Kinesiotherapy: How to relieve pain with colorful patches
For the first time about these colorful ribbons on the body. the general public learned during the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 - then Japanese athletes pasted over with kinesiotes took to the arena. Then they began to use American athletes, and later the whole world. How to remove edema, speed up recovery and maintain the body in the right position with their help, we deal with doctors: a neurologist and manual therapist, kinesiotherapy specialist at the Doctor Chechil Manual Therapy Clinic Yuri Kovtun, Kinesiotherapist of the DOC + mobile clinic Dmitry Ivanov, and head of the department rehabilitation of the Yusupov Hospital by Boris Polyaev.
What is kinesioteyp
Kinesiotape is a thin elastic cotton band that is glued to the skin. It refers to medical supplies like bandages, bandages and adhesive plasters, but it is very different from the latter. Due to its elasticity, kinesiotape does not hinder movement. His “job” is to “pull” the skin away from the tissues located beneath it, facilitating the circulation of blood and lymph - this helps to relieve swelling and pain. The applied tape does not create excessive volume, such as, for example, a bandage - it is usually difficult to put shoes on the bandaged leg.
The kinesiotherapy method was developed in 1973 by a Japanese doctor and sports doctor Kenzo Kase for professional athletes. With injuries, edemas, hematomas, taping helps to recover quickly, without interfering with training and performing at competitions.
How does the tape work?
During any movement, not only the muscles, but also the skin above them change their position. In this case, the brain receives information about the position of the hand - it deciphers the signals from the skin receptors. In case of injury or excessive stress on the muscles, edema occurs; excess fluid begins to press on the fabric, and discomfort appears. If applied to the skin kinesioteyp, it will irritate the mechanoreceptors in this area, reducing discomfort. Remember: having hit, it is enough for us to rub the bruised place to muffle the pain. The fact is that the signal of mechanoreceptors is ahead of the impulses emanating from the pain receptors and blocks them. The superimposed kinesioteup acts on the injured area all the time (as if we were constantly stopping the bruised place), that is, constantly sending signals to the brain through mechanoreceptors, blocking the pain impulse.
On the skin, the kinesio tape "works" 24 hours a day, but it is more active when it moves. It does not contain medicinal substances, is not able to cool or heat the skin, there are no contraindications for it, with the exception of individual intolerance to the glue, some skin and cancer diseases. Teyp well breaths and removes sweat.
Application technique
Before sticking a kinesiotepe, it is important to prepare the skin. If there are hairs on it, they should be trimmed with a trimmer (it is better not to use a razor so that there is no irritation). Then you need to dry the skin with a towel and treat with antiseptic. After that, you can glue the tape, after removing the protective film from it. The kinesiotape has two attachment points, two “anchors” - the beginning and the end. They are attached to the skin without tension, but the active part of the tape, that is, the middle, is tensioned before gluing. The task of the teip is to bring together two “anchors”, and therefore, two areas of skin above the muscle, with each other. So there is a signal that the muscle is shortened. It turns out that the kinesiotape effect “deceives” the brain, prompting it to relax the muscle in order to relieve the spasm faster and reduce the swelling.
According to the kinesiotherapist Dmitry Ivanov, you can master the simple techniques of applying a kinesiotape yourself by watching educational videos or taking special courses. But it happens that it is inconvenient to stick the tape yourself - for example, on the back. In addition, more complex taping techniques require serious knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics, and improper taping is fraught with increased discomfort and pain, so the best option would be to entrust the work to a doctor. The specialist will show and explain how to properly apply a teip in a particular case, and in the future it will be safe to tap the “problem place” by yourself.
Tension and color
The kinesiotype is stretched to a certain length. The degree of tension can be different - from 100 to 190 percent (depending on the brand), but most often tapes with a tension of up to 140 percent are used. Doctor Boris Polyaev notes that a kinesioteup is never glued using maximum tension, but instead it is necessary to stretch the taping area or to correct the position of the body. In the case of fluid accumulation, the area is not stretched at all (tissues are already stretched by edema), and the tape is fixed without tension.
The color palette of kinesiotapes is so diverse that it seems that there is some unique property behind one or another color. But this is a myth: in terms of the severity of the anesthetic effect, kinesioteyps are no different from each other and you can choose any color that you like. In big sports, the color of tapes is often chosen to match the color of the form of an athlete or the flag of the country for which he stands.
