KT Tape: Therapeutic Kinesiology Tape

Here at Wrist Supports, we love to put a spotlight on some of our favourite brands, and showcase why they may work for you. KT Tape is an elastic sports tape that has been designed to relieve pain while supporting muscles, tendons and ligaments around the body. With the company headquarters based in Utah, KT Tape offers a wide variety of different sports tapes designed to keep athletes healthy and empowering them to perform with confidence.

What is KT Tape Made From?

The Original line of KT Tapes are made from 100% natural cotton fibres with specialised elastic cores, ensuring unidirectional elasticity  and providing stable support without restricting range of motion like most traditional athletic tapes. The KT Tape Pro range uses highly engineered, ultra-durable synthetic fabric with 30% stronger elastic cores for additional support. The Pro tapes also allow for moisture release, which is crucial for comfort and wearability, allowing user to wear them comfortably for long periods of time.

How Does KT Tape Work?

When an area of the body has been injured from over-use or impact from a fall, lymphatic fluid, which contains infection-fighting white blood cells, builds up around the injured area and causes inflammation and swelling. The accumulation of lymphatic fluid causes increased pressure around the joints, muscles and tissue, which causes a significant amount of discomfort or pain depending on the severity of the injury.

When used correctly, KT Tape lifts the skin and decompresses the layers of tissue beneath the skin, allowing the lymphatic fluid to spread out more evenly. This promotes better blood flow for the area, and allows greater movement of white blood cells throughout the body, removing waste products, cellular debris and bacteria. 

Why Should I Use KT Tape?

KT Tape helps reduce the pressure to the tissue and in turn reduces discomfort or pain. Correct taping also provides support to muscles by improving the muscle's ability to contract, even when it is weak, and aids in not letting it over-contract or over-extend.

This is why KT Tape is suitable for anyone who lives an active lifestyle. Whether you are training for a marathon, reaching a personal fitness goal, or just getting through your day, KT Tape ensures that you won't be slowed down by pain and injury. Since it is so lightweight, KT Tape is comfortable to wear all day and is suitable for many commonly occurring injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, sprained wrists, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and tennis elbow.

How to Use KT Tape for the Wrist

The wrist is made up for many small bones, tendons and ligaments that provide range of motion, stability and versatility. As well as working on other parts of the body, KT Tape is especially great at stabilising the wrist to ensure that it doesn't get injured and slow down your routine. Below is a short video from KT Tape headquarters to show you how to properly tape up your wrist.

Some tips to bear in mind before use:

• Ensure skin is clean, dry and free from any oils or lotions
• Cleaning the skin with alcohol ensures a stronger adhesive bond
• Apply the tape one hour before beginning any activity
• Don't overstretch the tape to avoid irritation or skin abrasions
• Don't stretch the ends of the tape
• Trim any excess hair and apply tape directly to skin where possible

KT Tape at Wrist Supports

Here at Wrist Supports, we understand that sometimes wearing a brace isn't the best option, as it can get in the way of regular life. Which is why we stock a large range of KT Tape so that you can have flexible and stable support that can easily be worn under clothes, and doesn't hinder your daily activities. Have a browse of the range today and increase your mobility.

Have you ever used KT Tape? Let us know in the comments below or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter.