Put Some Tape on It

In early December I developed tendinitis in my left Achilles tendon; leaving me on the shelf from running for almost two weeks. The first few runs and rides after I felt that it had healed were light; along with some extensive stretching and post icing ritual that followed.

I started to think what I could do to protect the tendon, maintain range of motion, along with continue with my training. I then recalled seeing a couple runners at the Beijing Olympics wearing tape on their knees and running along the back of the calf muscle; the light bulb went off and I realized this is what I was looking for.

Was it duct tape, normal athletic tape....a few searches later I figured out it was a special adhesive called Kinesio Tex Tape. This tape pulls up the skin slightly, increases circulation to the injured area, and best of all no limit to your range of motion.

You can find a roll of the tape in a number of colors; is water proof; and can last up to five days. I've started to use it on both the Achilles and under the patella with favorable results; I do recommend following the guidelines on the Kinesio website on how to apply the tape.

Runnerworld in the February issue had a small writeup about the tape and how to apply it to help with various injuries. The video below is a step through of how you apply it to assist with the Achilles tendon.



Source: Runnersworld