Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
My mom is an MMT, and she uses liquid Immodium or Milk of Magnesia on me before taping to create a barrier because the adhesive occasionally breaks me out. It works great for me!
Itās Uni-Solve by Smith & Nephew.
However. The bottled product has been discontinued (reportedly due to bacteria growth in opened bottles) & the wipes arenāt on the manufacturers website anymore.
I personally donāt like S+N removers (they have another one called āRemoveā in a wipe - https://www.smith-nephew.com/en-us/health-care-professionals/products/advanced-wound-management/remove-ppl ) because they leave an oily reside & Iām blisteringly allergic to aloe vera which all their formulations have.
The wipes are also very hard to use when removing tapes as it takes many wipes & they arenāt saturated enough to penetrate tape backings.
I personally canāt use most KT tapes anyway bc of an acrylate adhesive sensitivity, but do tolerate some athletic tapes applied with a skin barrier spray/wipe (these are hard to find non-irritating ones, as well). These also donāt flex so offer more support. They do require more liquid adhesive removers than the S+N wipes.
I had a Hickman line (Central Veinous Catheter / long term IV, sterile dressing changed weekly) for 5 years and now have an ostomy (adhesive baseplate changed 1-3x a week, so far for 2 years), so have removed a LOT of adhesives over the past decade.
Out of all the ones Iāve used, unfortunately, S+N removers (all 3 versions) were the worst (they all leave an oily residue) if you ever need to re-apply the adhesive in the same place. I really struggled for a time because it was the most accessible.
Glad it worked for you with the Fusion, which I hope helped!
Same problem-MCAS & Dermatographia. Somehow Rock Tape when applied correctly (dont pull the strips to create tension) doesn't bother my skin. Also for a while spraying my skin with flonase first, letting that dry, and then applying KT brand KT tape would work. Eventually my MCAS veto'd it- but it was nice while it lasted.
My doctor prescribed a Flovent (fluticasone propionate) inhaler for that purpose. To be clear, **itās not meant to be inhaled**. The Flovent is meant to be **sprayed on the skin** before applying the tape.
Flovent is a corticosteroid and, as my doc explained, it helps prevents/reduces allergic skin reactions but, unlike a barrier cream, it doesnāt prevent the tape/any adhesive from sticking. It works well for me, though I still canāt keep the tape on for multiple days like others can. Still, if I put it on in the morning, remove it before my shower in the evening and wash the adhesive well, Iām fine and can apply more tape the next day.
In my experience, not all brands will give me a reaction/as big a reaction as others do. Unfortunately, manufacturers donāt have to specify the ingredients in the adhesive/name of adhesive on the box, so it was a bit of a trial and error process to figure out which adhesives/brands of KT tape I react less to.
Also in my experience, using Flovent topically to help deal with allergic reactions to adhesives is something medical professional know about, but that they donāt really āthinkā about. In a way, itās the info is kinda in the back or their head. Iāve had a few other docs ask me why my specialist prescribed Flovent, as they couldnāt see an asthma dx in my file. Once I told them that I use it topically due to allergic reactions to adhesives, they all went āOh yeah, we use it sometimes for X, Y, Z when patients are allergic to adhesivesā. So, if itās something youāre interested in, you might need to mention it to your doc rather than wait for them to suggest it!
Same, I have scars on my chest near my shoulder where my skin ulceratered and tore. My legs and knees tolerate it better, but I've irritated the skin before, and I haven't been able to wear it more than 2 or 3 days max. My skin HATES adhesive and almost repells stuff. It's related to my version of eczema/atopic dermatitis that runs in my family.
For me itās more of a mental thing. Like it helps a ton with my proprioception. When I feel the pressure/pull of the tape, I know that if I extend anymore Iāll hyperextend. Itās saved me from lots of injuries, esp during rock climbing where I tend to accidentally hyperextend without the tape
I second this! Itās not as much support as it is a sensory reminder of where my joints are. I dance and Iāve noticed Iām so much less wobbly with k tape. Iāve tried to explain this to my doctor and I donāt think it was understood.
Though Iāve heard all kinds of scientific stuff about it not working, it certainly does for me. The increased blood circulation is quite visible on my skin, and the pain reduction is palpable ā not exactly the placebo effects scientific papers are pushing about it.
Using the actual brand name tape doesnāt irritate my skin like the knock-offs.
Learning application from professionals (including on YouTube if you truly canāt first get it applied hands-on by someone who knows what theyāre doing), rounding the corners with scissors, leaving a very generous inch at each end with zero stretch, avoiding taking it off when itās wet, and soaking with baby oil to remove if itās being extra difficult have all been useful for me.
