ROCKTAPE - Missoula Marathon

I successfully completed my 27th state marathon in Missoula, Montana, due in part to the utilization of kinesiology tape on my left leg.  Recently, I had been experiencing some tightness and pain just below my knee around the tibial tuberosity, the attachment site of the patellar ligament and distal tendon of the thigh muscles (quadriceps femoris).  The tibial tuberosity forms the terminal part of this large muscle group that acts as a lever to extend the knee-joint and prevents the knee from collapsing when the foot strikes the ground.  The pain would intensify after long runs due to the tightness of my quad muscles and IT (iliotibial) band, the thick fascial structure running up the lateral side of my thigh. 

I remedied this tightness by counteracting the lateral IT band pull, taping my lower leg, medially, along the shin bone and the upper leg on the IT band.  Taping noticeably improved my overall performance, reducing any pain I had been experiencing especially in the later miles.  I recommend ROCKTAPE kinesiology taping to many of my massage clients for treating injuries and addressing postural or structural issues.  It can also be effective for reducing fatigue and swelling, as well as aiding in wound healing and scar management. 

Kinesiology Taping

I have been running marathons for the past 15 years and recently experienced enhanced performance through the use of kinesiology taping.  Due to a tight Iliotibial band, my left knee had become somewhat painful at the end of a long run.  This tightness was dramatically reduced after using ROCKTAPE on the affected area.

Kinesiology taping was first used by acupuncturists and chiropractors in Japan, but today it is used by practitioners throughout the world, treating not only sports injuries, alleviating a wide variety of ailments, and improving overall performance.

I recently attended a continuing education seminar, "Kinesiology Taping Redefined" and became certified for Fascial Movement Taping Level I.  Below are some of the characteristics and uses of ROCKTAPE followed by a brief video explaining how it works and its benefits.

  • ROCKTAPE is made from 97% cotton and 3% nylon and the adhesive is hypo-allergenic, acrylic-based and contains no latex.

  • It stretches up to 190% of its original length. This allows it to provide different strengths of support for differing injuries and needs.

  • While ROCKTAPE is great for treating injuries, it also has a number of other benefits, including increasing endurance and blood flow while reducing fatigue and swelling.

  • It comes in a ranges of shapes and sizes. There is the standard tape that is great for the majority of muscles, a wider tape for legs and larger muscle groups, and a thinner tape, which is great for taping fingers, wrists and feet.

  • Differing sizes means you can use ROCKTAPE to support and stabilize almost every single part of the body.

  • A taping will easily last for three-five days, even through sweating and water emersion. 

A brief description on how Rocktape kinesiology tape works and it's benefits.

Systematic Study Confirms Massage Benefits

In a recent study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that massage creates biological changes in the body after just one session.  Scientists gave 29 healthy adults a 45-minute deep tissue massage and tested their blood before and after each massage, finding reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol and an increase in white blood cells that boost the immune system. 

Although there have been previous, smaller studies about the health benefits of massage, the Cedars-Sinai study is widely believed to be the first systematic study of a larger group of healthy adults.  

Review the study at http://www.liebertonline.com/loi/acm, in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.