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PrintMedical Reports: Taping Injuries
Olympic and professional athletes have been using it for years, and now a special tape that helps their performance is being used on regular people to help them recover from injuries. 7's Richard Lemus has the story.
WSVN -- For 22-year-old Carlos Villamizar working out at the gym isn't a chore, it's a passion.
Carlos Villamizar: "It is an important part of my life."
But last year, a painful problem made lifting weights nearly impossible!
Carlos Villamizar: "I felt like someone had stabbed me in the back with a knife."
A pinched nerve caused the muscles in his upper back to weaken. Doctors told Carlos surgery wasn't an option and it would take two years to heal!
Carlos Villamizar: "Two years was not acceptable in my standards."
Instead of waiting he turned to physical therapy and this special tape.
Christopher Stavres, Physical Therapist, Tallahassee Memorial Health-care: "So, this stays up, and it stays out like that, and what we want is for it to stay back and stay down."
It's called Kinesio tape. It works by being stretched and placed on the skin over injured muscles and joints.
Christopher Stavres: "You can apply this tape in such a manner that it will help to aid the contraction of that muscle group."
The tape also improves circulation and helps remove painful fluid buildup.
Christopher Stavres: "As the Kinesio tape recoils, what it does is that it then creates these convolutions along the skin, which relieve that pressure."
Something that seems to be helping Carlos.
Christopher Stavres: "And you can see how he still has to work a little to get it there, but it's much easier for him. His motion is much smoother to go there."
Physical therapist Trent Nessler says it's not a cure all, but says the tape can have an impact when combined with other therapies.
Trent Nessler, Physical Therapist, Baptist Sports Medicine: "It's another great tool that we can use as a part of a well comprehensive program."
Meanwhile, Carlos is back in the gym lifting weights after using the tape for just three months.
Carlos Villamizar: "To get back in the gym, it's been, it's key to me."
Getting him back on track much faster.
The tape typically stays on for three to five days before needing to be reapplied. A roll costs about $15 and is applied by a specially trained physical therapist.
For More Information, Contact:
Christopher Stavres, PT
Tallahassee Memorial Health-Care
Tallahassee, FL
Christopher.stavres@tmh.org
http://www.tmh.org