Athletic Tape – Athletic tape is a simple and inexpensive way to reduce injuries among athletes. It helps to stabilize an injured area of the body that is in pain.
It also helps to support muscles and tendons. It is sometimes used in physical therapy to aid in the healing process. Athletic tape is used to provide support and stability for muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Kinesiology tape – Kinesiology tape is an adhesive tape used to treat pain and swelling because of its ability to provide support and stability to joints, muscles, and tendons.
It is also being used by athletes, particularly for increased support of muscles and joints.
It is an enormous alternative to athletic tape, which is manufactured for athletic performance and injury prevention.
It is a type of elastic athletic tape which is around for quite some time, helping patients recover from different injuries.
The k- tape is applied directly to the skin and can be used to provide support for muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. This tape is used regularly and called kinesiology tape because it was created and used to help athletes recover from injuries.
As the popularity of kinesiology tape grew, more companies began manufacturing the K- tapes. They are readily available in almost every pharmacy and sports store. They are available in types for different parts of the body.
The basic types of kinesiology tape: Pre-cut tape for wrists, Pre-cut tape for ankles, Pre-cut tape for elbows and shoulders, Pre-cut tape for knees.
Differentiate between kinesiology tape and athletic tape?
Kinesiology tape and athletic tape are both designed to support muscles and joints, but there are several noticeable differences between these two types of athletic tape.
- Kinesiology tape, also known as Kinesio tape, is a type of athletic tape that is used to provide support and stability to muscles and joints by lifting the skin and underlying tissues. Athletic tape, on the other hand, does not uplift the skin. Instead, it is used to support muscles and joints directly.
- Athletic tape is suitable for use during sports and exercise as it provides support and does not allow the skin to breathe as much as Kinesiology tape which is designed for everyday use.
- More specifically, athletic tape is a cotton-based tape that is suitable for use on joints, bony prominences, and problem areas. Whereas, Kinesiology tape is an elastic cotton-based tape that is designed to support muscles and tendons.
- The Kinesiology tape can be worn for several days before being removed, which often results in improved athletic performance. Whereas, athletic tape can’t be worn for several days and is less effective than Kinesiology Tape.
- Kinesiology tapes have a lifting effect, which enables them to lift the skin and underlying tissues away from the muscle or joint. This lifting effect helps to increase circulation which aids in the healing process. While the athletic tape helps to provide stability to the injured area preventing further injury.
- Athletic tape is typically much bulkier than kinesiology tape, which has a much thinner layer of fabric. How much bulkier will depend on the brand that you buy. While Kinesiology tape is a thin, stretchy tape and non bulkier, easily available.
This study concludes that Kinesiology tape is different from athletic tape, and it’s not just that they are both different. Athletic tape is mainly for protection, while Kinesiology tape is for restoring movement. Now that you’ve read all of the above, you have to decide for yourself which tape you should buy.