Athletes are always looking for the newest invention to better their game and have an extra competitive edge. Often athletes seek the advice of athletic trainers to learn about the effectiveness of such products. In the upcoming three weeks, I will discuss the following popular sports medicine fads: Kinesiotape, Power Balance Bands and Phiten Technology.
Kinesiotape was first founded in 1979 by Dr. Kenzo Kase, but its popularity really exploded into the public eye during the 2008 Olympics when U.S. Volleyball player Keri Walsh sported the tape during matches. According to the Kinesiotape website, Kinesiotaping claims to “facilitate the body’s natural healing process while allowing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion.” The research, however, has found conflicting evidence. Multiple research studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of kinesiotape. A study in 2010 compared ankle bracing to kinesiotape and found no apparent differences between the methods. The study proved that kinesiotape did not provide any extra benefit to competition or reduce the time to return to play.
A second study analyzed kinesiotape’s effects on blood flow. This study, from 2011, looked into the theory that the application of the tape should slightly lift the skin, allowing for increased blood flow. The results of the study concluded that there was no significant difference established between using kinesiotape and athletic tape.
After analyzing the given studies, the research shows that kinesiotape provides no significant support or healing benefits. These research studies were set up very differently to examine different components of kinesiotape, and both experiments were unable to prove that kinesiotape had any sort of benefit over normal athletic tape or no tape at all. The placebo effect, the mere belief that a treatment works, of the tape may be what makes it effective in the athletic population.
Upcoming Next Week: Check out what the research says about Power Balance Bands
No comments:
Post a Comment