Kinesiotape: What Is It and How Does It Work?

If you’ve been at a race in the past few years, you may have noticed surrounding runners donning brightly colored tape on various parts of their bodies. Kinesiotape, such as KT tape, has gained popularity over the last 10 years as a form of injury prevention and recovery.

Whether you’re new to running or a seasoned marathoner, kinesiotape can provide a multitude of benefits. It’s most commonly used for pain relief, alignment and structural support.

Dr. David Rudnick is a chiropractor specializing in sports medicine in Boynton Beach, Florida. In a phone interview, Rudnick says he utilizes kinesiotape for “muscle strains, achilles tendinopathies and plantar fasciitis.”

“It’s also great for bruising either post-surgically or trauma related,” he says.

Kinesiotape is thick, elastic, heat-activated sports tape. Once applied, it pulls the skin away from the muscle underneath to help increase circulation to that area. The tape offers different levels of stretch.

“When using it to provide pain relief, one would focus on a greater amount of stretch to help relieve tension from that area,” according to Dr. Greg Chomko, PT, DPT. “When the goal is to help improve alignment, you don’t need to use as much tension or ‘stretch.’”

The tape is safe for sensitive skin as well as gentle enough for thin-skinned aging individuals. It is latex free, hypoallergenic and may be worn for days at a time.

Another time your form changes is during a long run, as you become more fatigued. A study completed in 2014 aimed to see if kinesiotaping would have any effect on stride and step length in fatigued runners. Forty-two healthy individuals participated in this study. The tape was placed on the front side of the lower limbs of half of the participants.

Each person then underwent an exhaustive lower body fatigue protocol until they reached their VO2 max. At the end of the study, the no-tape group demonstrated a shorter step length, while the taped group did not exhibit any changes in step length. This suggests that kinesiotape may prevent your form from changing as you become fatigued.

While research has shown that kinesiotape can be beneficial in improving the form of healthy runners, can it help with injuries?

A frequent injury among runners is knee pain. While there can be many reasons you experience knee pain, a common cause is patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). PFPS is when pain is felt under or around the kneecap. This occurs when tendons and ligaments become tight and pull the patella in different directions. This causes pain to increase with activity or after sitting for long periods of time when the knee is bent.

One study, published in 2018, looked to see if kinesiotape would decrease the pain associated with PFPS in runners. The researchers found that the kinesiotape helped decrease the amount of knee flexion during the swing phase of running, which can in turn help reduce pain or stress to the knee joint.

Another prevalent injury among runners is ankle sprains. While running outside comes with the benefits of fresh air and beautiful scenery, it also comes with the added risk of injury on uneven roads and terrain.

A systematic review conducted by Wilson et al. looked at the effects of kinesiotape in relevance to ankle sprains. The study found that while kinesiotape can help prevent lateral ankle injuries, it does not provide enough support for an already unstable ankle.

Kinesiotape can be applied to the majority of the body. There are many different taping methods, depending on its intended purpose. Prior to taping, make sure the skin is clean and dry. Remove any excess hair from the area to help avoid any unwanted waxing when removing the tape.

• Cut the tape to an appropriate length for the area it is being applied to and round the edges.
  • If applying a significant amount of tension, the tape should be slightly shorter than the length of where it is being applied.
• Remove the backing from one end of the tape and apply the first piece, the anchor, without tension.
  • Gently rub the tape to activate the adhesive.
• Apply the rest of the tape with the desired tension and rub to activate it.

The tape will last up to 3 days. It’s safe to shower and swim with the tape on, just pat it dry afterwards.

The tape can be cut in a variety of ways, but the three most commonly utilized are:

• I-cut
  • This is most predominantly used along large muscles and across specific points of pain
• Y-cut
  • This is commonly used to tape across different muscles or angles, for example, when taping across the knee joint.
• Fan cut
  • This method is used to help reduce swelling to an area and provides a lower amount of tension.

Kinesiotape can be stretched during application, anywhere from 25 percent to 75 percent. The greater the amount of the stretch, the more support the tape will supply.

To achieve 75 percent stretch, pull the cut piece of tape to its full stretch capacity and then release about a quarter of its length.

To achieve 50 percent stretch, pull the cut piece of tape to its full stretch capacity and then release about half of its length.

To achieve 25 percent stretch, pull the cut piece of tape about a quarter of its length.

While the effectiveness of kinesiology tape still requires more research, it may provide support, decrease pain and reduce swelling while helping to improve the way your muscles work during running. It’s a cheap, non-invasive solution for runners who are experiencing pain while running.

The information on this website is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.