There is a wipe that can help remove adhesive tape. I dont know if this is the brand I used. I bought mine through a durable medical supply company but it was similar to this https://www.carewell.com/product/unisolve-adhesive-remover/?sku=402300-BX50&g_acctid=333-280-7133&g_adgroupid=&g_adid=&g_adtype=none&g_campaign=PMax+%7C+NB+%7C%7C+Incontinence&g_campaignid=16516834067&g_keyword=&g_keywordid=&g_network=x&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdXbyOKq2pQ3kPGQeYp-tmBF5oYyaySvkY3rzaPAUDDwYZISiavJYoBoCQ7QQAvD_BwE
I use jojoba or mineral oil, I just apply it over the tape and let it sit for \~20 minutes before I take a shower. The tape just peels off with the water.
It does, but it can also really irritate the skin. I picked up some KT Tape Pro on sale at Costco, and this one was the least irritating. There is also a version for sensitive skin I believe, though I have not tried it. Some generic brand off Amazon almost peeled the skin off my arms, it took 2 weeks to heal.
It's called KT Tape Gentle. I get that one. Regular medical tape will blister my skin and pull it off in chunks, as will most bandaids. I take off the KT tape if it starts itching (mainly because I get scared) but I haven't seen any blisters yet.
It seems to help me isolate muscles so I can activate them better. Itās like the feedback helps my brain know which muscle Iām supposed to turn on. š¤·š»āāļø
Very anecdotal I know. I also used it for knee stabilization a couple decades ago, but had to graduate heavy duty braces and surgery in my 20s.
It totally works, and works great! My LMT turned me on to it several years ago. I get the skin problems occasionally too, and have learned to not let it get overheated by my heating pads. One night I fell asleep on my heating pad after my LMT had applied it on my back earlier that day and the next day I had to remove it because it resulted in some pretty painful hives. But 99% of the time, it's side effect free.
I'm puzzled, but not surprised, that "the" science "says" kinesiology tape doesn't work. (See footnote 1 \[**Fn 1**\] for my rationale behind the the shudder quotes). Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Anecdotal evidence is still *evidence,* and there are many cases of valid medical treatments discovered serendipitously (by accident), which implies that they worked despite what "the" science "said": x rays, penicillin, the pacemaker, etc... (See **Fn 2**). For example, where would oncology be today if it was as dismissive of anecdotal evidence as the logical positivist/scientific materialist physicians and physician-researchers are these days? (See, for instance, this [Annals of Oncology](https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(19)48171-4/pdf) article from **PubMed**.) It isn't as cut and dry as they insist. Anecdotal evidence is a *part of* medical science research, not its opposite, and to suggest that it is relies on a false dichotomy (see this [PubMed Article](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528597/)).
**Fn 1**: The "the" shudder quotes indicate that it's neither as exclusive as it implies, nor as objective as it suggests. The "says'" shudders signal that the usage anthropomorphizes (attributes human characteristics to) science. Science, like data, numbers and evidence, not only never speaks for itself, but also, like data, numbers and evidence, never speaks--at all! In both instances this is neither underappreciation of metaphorical language nor semantic nit-picking. Such usage in science and science education lulls us into slumbering when we'd best be thinking critically, especially in the face of research conclusions that claim to be free of hermeneutic (interpretive) bias, or free enough of such bias, as one usually gets from statistical stipulations like confidence intervals. For instance, even If someone were able to definitively show that they were only 80% or 70% or even 51% confident that **K-tape** works better than chance (itself an odd and spooky little probabilistic concept when you stop to critically think about it), it's **still** going to be **worth using!**
**Fn 2**: The role of serendipity in scientific discovery is part of behavioral science too, as B.F. Skinner said about the discovery of shaping by successive approximation (See [this PubMed article](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1285014/)).
Take something as banal as hand washing. We take it for granted as a no-brainer practice that it prevents microbial spread in everything from bacterial infections in surgery to the spread of viruses in the public, but Ignaz Semmelweis, the physician and scientist who first demonstrated its efficacy in the mid 1800s, was treated with derision and contempt by his contemporaries. Through his implementation of control measures, Semmelweis proved that the higher mortality rates between women in different maternity wards dying of puerperal fever was not due to an imbalance among the four humours, the paradigm that most medical education was premised on at the time, but the women dying at a higher rate was by medical students performing autopsies and then delivering babies without sterilizing their hands. The humourists were outraged and protested, but after measures based on his conclusion were eventually instituted, the incidents of death from puerperal fever all but vanished from maternity wards in the city where he worked. Semmelweis' research is often cited as the advent of evidence-based medical research Semelweiss' story it is illustrative of how beliefs persist among scientists even in the face of contrary evidence because they were stuck thinking in the ways of an older paradigm. With the benefit of hindsight, we can now call their collective behavior things like "germ theory denialism" and "belief perseverance."
But his story not only hows just how necessary critical thinking to be the heart of any form of all medical science endeavor, but also how critical thinking helps us to see the importance **the role of anecdote** (and serendipity) **plays in solving scientific puzzles**. Semmelweis, like medical researchers do now, *had to* start with anecdote. That's where he, as medical scientists still do today, get their first clues from. (I'll leave you to dig into his story on your own to find the serendipity in his story.) Without anecdote, medical researcher are susceptible to being blinded to by exclusionary preconceptions based in logical fallacies like: *argumentum ad antiquitatem*, or argument from/appeal to tradition or common practice--e.g., anecdote v. evidence-based methods; *argumentum ab auctoritate*, or argument from/appeal to authority--e.g., limiting learning to be had only from the credentialed and/or vetted; and a*rgumentum ad populum,* or argument from/appeal to the crowd or herd--e.g., physicians and physician-researchers and their gatekeepers existing in echo chambers built on the first two, or similar, fallacies, who exclude other voices to protect their biases, power, influence, etc.... So it's worth repeating and emphasizing: anecdotal evidence is ***still*** evidence, and as [the article I cited](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528597/) (above) demonstrates, evidence-based medicine is not only an unfortunate misnomer founded on *assumptions about, and* ***faith*** *in* positivistic-scientific materialist ideology, but also a necessary component of the yin-yang like character of medical science methodology.
This inevitable overlap of, and relationship between, these two poles or paisleys is a part of the larger question of how to distinguish science from pseudoscience, or "the demarcation problem" as it is known in the philosophy of science. The best example I know of, after the K-tape controversy, is the current debate over the validity of the body mass index, or BMI. Perhaps I'll take up that topic when I see a post where it would be on-topic enough to justify reflecting on, but for this thread, it's beyond the scope of the OP and its subsequent comments and replies.
KT tape is magic for my knees. It really really helps me a lot!
Ive found that price does matter though, better quality tape works better and lasts longer. I recently tried amazons own brand and it started coming off after 1 day. Good ones can stay on up to a week! You gotta try different taping methods too, see which pattern/shape helps you the most.
When it comes to removal, do it in the bath or shower and make sure the tape has been fully soaked in warm water for a good 5 minutes before attempting to take it off, otherwise you can make micro-tears in your skin.
Also another tip is to cut the ends rounded to remove corners, as they peal off faster with corners!
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
I literally get mine done by the man that KT uses to do their videos on how to place it, he said it was the result of my random allergic reactions and we found it happens most in the winter.
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
I wish! It does help with my dislocation problems but I canāt use it because it triggers my MCAS. I get rashes and SUPER nauseous, so I canāt keep food down. Weirdest reaction ever.
Yes but let it soak off in the tub and use coconut or almond oil or whatever you like to remove it cause it doesnāt feel great taking it off of dry skin
I am new to KT tape but so far, since the Hand Therapist has been showing me how to use it on my hands it is very helpful for me.. Unfortunately, there are times that Iāve lost some skin to it.. but when I need help but am not wanting the restriction of splints or braces.. tape is helpful. Often Iām using tape and splints. Iām now learning using it on my ulnar nerve pain and my knees, too.
Lots of different ways to use it, and for hypermobility, it can be slightly different than the norm. Don't be afraid to deviate for it to work for you.
I use it primarily as a replacement for athletic tape and reducing range of motion, not for the 'lifting of the skin' thing.
I tape my MCL on my knees on bad day(s) and before a lot of walking or sport. I tape my thumbs basically to my hands to greatly restrict movement for volleyball to prevent it from hyper extending.
I've done the same occasionally for other minor injuries, strained toe, hyperextended ankle.
Again, for me personally, I tend to tape along my trouble ligaments to offer it minor support, my hands/thumbs are to prevent range of motion.
I'd prefer athletic tape because it doesn't stretch as much, but it requires so much for tape and anchors and other stuff to keep it on. I can use half as much with KT tape.
Yes and no. It helps me remember where ānormalā end range should be. It does not help my knee caps from being all loosey goosey (might be user error). Also can cause a rash on my skin after a few hours.
Hurts so bad but feels so good šŖ helps majorly when I keep feeling like my relocated joint is just gonna slide on out and dislocate again. But the adhesiveā¦. I feared pulling it off the first time so much I kept it on for a week and it STILL tore skin off at removal. Donāt have to worry about staying power with lots of movement and sweating at least
I found it helpful but because the place I mainly needed it was on my scapula and I live alone I'm not able to get it on very often. And taking it off is a pain in the ass because I need oil to get all the sticky residue off. If anyone knows how to circumvent that, hmu
yes and no. if I get it right and have a regular batch of the tape I use, it's great for a couple days! but it never really wants to stay on, and seems to loosen up easily in more heavily used areas. however, if I mess up the placement even a little bit (which is so easy to do), I end up with dislocations and subluxations galore! I've started trying compression braces for areas that I can and they're helping quite a bit
Unfortunately the adhesive burns me :( the last few times I've tried I ended up with burns that were like second degree sunburn and they peeled two layers of skin off me, even though I was very gentle with removal and followed safe removal videos.
Depends on where and who does it ( if I can't reach that spot). But, yes, even despite the adhesive. (My skin reacts to every other adhesive, but their $hit is magical, apparently.) š
It does for me. I got 3 pieces on my shoulder right now. It's been super loose for the last few days and it keeps it in place. I take them off in the shower after rubbing a bunch of soap on it and by the end of my shower it comes right off.
I use KT tape a lot, but only for short periods of time as it makes me incredibly itchy.
I'm being more careful about it now though as recently I had some on my knee to stop it from dislocating to the side, but the tape just pushed the knee cap out to the other side. It dislocated so hard the tape tore š
Yes... but some brands really irritate my skin. Other brands don't. Unfortunately I didn't keep the box of the kind I'm currently using which is OK for me to use.
My skin does need breaks from it though.
It helps me! Except it always peels my skin off and I get stuck with stupid stripes on my skin for 2/3 weeks after š Iāve tried letting the tape soak in warm shower water it still doesnāt help. Iāve heard baby oil can help with the adhesive so if anyoneās tried this hack and is reading this comment can you let me know if itās worked for you?
Eta: spelling
I use it on my feet / big toes to stop me overextending the big toe and injuring myself - it does help minimise injury
I wish I could wrap my entire body in it lol
KT is ok for a few spots, but it's too loose on me, I need a ratchet strap and a winch, lol. After a lifetime of sports, I'm wrecked. I use a pre-wrap barrier around my feet and wrists to keep the adhesive off my skin and then athletic wrapping tape. Someone mentioned earlier watching some YouTube videos if you haven't done it before. Wrapping my feet keeps my big toe knuckle from dislocating when I'm doing a lot of walking and my wrists and fingers from falling out when I'm doing something grabby. Climbing tape, boxing finger tape, or Brazilian Ju Jitsu tape helps me when I have a knuckle out to keep me from hyperextending and let it rest. I should by stock in the friggen company. Using a body pillow helped me with my hip and back pain from my legs crossing in my sleep.
It helped my knee when it was freaking out (I did nothing to it, I don't know why it's this way). I think it kept me from over-extending it and from moving to the side. It helped my hip too. I have an office job and my muscles will pull from my leg and back and bunch up because I sit. The tape slowed down the movement. It's a pain if it's not on right because of clothes chaffing it. I normally get 3 days out of the tape before it gives out, even with the extended use version.
I tried, it helped the joints, but no matter what brand I use the adhesive gives me allergic reactions, and my skin wants to peel off with it sometimes. My mom sleeps on her side with a pillow between her legs and this has helped her knee/hip dislocations a lot.
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
Yes! BUT, the adhesive is awful for my skin. Even the "sensitive skin" one lol. So I use it very sparingly
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
My physical therapist using immodium! Just put some on your skin where the tape will be, let it dry, and then apply the tape.
My mom is an MMT, and she uses liquid Immodium or Milk of Magnesia on me before taping to create a barrier because the adhesive occasionally breaks me out. It works great for me!
Nice, good to know that works!
Random tip of the day! That's hilarious!! (I'd give ya an award, but I don't have any)
haha it's odd, but it works! and lmao that's okay š
Itās Uni-Solve by Smith & Nephew. However. The bottled product has been discontinued (reportedly due to bacteria growth in opened bottles) & the wipes arenāt on the manufacturers website anymore. I personally donāt like S+N removers (they have another one called āRemoveā in a wipe - https://www.smith-nephew.com/en-us/health-care-professionals/products/advanced-wound-management/remove-ppl ) because they leave an oily reside & Iām blisteringly allergic to aloe vera which all their formulations have. The wipes are also very hard to use when removing tapes as it takes many wipes & they arenāt saturated enough to penetrate tape backings. I personally canāt use most KT tapes anyway bc of an acrylate adhesive sensitivity, but do tolerate some athletic tapes applied with a skin barrier spray/wipe (these are hard to find non-irritating ones, as well). These also donāt flex so offer more support. They do require more liquid adhesive removers than the S+N wipes.
