We have been qualified to apply Kinesiology Tapes (also known as Elastic Therapeutic Tapes) and Fixed Tapes for a few years now, following additional training at St Mary's University, Twickenham. It rapidly became one of our favourite methods of treatment in our busy Limassol based Sports Massage Clinic because of the success we have had with it. Why does Kinesiology Taping prove to be so helpful? The reasons are not scientifically proven. It is thought to help with the fascia by lifting the skin and giving the muscle and fascia a little more comfort. It is thought to keep the area a little warmer, to give a little support (depending on the way it is applied) and to help one remember that they have an injury that they are rehabilitating. How has Kinesiology Tape helped our Clients? We have used these tapes in a number of treatment applications. They have helped Marathon Runners as part of their treatment for Jumper's Knee/Patellar Tendinitis, Achilles Tendinitis and Iliotibial Band Syndrome. These runners had injuries resulting from doing too much, too soon in training and their races were at risk. Following intensive Sports Massage Therapy, they were taped for periods of two weeks. The taping helped prolong the benefits of the treatment and allowed for assistance with their recovery. Runners were taped for their races too. Other Sports disciplines/applications have included:
A Cyprus Ultra mountain race never passes without us taping some of the runners. It is usually helpful to tape the quad muscles to help them relax a little and we have used advanced techniques to tape a mal-tracking patella, which we believe saved one of the runner's races one year. Our running experience and Sports Massage Therapy knowledge has aided our understanding of application methods and has even allowed us to blend elastic and fixed tape for more effective treatment protocols in certain cases. Personally, I think that there is an additional benefit. I believe that the focus/awareness of the injured area helps to send more blood there. Increased blood flow can help with recovery and can bring healing agents in a more directed manner to the site of injury. It has been proven that focusing on an area of the body sends more blood to it. How is Kinesiology Tape applied? There are often several ways of applying elastic therapeutic tapes. Main principles include stretching the muscle whilst it is being taped. Tape edges are rounded to help them stay in place. The edges of the tape are not stretched; in order to ensure that they adhere well. The main section of the tape is stretched a certain percentage, depending on the area and the desired outcome of tape application - it is not stretched 100%, but 50-70% is very common. The tightest part of the muscle is often the part that the tape is first attached to. Whilst some knowledge of the path of the muscle in question should be understood and followed, there is not really anything that you can do wrong with elastic therapeutic taping; it simply will not be so effective if it is not positioned correctly. Kinesio Tex Classic - for great quality and the ultimate staying power:
Rocktape - for quality and performance:
Mueller Kinesiology Tape - value and performance
Levotape - doing a jolly good job!
Which brand? There are the expensive, and believe me you do get what you pay for, and the moderately priced. Go for a mid-price to expensive brand. Look at brands such as Rocktape, Levotape, Kinesio Tex and Mueller. You will love all of these brands. Check them out via the links above and order your preferred tape with ease. Pre-cut tapes are more expensive and whilst being convenient, are limiting in terms of their predetermined length. If you would like to buy tape in Clinic, we often have some in stock. Taping can be used as part of your Sports Massage treatment if we deem it useful, or can be booked as a treatment separately with a fee payable to cover materials and our Clinic time. AuthorEva Evangelou IFA & ITEC Diplomas in Sports Massage Therapy, Anatomy & Physiology, Clinical Aromatherapy and Holistic Massage Therapy. Education Adv Diploma, PGCE & BA Hons. Hello dear Limassol Sports Massage supporters,
The weather is characteristically windy for this time of year. One of our dear Clients gave us a chart with Coptic gale and wind storm predictions, and we due to receive three this month; which we are experiencing greatly indeed. This is not so helpful for those of us who love our outdoor sports as the air is full of dust and allergens. We are pleased that the Limassol Marathon has been moved to April this year as the wind proved prohibitive in the last few years; they even had their administration tents blow away! We continue to write for the Limassol Marathon as their partner 'Expert Writer'. You can see a selection of our sports related articles here. The Limassol Marathon is on 10th April 2016. It is a wonderful event. Do come and support the runners - all cheering and clapping makes their efforts even more rewarding. For those who would like to volunteer, send the organisers a message through their website contact page. There is a special event aimed at Women in Limassol this weekend (March 19th/20th) at the Elias Beach Hotel. There will be two days of talks, music and exhibition tables by Women for Women for just 79 euros. A one day ticket at 49 euros is also available. If you use the code 'LimassolSportsMassage' at their website here and you will get 10% off all ticket prices. Have a look at the website for the Conference Schedule. We went last year and supported the event as Limassol Sports Massage. We donated our signature blend 'Lavender Spritz bottles' for all attendees and made a donation on behalf of Limassol Sports Massage. These events do not come up very often in Cyprus and they are a special way of reaching out to other Women on the Island and learning about their hobbies, health stories, business industries and individual success stories. The Cyprus Ultra Marathon in Vasa Kellakiou has just announced its next big race date, which is May 20th-22nd 2017. We will be offering our services to help organise and direct the race as per usual with next year being our 6th Cyprus Ultra! We expect participants to reach the 200 threshold. Ticket sales have got off to a good start with ultra low prices for the early entries. We have many runners returning for the third time as the race has such a family feel. Plans for next year include a camp party open to all well-behaved revellers on Saturday night and activities, including field games and traditional food dishes, with a village fair theme. If anyone would like to register for the race, there are distances available to suit all levels of running, have a look here. We are also calling for Volunteers. You will be working very hard in the May heat (shady areas are available for those who need to keep out of the direct sunlight), but the work is greatly rewarding. We have Volunteers coming back for the sixth time and new Volunteers every year. If you can spare a block of 4 hours or more, or even if you want to camp out with us for the whole weekend, please get in touch on 99231970 - food and water will be provided. Having patience and a good sense of humour is a must! Our partners V1Fitness have just launched their new self-defence Limassol training packages and we have been trying out their latest moves. Check out their webpage here and see if it is something that you or your loved one would like to do. Much of self-defence is about awareness and having the right initial response if an attack occurs - you will love the no-nonsense approach of this self-defence system and the levels of fitness it helps you achieve. Check out their new training dummy on your next visit to us! Giving this guy a bash in the face with a palm strike is a great stress release indeed! Contact Mike on 95508007 for more information and visit his website V1FITNESS.COM There is plenty going on this Summer. Mike is offering Rollerblade Inline skating lessons at Molos for individuals and small groups. The Limassol Running Club has three runs per week with free accessibility to all. We are also planning a few walking hikes in the mountains too. Do get in touch for more information on 95508007. We have just ordered more Kinesiology tapes which will be available in Clinic again very soon. We have also ordered the supplies for our in-house MSM Aromatherapy muscle gel and our original Aromatherapy Muscle Gel too - we shall let you know when these fresh batches are ready for sale again at 20€ and 15€ respectively. We have had great feedback about these gels -with Clients reporting pain relief and a reduction of inflammation. We are getting quite a telling off for running out of stock - one Client even threatened to try and make their own if ours were not back in stock again soon! Our 'Say No! To Neck and Shoulder Pain' book is now available in Cyprus Libraries and will be on amazon.co.uk by the end of the month hopefully too. Sales are off to a good start - you can pick up your copy in Clinic for 10€ or online click here with PayPal (P&P fees and PayPal charges apply for online sales) Wishing you all a good start to your Sporty Spring and see you all soon! Kind regards, Eva from Limassol Sports Massage |
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