Taping - Elastic Therapeutic Athletic Tape Tex Classic - Black – 2 in. x 13 ft

My mom took a kinesiology taping class for continuing credits and introduced me to this tape. It's both supportive and has the best stick of everything I've tried so far. This stuff really sticks for days with showers, sweat, changing clothes and bed sheets at night. That being said, if you frequently want to take it off and reapply, it can irritate your skin. Be prepared to leave it on, which is generally the goal.The tape fabric is on the thicker and stronger end of the spectrum as far as kinesiology tape goes. I've found it to be very supportive and helpful for ankle, knee and connective tissue recovery. I get a good 3-5 days or more from one taping, which saves time and money in the long run.There are plenty of PT videos to demonstrate good taping techniques. I recommend watching a few for reference. (I've seen folks on Amazon with videos where they touch the sticky part of the tape, so it's no wonder people can't get any tape to stick using that method.) If you're not use to taping, it's awkward at first getting it on right, but eventually gets easier with practice. (A less expensive, less sticky tape can be used to practice if you need to get your technique down first. That will save money and skin removal if you try several times in one sitting. It's especially challenging when you're twisting in funny positions and trying to see what you're doing.)In short, to get the most bang out of your buck, wash your hands and skin first and let everything completely dry. Leaving at least 1.75 - 2" at each end that is applied without stretch prevents the tape from wanting to recoil at the ends, which will keep it in on longer. (The tape is 2" wide for reference.) Apply without touching the sticky part at all, this makes a huge difference. This can be achieved by not pulling off all the paper backing at once. Hold the tape with the paper still on the sticky part as you apply. Fold the tape to crease the paper and tear / break the paper at the crease. Start from around 2" from one end (or the middle) and remove the paper from the inside out. Hold it at the end with the paper backing still on and peel sections as you lay them down (Watch a video to see this). If you apply multiple strips get them on at the same time so everything stays clean (residue free) and dry. And finally, lightly and vigorously rub the applied tape with the paper just removed (printed side glides better than shiny side) to create some friction and heat so the tape adheres better to the skin. Take care not to catch the edges of the tape when rubbing. You can round the corners when you first cut your strips to help from catching an edge later. Blot the tape dry with a towel out of the shower rather than rub it.

Kinesio tape totally improved my chest / truncal lymphedema. I had a relatively minor case, but it was bothering me and I've been working very hard to get the swelling down. My breast was hard and swollen - I have tried MLD, herbal supplements, etc and nothing has gotten the swelling under control.My chiropractor put kinesio tape on my breast and chest area and it is amazing how much better it feels. The swelling is way down and the hardness and thickness is much reduced. He is putting this on me once a week with two pieces - one from my breast up toward my collar bone and one piece from my breast across to my right side chest. If you are suffering from lymphedema and haven't tried kinesio tape, I would highly recommend it!Some tips if you are not going to an expert to get this applied:* The adhesive is heat-activated. So to get it to stick well, you need to rub the tape on the skin a bit. I can get it to stay on for a week.* Cut the tape so that each piece has a solid area at one end and then four little strips on the other end where the lymphedema is.* Place the solid end at the terminus point and then stretch each little piece down and across the area. Make sure to rub each strip so that it stays attached.

In college, MANY years ago, I did a lot of sports medicine, and learned how to tape joints for sports. That's all changed w/ this new flexible tape. Ended up w/ Kinesio mainly due to the price and availability when I needed to order it (for my wife who had a shoulder injury). The product came in quickly, which was nice. Unfortunately, my wife had to run out of town for a week, so we didn't use it on her. BUT, one of her friends ended up w/ a shoulder injury so my wife volunteered me to tape her up. After running through a few youtube tutorials on using this tape, I set about to tape up her friend's shoulder.I don't know how Kinesio tape compares to the rest of the brands, but the CONCEPT is fantastic! My wife's friend ended up looking like something out of Tron, but the tape worked beautifully! It cut and applied easily, and stayed on for several days, providing much needed relief.Great stuff and great concept!

I have plantar fasciitis and have been suffering for a while. I heard about the K tape and decided to try. I purchased a cheaper tape and it relieved the pain just for a little bit, but the fact that I could walk a few steps pain free was great. Decided to try the "original" one, although a little pricey. This "original" tape is much thicker than the cheaper version and it works great. I get to walk pain free for much longer than few steps. It actually relieves the pain for a couple of days, but the down part is the adhesive. It keeps coming off when I sleep. The cheaper one has great adhesion and I can keep for a couple of days. Will probably try different brands to see if I can find the perfect one. Overall, it works to relief the pain.