if the source of the inflammation is muscular or tendinous, then the tape if applied properly can redistribute the tension load and provide some relief.
if the source of the pain is from cartilage or ligament, then not likely to help.
massage to break down scar tissue, ice and/or NSAIDs, and of course rest, should help eliminate the pain.
kinesiotape works great to help with the healing process. Will still require work to fix the source of the pain itself, but it can help relieve pain and swelling in while you do that.
soooooo....what are you actually doing to fix the knee?
My pain developed 1/2 way thru a 2+ hr ride at a decent pace. Its new pain on the medial side just above the knee in the muscle. I had my bike adjusted last week & rode it 3 times. 2 of the 3 rides felt good. I don't know at this point if it had something to do with the adjustment or if I just pushed too hard and it somehow affected my left leg. Everywhere else feels great, so I don't think I pushed too hard. Ice, hot tub, & 1 day off, swimming have helped a lot. I will see later this week when I get back on the bike. ??
Kinesio tape (or spider tape, if you don't know the proper technique) can work well.
my doc used it on my knee & calf for the first week or two of physical therapy. it definitely made things feel better, especially with knee tracking issues.
as Leigh said though, it's not the cure. it's literally a band-aid, and you need to get the problem solved, not cover it up.
it can also be useful for racing it seems, when you plan to push yourself very hard, especially if you have had past issues.
kirk: great news with the update. sounds like a muscular strain, in which case the tape will likely provide some relief.
i developed a similar twinge on a random run, at a different location, and ran a 13.1 a few days later with the strain still there and got 2nd place in my age group. by massaging down the scar tissue and laying low a couple of days after my race, it eventually went away.
the twinge was muscular, so time will heal that type of injury and breaking down the scar tissue will speed the healing. anti-inflammatories and tape will help provide relief, but also mask some of the symptoms. i used my pain to judge how far to push myself on race day, when i got an extra twinge, i made sure not to go to that point again. i like this method, but understand the other methods are more popular.
Kirk, Glad to hear it is getting better. I am a huge fan of Kinesio tape...if you have it done by someone who knows what they are doing. Just like massage, chiro, pt or any other therapy, the person doing the work does have a huge impact on how effective it is. Spider tape is nice for "self help", but make sure you are using the correct "pattern" for what ails you. Good Luck, sounds like you are on the road to recovery! Ebe
Comments
never had it done on myself.
if the source of the inflammation is muscular or tendinous, then the tape if applied properly can redistribute the tension load and provide some relief.
if the source of the pain is from cartilage or ligament, then not likely to help.
massage to break down scar tissue, ice and/or NSAIDs, and of course rest, should help eliminate the pain.
gh
soooooo....what are you actually doing to fix the knee?
My pain developed 1/2 way thru a 2+ hr ride at a decent pace. Its new pain on the medial side just above the knee in the muscle. I had my bike adjusted last week & rode it 3 times. 2 of the 3 rides felt good. I don't know at this point if it had something to do with the adjustment or if I just pushed too hard and it somehow affected my left leg. Everywhere else feels great, so I don't think I pushed too hard. Ice, hot tub, & 1 day off, swimming have helped a lot. I will see later this week when I get back on the bike. ??
Kinesio tape (or spider tape, if you don't know the proper technique) can work well.
my doc used it on my knee & calf for the first week or two of physical therapy. it definitely made things feel better, especially with knee tracking issues.
as Leigh said though, it's not the cure. it's literally a band-aid, and you need to get the problem solved, not cover it up.
it can also be useful for racing it seems, when you plan to push yourself very hard, especially if you have had past issues.
kirk: great news with the update. sounds like a muscular strain, in which case the tape will likely provide some relief.
i developed a similar twinge on a random run, at a different location, and ran a 13.1 a few days later with the strain still there and got 2nd place in my age group. by massaging down the scar tissue and laying low a couple of days after my race, it eventually went away.
the twinge was muscular, so time will heal that type of injury and breaking down the scar tissue will speed the healing. anti-inflammatories and tape will help provide relief, but also mask some of the symptoms. i used my pain to judge how far to push myself on race day, when i got an extra twinge, i made sure not to go to that point again. i like this method, but understand the other methods are more popular.
hope this resolves soon.
drgh
Glad to hear it is getting better. I am a huge fan of Kinesio tape...if you have it done by someone who knows what they are doing. Just like massage, chiro, pt or any other therapy, the person doing the work does have a huge impact on how effective it is. Spider tape is nice for "self help", but make sure you are using the correct "pattern" for what ails you. Good Luck, sounds like you are on the road to recovery!
Ebe