HOLLISTON, Mass., Sept. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiropractor Dr. Michael Krupa of the Holliston Spine & Sports Center says many people have asked him about the bright tape designs they noticed all over Olympic athletes during the summer. He explains that many elite athletes, sports trainers, orthopedists, chiropractors and acupuncturists use Kinesiology taping to support and protect injured, overworked muscles and soft tissues. Dr. Krupa, who is a certified tape practitioner, adds that he often uses this tape to help patients with a wide variety of sports injuries and even chronic pain conditions. He says that the tape he uses in his office is flexible, hypoallergenic and fits over specific parts of the body.
The Holliston chiropractor explains how this tape differs from traditional athletic tape. "Before this Kinesio tape, athletes used a very inflexible, sticky athletic tape that significantly restricted their motion and also hampered proper fluid drainage and circulation. While that provided support to weakened areas, it actually furthered soft tissue damage. In our office, we use flexible cotton SpiderTech tape that accomplishes its support function while also massaging fluids and circulation in and out of the area. This aids in healing strained, injured muscles."
Dr. Krupa says that they use Kinesiology taping for a wide variety of injuries. He explains that there is a specific X-shaped configuration of tape that he applies over back injuries. According to Dr. Krupa this relieves pain and reduces inflammation to the muscles supporting the spine. There is another tape design he applies over knee injuries as an alternative to knee braces. He says most knee braces are rigid and restrict range of motion, and that while they are useful for more severe injuries, the Spider tape supports natural movement of the knee while relieving stress on the muscles.
Dr. Krupa says that although this type of flexible tape method is new to many people, it has been popular among athletes since the 1980's. The first flexible cotton tape was created in 1979 by Japanese doctor and acupuncturist, Dr. Kenzo Kase. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 50,000 rolls of Kinesio tape were donated to athletes. Athletes and sports enthusiasts have been enjoying its benefits ever since.
Dr. Krupa adds that this athletic tape method also helps prevent muscle strains and overuse, and that it is comfortable to wear. "It breathes and stretches up to about 140 percent, and the adhesive can withstand a few days of sweat and showering. A lot of my patients swear by it!"
Dr. Michael Krupa is a Certified SpiderTech Practitioner and uses it with chiropractic care, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises to treat sports injuries, car accident injuries and other painful conditions. More about Kinesiology taping and sports treatment can be found at http://hollistonspine.com.