Colourful Patches: Benefits of Kinesio Tape - Zborai Method

We first came across kinezio tape - coloured stickers stuck to the body - at the 2010 football World Cup, and many of us were left wondering what they were for, what colour meant what use, what was the point? In this article, we'll tell you all about these magical coloured patches, how to use them and the benefits.  

What are these patches?

Today there are over 50 brands of kinesiology tape on the market, but the original product, Kinesio tape or Kinesio Tex Tape, was developed in the late 1970s by Dr Kenzo Kase, a Japanese chiropractor who wanted a tape that would provide support and help the muscles without restricting movement.

If you've ever watched a volleyball match, a cycling race or a football match, you may have noticed these colourful strips of tape, in random (or even neat) colours, patterns and lengths, stuck to the athlete's shoulders, knees, thighs and abs. A kinesiology tape is a therapeutic tape that is applied to the body to provide support, relieve pain, reduce swelling and improve performance.

How does the kinezio tape work?

Its inventor, Kase, created Kinesio tape with a patented blend of cotton and nylon. It's designed to mimic the elasticity of the skin, so you can use the full range of motion when taped to you, with no restrictions. The tape's medical-grade adhesive is waterproof and strong enough to stay on you for three to five days, even during exercise or showers. That's why it won't fall off during exercise.

When the tape is applied, it immediately retracts slightly, gently lifting the skin. This can help create a microscopic space between the skin and the underlying tissue, which in turn naturally enhances performance, reduces fatigue, reduces the risk of injury and is comfortable.

The use of kinezio tape

The tapes have several - effective - applications. We're not saying it's a magic bullet, but in many cases it can help us significantly. 

If you have any muscle injuries (strained, sore, inflamed or just want to avoid them) it's a great choice on its own, but kinesiology taping is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments such as manual therapy, but also to relieve pain and swelling.

Kinesiology tapes provide extra support to muscles or joints in need. That's why you often see them on competitive athletes, of course they are not taped for weak muscles but rather for muscle protection. If you use them as an ordinary person, they can help to rebuild (i.e. rehabilitate) muscles that have lost function or that have been thoroughly weakened, for example after surgery, but they can also be used to improve posture in the head and neck, and even help stroke patients recover. 

Which colour means what?

You will have noticed that the ribbons are different colours. This is not because of fashion, but because each colour has a different effect. Warm coloured ribbons energise, cold ones cool, reduce inflammation. The blue kinezo tape tape cools, the black (interestingly) enhances the effect of the red and blue, it is an indicator, the beige kinezotape tape is calming and almost invisible. Pink relaxes and orange relieves muscle tension. Red energises, purple (dark purple) harmonises green is recommended for arthritis and yellow stimulates the nervous system. White is purifying. 

I also use kinezotape tapes (most of the time) as part of my therapy. If something hurts, if it's uncomfortable come to me, I'll help you with the tapes!