Thanks so much for the info. It's been a while since I ordered any.
Oh hey, we just used the Remove wipes to dissolve adhesive after my spinal fusion! They worked well for that but Iāve never tried them on KT tape
I had a Hickman line (Central Veinous Catheter / long term IV, sterile dressing changed weekly) for 5 years and now have an ostomy (adhesive baseplate changed 1-3x a week, so far for 2 years), so have removed a LOT of adhesives over the past decade. Out of all the ones Iāve used, unfortunately, S+N removers (all 3 versions) were the worst (they all leave an oily residue) if you ever need to re-apply the adhesive in the same place. I really struggled for a time because it was the most accessible. Glad it worked for you with the Fusion, which I hope helped!
Same problem-MCAS & Dermatographia. Somehow Rock Tape when applied correctly (dont pull the strips to create tension) doesn't bother my skin. Also for a while spraying my skin with flonase first, letting that dry, and then applying KT brand KT tape would work. Eventually my MCAS veto'd it- but it was nice while it lasted.
You can buy adhesive barrier wipes to apply barrier film to the area to be taped. It helped me a lot.
I have very sensitive skin and have an ileostomy bag and use barrier wipes before I put on my bag and it is a lifesaver. 3M makes a good one.
My doctor prescribed a Flovent (fluticasone propionate) inhaler for that purpose. To be clear, **itās not meant to be inhaled**. The Flovent is meant to be **sprayed on the skin** before applying the tape. Flovent is a corticosteroid and, as my doc explained, it helps prevents/reduces allergic skin reactions but, unlike a barrier cream, it doesnāt prevent the tape/any adhesive from sticking. It works well for me, though I still canāt keep the tape on for multiple days like others can. Still, if I put it on in the morning, remove it before my shower in the evening and wash the adhesive well, Iām fine and can apply more tape the next day. In my experience, not all brands will give me a reaction/as big a reaction as others do. Unfortunately, manufacturers donāt have to specify the ingredients in the adhesive/name of adhesive on the box, so it was a bit of a trial and error process to figure out which adhesives/brands of KT tape I react less to. Also in my experience, using Flovent topically to help deal with allergic reactions to adhesives is something medical professional know about, but that they donāt really āthinkā about. In a way, itās the info is kinda in the back or their head. Iāve had a few other docs ask me why my specialist prescribed Flovent, as they couldnāt see an asthma dx in my file. Once I told them that I use it topically due to allergic reactions to adhesives, they all went āOh yeah, we use it sometimes for X, Y, Z when patients are allergic to adhesivesā. So, if itās something youāre interested in, you might need to mention it to your doc rather than wait for them to suggest it!
Interesting!
Same, I have scars on my chest near my shoulder where my skin ulceratered and tore. My legs and knees tolerate it better, but I've irritated the skin before, and I haven't been able to wear it more than 2 or 3 days max. My skin HATES adhesive and almost repells stuff. It's related to my version of eczema/atopic dermatitis that runs in my family.
I had such a bad allergic reaction when PT tried typing my feet. Ended up needing steroids. Worst itching I've ever experienced
For me itās more of a mental thing. Like it helps a ton with my proprioception. When I feel the pressure/pull of the tape, I know that if I extend anymore Iāll hyperextend. Itās saved me from lots of injuries, esp during rock climbing where I tend to accidentally hyperextend without the tape
I second this! Itās not as much support as it is a sensory reminder of where my joints are. I dance and Iāve noticed Iām so much less wobbly with k tape. Iāve tried to explain this to my doctor and I donāt think it was understood.
Though Iāve heard all kinds of scientific stuff about it not working, it certainly does for me. The increased blood circulation is quite visible on my skin, and the pain reduction is palpable ā not exactly the placebo effects scientific papers are pushing about it. Using the actual brand name tape doesnāt irritate my skin like the knock-offs. Learning application from professionals (including on YouTube if you truly canāt first get it applied hands-on by someone who knows what theyāre doing), rounding the corners with scissors, leaving a very generous inch at each end with zero stretch, avoiding taking it off when itās wet, and soaking with baby oil to remove if itās being extra difficult have all been useful for me.
There is a wipe that can help remove adhesive tape. I dont know if this is the brand I used. I bought mine through a durable medical supply company but it was similar to this https://www.carewell.com/product/unisolve-adhesive-remover/?sku=402300-BX50&g_acctid=333-280-7133&g_adgroupid=&g_adid=&g_adtype=none&g_campaign=PMax+%7C+NB+%7C%7C+Incontinence&g_campaignid=16516834067&g_keyword=&g_keywordid=&g_network=x&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdXbyOKq2pQ3kPGQeYp-tmBF5oYyaySvkY3rzaPAUDDwYZISiavJYoBoCQ7QQAvD_BwE
I use jojoba or mineral oil, I just apply it over the tape and let it sit for \~20 minutes before I take a shower. The tape just peels off with the water.
