，但在某些特定情况下，这可能不是一个好主意。任何因神经病变，神经损伤，血液循环不良或非常脆弱/敏感的皮肤而受到感觉降低的人，都应在使用运动型胶带之前对专业人士进行检查。
运动型磁带如何工作？
Kinesiology tape is often used for recovery, to help reduce swelling, assist in scar tissue healing, and to improve sports performance — but exactly how it accomplishes those things is up for debate. “The only thing that is semi-agreed upon is how it reduces swelling: by helping to lift the skin due to the stretch of the tape,” Seguia says. This allows for better circulation to the taped area.
“The reasons it changes and/or affects pain and performance seems to be related to neurological changes,” Seguia notes, but this is not known for certain. Some advocates of kinesiology taping believe it causes physical changes to underlying muscle and tendons, but there’s no strong evidence for this at the moment.
As for how effective kinesiology tape is: We’re not sure. “Anecdotally, many physical therapists and athletic trainers swear that it works,” says Lauren Lobert, DPT, certified strength and conditioning specialist and owner ofAPEX Physical Therapy。她解释说，尽管这对无数患者有所帮助，但这项研究好坏参半。Researchsupports the idea kinesiology tape helps short-term symptoms, but there is likely no long-term effect.
“In my opinion, it is likely not the ‘fix’ to any problem, but for some, it can be effective in short-term management of musculoskeletal symptoms,” Lobert concludes.
如何使用运动型磁带？
If you’re in the market for kinesiology tape, it’s easy to find at your local sporting goods store or online. Some of the most popular brands include:Kinesio,KT Tape和摇滚乐。
尽管一旦知道了如何，专家就可以自行申请，但专家建议您提前获得特定的指示或事先进行录音的原因。洛伯特说：“我强烈建议您获得一名接受此技能培训的医疗保健专业人员，或者至少要观看特定于您的个人状况的视频。”“膝盖预先包装的套件还不够。对于从哪里开始和结束胶带，要拉出哪个方向以及拉多少方向有非常具体的要求。”
If you decide to apply it yourself, make sure your skin is clean and dry beforehand. “If you have any dirt or lotion or oils on your skin, the tape will not last very long and will fall off quickly,” Dove says. “If applied correctly, it can stay on for several days.”
