Sports Tape is designed to be applied along muscles. Ligaments or tendons (being soft tissue). The idea is that the tape being placed in the correct region can provide a lightweight level of external support that means that you may be able to remain more active whilst in the recovery phase of a sports injury. So if you are training for your first marathon or trying to reach a personal fitness goal you may know that nothing slows you down faster than any pain, niggles or injury.
KT tape is comfortable to wear, lightweight and can be used for hundreds of sporting injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, or tennis elbow. KT tape is a top Sports Tape brand, and KT Tape creates neuromuscular feedback (called proprioception) that inhibits (relaxes) or facilitates stronger firing of the muscles or tendons. This feedback creates support without the need for a bulky, heavy, restrictive or sweaty traditional sports bandage or bracing.
KT Tape comes in either reinforced 100% cotton sheathes (Original Cotton KT Tape), or a specially engineered, ultra-durable and stronger synthetic construction (Pro KT Tape). Both materials provide multi directional elasticity so that the tape can stretch in length but not in width. The idea of this is that the fibres provide stable support without restricting motion. KT tape's Matrix Mesh allows for moisture release which is key for most sport to keep you comfortable and drier. The more porous the tape weave the better it releases moisture caused by sweating or being used in water (eg swimmers or divers). The design is breathable, comfortable and can be worn for up to 5 days at a time without itching or irritation to the skin.
The synthetic also has reflective safety print so it is safer to use in low light, for example if you are a runner going out at night.
The cotton tape is designed to be worn 1 to 3 days, whereas the synthetic can be used 4 to 7 days. finally, the synthetic is waterproof whereas the cotton is not. Both come in a variety of colour and number of strip options.
Pro X patches are a new product from KT and they are designed for targeted relief for muscle pain, overuse injuries, and tendon related pain and injuries. They are made from synthetic microfiber so can be used by surfers, sailors, swimmers, or triathletes. Finally, Pro X uses an acrylic based ad medical grade adhesive that is gentle on the skin.