Intro to KT Tape- Helpful hints!

The keys to excellent adhesion:

1) Skin Prep - Clean the area with rubbing alcohol. It feels nice and it's going to ensure that the skin is free of oils. Clip hair down if it's excessive. You will be glad you did.

2) If you cut the tape, round those edges back out. The pre-cut strips come with rounded edges, but for any application wherein you made cuts, make sure they are round cuts.

3) Put the skin you are going to tape on stretch. I know that some of the videos and other instructions don't show this clearly, but you want to make sure that the skin being taped is stretched during application.

4) No tension on the ends! I put an exclamation mark because even those of us who have been taping for a long time still make this mistake. For the last inch and half... take the backing off, let go of the tape, take a breath, and then lay it down. The tape is at 10% stretch on the paper backing, so simply "not adding" stretch is still having stretch.

5) Friction rub. Before un-stretching that skin, give it a good rub to generate some heat and activate the adhesive. There's no need to rub it so much that you rub it off, but make sure you get some heat. If you have problems with the corners coming up, use the waxy side of the paper backing to rub the tape down.

6) Apply your tape at least 30 minutes before activity or sweating. An hour is optimal.


Following these 6 simple guidelines will make for a great stick ;)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• kt tape
• kinesio tape
• kinesiology
• method
• instructions

[tsusajop]

@dkohls New video is up about Osgood! Check it out!

[betenivanua]

Nice Videos. Very simple explanations by Chris makes using K tapes easier and user-friendly!

[dkohls]

Thanks, Chris. These videos are terrific. My daughter is a soccer player and has Osgood Schlatters. I'm wondering if you've ever used KT Tape to treat this, and if so what the technique would be.

[tranism]

Thanks for the tips Chris. Your taping techniques have really helped. Cheers!

[yesvinnie]

Just went and bought some tape at Dick's sporting goods. Have a few problems with body. Can you post a video on taping for bankart's lesion? Thank you.