From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading:

A quirky looking athletic tape has taken center stage at this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, with many top athletes wearing the tape prominently during competition. Kerri Walsh, part of the American duo favored to win gold in the beach volleyball tournament, surprised viewers with a large pattern of black stripes covering her shoulder. Although some initially wondered if Ms. Walsh was sporting a new tattoo, reports soon came through confirming that the volleyball player was wearing Kinesio tape, a 100% cotton athletic tape modeled on the thickness and elasticity of real skin. The tape, which comes in blue, pink, black, and beige, is applied to the skin in specific patterns depending on the injury. The tape supports and guides injured muscle and joints without inhibiting the athlete’s range of motion. At the Olympics it has been spotted on beach volleyball players, water polo players, wresters, basketball players, and runners. Although none of the Olympians using the tape are paid endorsers, Kinesio donated 50,000 rolls of its tape to 58 countries participating in the 2008 Olympic Games. The brightly colored tape has also been spotted on cyclist Lance Armstrong and soccer player David Beckham. According to Kinesio, the tape lifts the skins, thereby allowing blood to flow more freely to the injured area and relieving pain. In two small studies, participants treated with Kinesio tape reported an improvement in pain and a greater range of motion. Since the Olympics began, traffic to Kinesio’s website has risen from roughly 600 views a day to 345,000 daily views. The prominent role played by the athletic tape at the Olympics will likely boost sales and use of the taping method developed over 25 years ago in Japan.

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