World Cup Soccer: Kinesio Taping and Athletes

So it’s that rare time again when countries from all across the globe compete for the title of the world’s best in “The Beautiful Game,” the World Cup. The US, sadly, has already been eliminated, but there is still a lot of soccer to be had for fans of the game. Some of the finest athletes in the world gather for this massive event; they put everything on the line and push themselves to the limit. As a game of constant repetitive motions, soccer leaves its players open to injury just like any other professional passtime. And like all consummate pros, futbolistas do whatever they can to play with injury so they can keep winning and playing.

Since soccer is almost exclusively a game of the legs, you can imagine the kind of injuries that they encounter: hamstring pulls, knee problems, quad injuries, ankles turned, the works. Of course, at Living Well Medical in NYC we deal with these kinds of sports injuries on a regular basis, so I was rather unsurprised by the fact that I’ve seen a few players sporting kinesiology tape of one sort or another: it’s one of the ways we treat athletes in our office.

Most people were introduced to kinesio tape during the Olympics by US national volleyball player, Kerry Walsh, and since then it has become more common to see in pro sports.



And it’s no wonder it’s become more prevalent; the idea behind it is an excellent one: players retain normal range of motion while getting sustained support for the injury by means of an elastic tape. Specific shaping (or pre-cut designs in the case of SpiderTech) of the tape supports particular muscles during movement while aiding in circulation.

All in all, patients from all walks of life find it to be a major asset because it lets them keep moving and working. At my office in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, we use and sell several types of kinesio tape (KT tape, RockTape, SpiderTech) for endurance athletes like those running the New York Marathon and people struggling with a work injury. If you need help recovering from an injury or persistent pain, call us at Living Well Medical in NYC at 212-645-8151. And enjoy the rest of the World Cup!

- Dr. Shoshany, NYC Chiropractor

Comments

Dr. Eben Davis said…
Yeah...I noticed that also. It seems like kinesio-taping was made for soccer players,in that they can still compete with injuries and be protected...without losing much in the way of function.
Aaron Gaily said…
This stuff is great. i've seen it do very well with patients and I personally have had it reduce severe quad and hamstring cramps while in a weekend basketball tournament. I was amazed. Good stuff doc.

Dr. Aaron Gaily
www.chiropractorsmonterey.com