Kinesiology Tape... It's become as common a visual in athletics as wristbands and running shoes.
Whether you're watching a downhill skier working out at Whistler or an Olympic sprinter on TV, chances are, you'll see some athlete showing off their colourful 'tape art'.
But what are all these wild and outrageously coloured tape mosaics we see plastered all over our favourite athletes and what are they there for?
Well, with all the advances in sport medicine for addressing sports related injuries and strains in recent years, kinesiology tape has become a recognized practice at all levels of athletics, for providing extra relief and treatment of sore, tender areas of the body in need of repair.
But don't be fooled by the unusual application patterns. No, it's not a case of kinesiologists' inner Picassos gone wild. There's real, scientific method to the seemingly random madness of these unique and sometimes complex applications.
Applied correctly, stretchy kinesiology tape lifts the skin around an injury, allowing for greater blood circulation, speeding and improve healing.
Check out this video, featuring LifeMark Richmond Oval Clinic Director, Melina Kurtakis, demonstrating the application of Rock Tape kinesiology tape to treat an injured knee.