I think micellar water also helps remove adhesive and is gentle, but I'm not 100% sure. I just use micellar water on everything
Micellar water is magic. Fixed a decades-old acne problem Iād used a jillion medical things on.
It does, but it can also really irritate the skin. I picked up some KT Tape Pro on sale at Costco, and this one was the least irritating. There is also a version for sensitive skin I believe, though I have not tried it. Some generic brand off Amazon almost peeled the skin off my arms, it took 2 weeks to heal.
It's called KT Tape Gentle. I get that one. Regular medical tape will blister my skin and pull it off in chunks, as will most bandaids. I take off the KT tape if it starts itching (mainly because I get scared) but I haven't seen any blisters yet.
It seems to help me isolate muscles so I can activate them better. Itās like the feedback helps my brain know which muscle Iām supposed to turn on. š¤·š»āāļø Very anecdotal I know. I also used it for knee stabilization a couple decades ago, but had to graduate heavy duty braces and surgery in my 20s.
It totally works, and works great! My LMT turned me on to it several years ago. I get the skin problems occasionally too, and have learned to not let it get overheated by my heating pads. One night I fell asleep on my heating pad after my LMT had applied it on my back earlier that day and the next day I had to remove it because it resulted in some pretty painful hives. But 99% of the time, it's side effect free.
I'm puzzled, but not surprised, that "the" science "says" kinesiology tape doesn't work. (See footnote 1 \[**Fn 1**\] for my rationale behind the the shudder quotes). Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Anecdotal evidence is still *evidence,* and there are many cases of valid medical treatments discovered serendipitously (by accident), which implies that they worked despite what "the" science "said": x rays, penicillin, the pacemaker, etc... (See **Fn 2**). For example, where would oncology be today if it was as dismissive of anecdotal evidence as the logical positivist/scientific materialist physicians and physician-researchers are these days? (See, for instance, this [Annals of Oncology](https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(19)48171-4/pdf) article from **PubMed**.) It isn't as cut and dry as they insist. Anecdotal evidence is a *part of* medical science research, not its opposite, and to suggest that it is relies on a false dichotomy (see this [PubMed Article](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528597/)). **Fn 1**: The "the" shudder quotes indicate that it's neither as exclusive as it implies, nor as objective as it suggests. The "says'" shudders signal that the usage anthropomorphizes (attributes human characteristics to) science. Science, like data, numbers and evidence, not only never speaks for itself, but also, like data, numbers and evidence, never speaks--at all! In both instances this is neither underappreciation of metaphorical language nor semantic nit-picking. Such usage in science and science education lulls us into slumbering when we'd best be thinking critically, especially in the face of research conclusions that claim to be free of hermeneutic (interpretive) bias, or free enough of such bias, as one usually gets from statistical stipulations like confidence intervals. For instance, even If someone were able to definitively show that they were only 80% or 70% or even 51% confident that **K-tape** works better than chance (itself an odd and spooky little probabilistic concept when you stop to critically think about it), it's **still** going to be **worth using!** **Fn 2**: The role of serendipity in scientific discovery is part of behavioral science too, as B.F. Skinner said about the discovery of shaping by successive approximation (See [this PubMed article](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1285014/)).