Kinesiography and Wrinkles
Kinesiotherapy is not only popular in sports medicine, neurology and manual therapy. This method is increasingly used by dentists (for removal of edema after tooth extraction), ENT doctors (for treating sinusitis), ophthalmologists (for improving blood supply in the eye area) and cosmetologists. Due to the lymphatic drainage effect, kinesiotypes allow smoothing wrinkles on the forehead, around the lips and at the outer corners of the eyes, as well as making an easy face lift: smooth the nasolabial fold, reduce swelling around the eyes, remove the second chin.
Most wrinkles are formed on the face. There is a simple explanation for this: the mimic muscles are directly connected with the skin - at one end they are attached to the periosteum of the skull, and the other to the subcutaneous tissue. When facial muscles contract, wrinkles form. The kinesiotype imposed on these muscles helps to relax them and smooth the skin. If the task is to remove the edema, for example, after thread plastics or injections, kinesioteying will also be relevant (in this case, the elastic tape is glued without strong tension).
For a lifting effect, the skin is tightened with a tape along oblique lines in the direction of the ears and temples - and as a result, the muscles “remember” the new position and begin to tighten the skin themselves. In order to significantly reduce the second chin, you can hold several facial massage sessions, after each of which a kinesioteup is applied for about an hour. Applications are glued with lines in the direction of the nearest lymph nodes - submandibular, cervical, ear and other, without engaging the front of the neck. Yuri Kovtun advises to carry out the procedure a couple of times a week, not forgetting to train the facial muscles with the help of special exercises.
Tapes to correct posture
Unlike rigid corsets, kinesioteyps do not hold down movements. Postural (that is, related to the position of the body) taping serves as a kind of reminder not to slouch. The specialist helps to build the anatomically correct position of the spine, and then glues tapes on the back crosswise, so that if you start to slouch, there is a slight tension that forces your shoulders to straighten. Gradually, a new muscular stereotype is formed, and keeping your back exactly in time becomes a habit.
At first, discomfort may arise: muscles need time to adapt to a new position, but each time discomfort should decrease. According to Yuri Kovtun, even with a strong stoop, there is a chance to significantly improve posture in six months. He recommends applying kinesiotypes once a week for a couple of days. Of course, it is very important to strengthen the back muscles with strength exercises, and if necessary, do a massage and attend manual therapy sessions.
Taping during pregnancy
Kinesiotape is a convenient alternative to the bandage in the third trimester of pregnancy. For back pain or for the prevention of discomfort, elastic tapes are glued to the abdomen - after all, the abdominal muscles counteract the lower back muscles. When the volume of the abdomen increases, there is an excess deflection in the lower back - and the abdominal muscles are over-stretched. The imposition of tapes allows you to tighten the muscles and fascia and at the same time stretch the loaded lower back. Tapes can not be removed up to 3-5 days - this will provide round the clock support. True, kinesiosis is not recommended in the first trimester - but the load on the back during this period is not increased.
Kinesiotherapy and injuries
Physical activity is always associated with microtraumas of the muscles and ligaments. After the load, puffiness occurs: more blood begins to flow to the muscle tissue. For example, if you do not stop at the end of your workout, your muscles will not have time to relax, and the outflow will worsen, which will slow down the recovery. Excessive stress and insufficient recovery provoke injuries. But this does not mean that you need to become less active. Knowing your "sore point", you can use kinesioteip as a prevention of injuries. For example, if the knee cap is unstable, it can be stabilized in a “case” made of elastic tape with sufficient tension.
If you could not avoid injury, kinesiosis will help you recover faster. Immediately after removing the plaster or tight dressing, it is difficult to move - it takes a long time to develop the joint. The action of the tap facilitates movement and improves tissue regeneration. According to Yuri Kovtun, even with a fracture (although without displacement), you can completely abandon the plaster - it is enough to reduce the load on the injured area and tamper it. With this option, the edema will quickly subside and the recovery process will start, and the muscles will have more room to move. But in case of serious injuries with edema and hematoma, it should not be limited to taping.
How to choose and wear kinesioteypy
To choose a high-quality teip, you can focus on its cost: good Japanese kinesioteips cost about 600-1000 rubles for a five-meter roll. The tape should be packaged in a package with a barcode, a well-readable name of the manufacturer, instructions for use. The brand logo must be printed on the protective tape of the tape. In pharmacies, you can find cheap Chinese kinesioteypy - according to Dmitry Ivanov, they often cause severe allergies, do not perform their functions, and do not hold well on the skin.
Cotton kinesioteypes are considered the most popular, but manufacturers also produce synthetic analogues that are more suitable for those who often swim. At the same time, you can take a shower in any kinesiotype - just do not rub them with a washcloth or blow dry.
Photo: Africa Studio - stock.adobe.com (1, 2, 3), Theratape
