Taping is a relatively new phenomenon that is increasingly gaining mainstream popularity due to its wide range of uses for both training and recovery. In this blog, we will focus specifically on the benefits taping can have for your feet.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is the swelling of the ligaments that run along the bottom of your feet, between the heels and the toes. This condition develops when the ligaments are repeatedly overstretched and torn. This can occur for a number of reasons, including long-distance running, obesity, and poor gait.
There are several reasons taping can be helpful in treating conditions like Plantar fasciitis. Firstly, the way these types of kinesio tapes are made is intended to mimic the elasticity of human skins & muscles. This helps prevent further damage or tears by limiting how far the tendons can stretch. In addition, these tapes are designed to lift the skin they are applied to, which encourages blood and lymph flow. This helps to speed up recovery time, not just for issues like Plantar fasciitis, but for a wide range of issues that can affect any part of the body.
Extensor Tendonitis
Sticking to the subject of feet, another common foot problem is extensor tendonitis, the inflammation of the tendons on the top of our feet. One of the main causes of this condition is running uphill or downhill, or running on slippery surfaces. Poor-fitting shoes or shoes that are too tight can also lead to this condition. Extensor tendonitis is one of the main causes of pain on the top of the feet and can benefit from taping in the same way that Plantar fasciitis can.
Recovery
Because taping can help conditions like those mentioned above, recovery time is greatly reduced for many issues. This not only allows people to resume their desired level of physical activity sooner, but also prevents the situation from deteriorating, which could make the damage more serious and possibly more long-lasting.
Prevention
In addition to the recovery benefits of taping, there are a whole host of ways it can be used as a preventive measure. As mentioned earlier, kinesio tape is designed not only to mimic the elasticity of human skin and muscle, but also to encourage the flow of blood and lymph. As well as preventing damage from overstretching, this makes training smoother and more effective, leading to better physical condition and, in turn, making people less likely to sustain an injury.
Another way taping can be used to prevent foot damage is by providing purely physical support. Flat feet and fallen arches are a prominent problem in today’s society for a number of reasons, such as low-quality shoes or the preference for fashion over function. Taping can help undo some of this damage if it has already occurred, but it is also commonly used by people who may be at risk of developing fallen arches. Taping does this by providing the support that the shoes, or lack thereof, do not.
To learn more about how taping can benefit other parts of the body, check out this blog on The Benefits of Taping.