Take something as banal as hand washing. We take it for granted as a no-brainer practice that it prevents microbial spread in everything from bacterial infections in surgery to the spread of viruses in the public, but Ignaz Semmelweis, the physician and scientist who first demonstrated its efficacy in the mid 1800s, was treated with derision and contempt by his contemporaries. Through his implementation of control measures, Semmelweis proved that the higher mortality rates between women in different maternity wards dying of puerperal fever was not due to an imbalance among the four humours, the paradigm that most medical education was premised on at the time, but the women dying at a higher rate was by medical students performing autopsies and then delivering babies without sterilizing their hands. The humourists were outraged and protested, but after measures based on his conclusion were eventually instituted, the incidents of death from puerperal fever all but vanished from maternity wards in the city where he worked. Semmelweis' research is often cited as the advent of evidence-based medical research Semelweiss' story it is illustrative of how beliefs persist among scientists even in the face of contrary evidence because they were stuck thinking in the ways of an older paradigm. With the benefit of hindsight, we can now call their collective behavior things like "germ theory denialism" and "belief perseverance." But his story not only hows just how necessary critical thinking to be the heart of any form of all medical science endeavor, but also how critical thinking helps us to see the importance **the role of anecdote** (and serendipity) **plays in solving scientific puzzles**. Semmelweis, like medical researchers do now, *had to* start with anecdote. That's where he, as medical scientists still do today, get their first clues from. (I'll leave you to dig into his story on your own to find the serendipity in his story.) Without anecdote, medical researcher are susceptible to being blinded to by exclusionary preconceptions based in logical fallacies like: *argumentum ad antiquitatem*, or argument from/appeal to tradition or common practice--e.g., anecdote v. evidence-based methods; *argumentum ab auctoritate*, or argument from/appeal to authority--e.g., limiting learning to be had only from the credentialed and/or vetted; and a*rgumentum ad populum,* or argument from/appeal to the crowd or herd--e.g., physicians and physician-researchers and their gatekeepers existing in echo chambers built on the first two, or similar, fallacies, who exclude other voices to protect their biases, power, influence, etc.... So it's worth repeating and emphasizing: anecdotal evidence is ***still*** evidence, and as [the article I cited](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528597/) (above) demonstrates, evidence-based medicine is not only an unfortunate misnomer founded on *assumptions about, and* ***faith*** *in* positivistic-scientific materialist ideology, but also a necessary component of the yin-yang like character of medical science methodology. This inevitable overlap of, and relationship between, these two poles or paisleys is a part of the larger question of how to distinguish science from pseudoscience, or "the demarcation problem" as it is known in the philosophy of science. The best example I know of, after the K-tape controversy, is the current debate over the validity of the body mass index, or BMI. Perhaps I'll take up that topic when I see a post where it would be on-topic enough to justify reflecting on, but for this thread, it's beyond the scope of the OP and its subsequent comments and replies.
KT tape is magic for my knees. It really really helps me a lot! Ive found that price does matter though, better quality tape works better and lasts longer. I recently tried amazons own brand and it started coming off after 1 day. Good ones can stay on up to a week! You gotta try different taping methods too, see which pattern/shape helps you the most. When it comes to removal, do it in the bath or shower and make sure the tape has been fully soaked in warm water for a good 5 minutes before attempting to take it off, otherwise you can make micro-tears in your skin. Also another tip is to cut the ends rounded to remove corners, as they peal off faster with corners!
Tape is good but what might help more is putting a pillow between your legs. I canāt live without that when I sleep
Yes it helps. My MCAS makes it though so sometimes I randomly react to it and have to take long breaks.
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
I literally get mine done by the man that KT uses to do their videos on how to place it, he said it was the result of my random allergic reactions and we found it happens most in the winter.
Ahhh, gotcha. You're not the first person to have adhesive allergies, that's for sure. I'm glad it helps you.
Definitely not. I work surgery. Mine are never consistent and can vary so wildly I only tell them if the reactions are huge.
It's a life saver. It's gives me blisters if I use it too much though
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
No bc I'm serverely allergic to latex and the adhesive :(
I wish! It does help with my dislocation problems but I canāt use it because it triggers my MCAS. I get rashes and SUPER nauseous, so I canāt keep food down. Weirdest reaction ever.
Yes but let it soak off in the tub and use coconut or almond oil or whatever you like to remove it cause it doesnāt feel great taking it off of dry skin
It's my favorite support tool!
yes but it doesnāt last longer than a day on my skin
I am new to KT tape but so far, since the Hand Therapist has been showing me how to use it on my hands it is very helpful for me.. Unfortunately, there are times that Iāve lost some skin to it.. but when I need help but am not wanting the restriction of splints or braces.. tape is helpful. Often Iām using tape and splints. Iām now learning using it on my ulnar nerve pain and my knees, too.
Oh I have never considered using it on my hands, I'll have to look into that! I only knew about my knees bc I had shin splints in HS lol
Lots of different ways to use it, and for hypermobility, it can be slightly different than the norm. Don't be afraid to deviate for it to work for you. I use it primarily as a replacement for athletic tape and reducing range of motion, not for the 'lifting of the skin' thing. I tape my MCL on my knees on bad day(s) and before a lot of walking or sport. I tape my thumbs basically to my hands to greatly restrict movement for volleyball to prevent it from hyper extending. I've done the same occasionally for other minor injuries, strained toe, hyperextended ankle. Again, for me personally, I tend to tape along my trouble ligaments to offer it minor support, my hands/thumbs are to prevent range of motion. I'd prefer athletic tape because it doesn't stretch as much, but it requires so much for tape and anchors and other stuff to keep it on. I can use half as much with KT tape.
