I've had trouble with my left ankle since I was 14 years old. Surgery after surgery, it never seems to get better.

I met with Dr. Danielle Phillips at Phillips Chiropractic Acupuncture in Hermon and she introduced me to Kinesilogy tape. The cool part? Fun colors and patterns!

I obviously picked the argyle for my ankle! But in all seriousness, the tape made my ankle feel more stable when I walked out of the office. I have a tendency to roll it because I don't use it properly. I also battle with swelling on a daily basis. The tape has helped that too. I've been wearing the same tape for 5 days now, and it's still helping! It helped a lot when I went skydiving this past weekend. It made me feel so much better about the landing!

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In addition to helping my ankle, the tape has also made the muscles in my back feel so much better! I have terrible posture and when Dr. Phillips applied the tape to my back and shoulders, it made me want to sit up straight for once! It's a nice little reminder, but after a while you forget it's even there!

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Now, the real facts:

What is Kinesiology Tape?

It's a taping method that utilizes a latex-free elastic tape. Other types of athletic tape is stiff and is used to hold muscles or joints in one position, kinesiology tape is stretchy—to serve as a gentle reminder to your body to hold your shoulder in a certain way or to keep a kneecap in line while biking or running.

There are four main functions of Kinesiology tape:

  • Correcting muscle function. Kinesiology tape supports muscles during movement, and research has shown that it can provide a more stamina than the muscle without the tape.
  • Improving circulation of blood and lymph. Studies show that the tape increases the flow of both blood and lymph, which can help tremendously with swelling.
  • Correcting joint movement. The tape can be used to keep a joint gliding smoothly.
  • Relieving pain. The tape has an analgesic effect, similar to what has been described as the “mother’s hand effect.”

Using Kinesiology Tape
Tape worn during competition is applied in the same way as tape used during everyday activities. Additionally, kinesiology tape can be left on for several days at a time and can even be worn in the water, as it’s water resistant.

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