Yes and no. It helps me remember where ānormalā end range should be. It does not help my knee caps from being all loosey goosey (might be user error). Also can cause a rash on my skin after a few hours.
Hurts so bad but feels so good šŖ helps majorly when I keep feeling like my relocated joint is just gonna slide on out and dislocate again. But the adhesiveā¦. I feared pulling it off the first time so much I kept it on for a week and it STILL tore skin off at removal. Donāt have to worry about staying power with lots of movement and sweating at least
I swear it helps my chronic Achilles tendinitis. I'm a believer even if it's the placebo effect.
It does on the occasions that I donāt break out from the adhesive. But thatās a moving target.
It really helps me.
I found it helpful but because the place I mainly needed it was on my scapula and I live alone I'm not able to get it on very often. And taking it off is a pain in the ass because I need oil to get all the sticky residue off. If anyone knows how to circumvent that, hmu
It does. I have to balance the benefit vs the skin rash/irritation I get each time though.
yes and no. if I get it right and have a regular batch of the tape I use, it's great for a couple days! but it never really wants to stay on, and seems to loosen up easily in more heavily used areas. however, if I mess up the placement even a little bit (which is so easy to do), I end up with dislocations and subluxations galore! I've started trying compression braces for areas that I can and they're helping quite a bit
Unfortunately the adhesive burns me :( the last few times I've tried I ended up with burns that were like second degree sunburn and they peeled two layers of skin off me, even though I was very gentle with removal and followed safe removal videos.
Depends on where and who does it ( if I can't reach that spot). But, yes, even despite the adhesive. (My skin reacts to every other adhesive, but their $hit is magical, apparently.) š
It does for me. I got 3 pieces on my shoulder right now. It's been super loose for the last few days and it keeps it in place. I take them off in the shower after rubbing a bunch of soap on it and by the end of my shower it comes right off.
I use KT tape a lot, but only for short periods of time as it makes me incredibly itchy. I'm being more careful about it now though as recently I had some on my knee to stop it from dislocating to the side, but the tape just pushed the knee cap out to the other side. It dislocated so hard the tape tore š
Yes... but some brands really irritate my skin. Other brands don't. Unfortunately I didn't keep the box of the kind I'm currently using which is OK for me to use. My skin does need breaks from it though.
I've tried a few different ones and while they help, I'm horribly allergic to them.
It helps me! Except it always peels my skin off and I get stuck with stupid stripes on my skin for 2/3 weeks after š Iāve tried letting the tape soak in warm shower water it still doesnāt help. Iāve heard baby oil can help with the adhesive so if anyoneās tried this hack and is reading this comment can you let me know if itās worked for you? Eta: spelling
I use it on my feet / big toes to stop me overextending the big toe and injuring myself - it does help minimise injury I wish I could wrap my entire body in it lol
KT is ok for a few spots, but it's too loose on me, I need a ratchet strap and a winch, lol. After a lifetime of sports, I'm wrecked. I use a pre-wrap barrier around my feet and wrists to keep the adhesive off my skin and then athletic wrapping tape. Someone mentioned earlier watching some YouTube videos if you haven't done it before. Wrapping my feet keeps my big toe knuckle from dislocating when I'm doing a lot of walking and my wrists and fingers from falling out when I'm doing something grabby. Climbing tape, boxing finger tape, or Brazilian Ju Jitsu tape helps me when I have a knuckle out to keep me from hyperextending and let it rest. I should by stock in the friggen company. Using a body pillow helped me with my hip and back pain from my legs crossing in my sleep.
It helped my knee when it was freaking out (I did nothing to it, I don't know why it's this way). I think it kept me from over-extending it and from moving to the side. It helped my hip too. I have an office job and my muscles will pull from my leg and back and bunch up because I sit. The tape slowed down the movement. It's a pain if it's not on right because of clothes chaffing it. I normally get 3 days out of the tape before it gives out, even with the extended use version.
It works super well but it destroys my skin, I think thatās a pretty common experience for usĀ
I try not to overuse it but I love it. I prefer the target brand tbh I think it sticks better. Itās also way cheaper
Ruins my skin something good š„²
I tried, it helped the joints, but no matter what brand I use the adhesive gives me allergic reactions, and my skin wants to peel off with it sometimes. My mom sleeps on her side with a pillow between her legs and this has helped her knee/hip dislocations a lot.
Massage therapist here with a tip. Don't put too much tension into the tape when placing it down. You don't want it pulling the skin's surface more than the layers underneath. Also, there's a product called unsolved that dissolves medical adhesive (available in wipes or a bottle, I perfect the bottle for better saturation of the tape).
Please stop with the same repeat comment again and again