Looking for an easy way to soothe your knee issues? Then you should try using KT tape for runners knee while running.
Here’s the truth.
One of the most common types of knee pain that afflict runners is the infamous runner’s knees. Also known as chondromalacia patella, when suffering from runners’ knee pain, you’ll want both quick and lasting relief.
One of the reliable tools used to soothe runners’ pain is kinesiology tape which can help you soothe pain while improving your knee mechanics to help prevent future problems.
Before buying a KT tap roll and hitting the pavement, read my guide to using KT tape for runners’ knees to learn more about how taping can provide compression, support, and other benefits.
Runners Knee Explained
Whether you run on the trails or in the park, runners’ knee symptoms are usually caused by overuse of the kneecap or what’s known as the patella.
This often causes local swelling and pain during weight-bearing, knee flexion, and potential clicking around the kneecap. Not good at all.
Runners’ knee pain develops over time and can afflict beginners and experienced runners.
If you have a runner’s knee, you might experience pain on the lateral side of the knee while weight-bearing. The pain may strike around the patellar tendon, to be more precise.
In most cases, the pain is mild initially, but it worsens over time and can result in stabbing pain.
The pain may also radiate down to the lower leg.
Many variables could lead to this common problem, such as issues related to knee alignment, muscle strength, and running mechanics.
For more on how to treat and prevent runners’ knees, please check my full guide here.
KT tape and its Impact on Knee Pain
Over the past few years, the use of KT tape has exploded in the running world. Go to any running event, from your local 5K to a marathon race, and you’ll likely see more than one runner using kinesiology tape.
But what is KT tape, and how come it has become a reliable tool in the fitness world?
Keep on reading.
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What Is KT Tape
KT tape is, as the name implies, a tape that you apply to your muscles.
More specifically, it consists of a stretchy, thin, elastic tape with an acrylic adhesive that offers sensory input into an area but still allows for the full range of motion.
KT tape is virtually identical to human skin in both elasticity and thickness, which helps the taped area move without restraint and provides support to muscles and joints.
Although just recently popular, KT tape has been around for decades. Dr. Kenzo Kase developed the technology in ’70s as an effort to provide more practical solutions for his patients.
The initial design consisted of a super-strong adhesive tape to help maintain proper alignment in the joints of his patients after leaving his office.
Dr. Kenzo looked into methods to promote the body’s natural halting mechanisms and extend the benefits of his treatments after his patients left his clinic.
By that time, Kase had worked hard to come up with better alternatives to the adhesive tapes of the day.
The Japanese doctor spends hours and hours looking into the applications of therapeutic tape and designing it in such a way to mimic many of the features of the human skin.
The elasticity, thickness, flexibility, and breathability of the KT tape were all inspired by the characteristics of the human skin.
What about science?
Research has reported that the use of KT tape can soothe the pain for individuals suffering from osteoarthritis, reduce pain and improve joint mobility.
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How to Use KT Tape for Runners Knee
Although there are plenty of taping techniques recommended based on your specific needs, if you’re dealing with knee pain, chances are you might require a medial glide of your patella.
The method used to tape knee pain is patellar taping and was initially developed by Jerry McConnel. In theory, the method helps correct altered patellofemoral kinematics and lets patients resume daily activity—running is an exception.
The method is an easy, cheap, and effective self-management strategy.
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Knee Tape for Running – The Goal
The main goal of knee taping is to improve knee stability.
In addition, it can help reduce pain and excess movement during weight-bearing.
Just make sure that taping is tight enough to support the knee but not too tight to hinder circulation. Find the sweet spot.
Warning
Although this may offer great benefits, it can also make your problem worse if applied incorrectly.
That’s why you need to follow the right method for the issue you have at hand—or else KT tape may end up causing more harm than good, and you don’t want that.
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The Process Of Taping For Knee Pain
KT tape is designed to mimic the human skin’s elasticity so the “patient” can use their full range of motion.
The tape tends to be strong enough to stick on for there to four days, even while you train or take showers.
Once you apply the tape to your body, it recoils a bit, gently lifting the skin. This gentle lifting of the skin creates some space between the skin and the tissues underneath it. This, in turn, helps improve circulation and lymphoid flow, which eventually helps to reduce swelling and soothe pressure.
Blood and other fluid pool up in an injured area, causing swelling and inflammation. KT tape slightly lifts the skin away from your muscles and fascia.
This, in turn, improves circulation and reduces swelling in the affected area.
Once your circulation is back to normal, nutrients and oxygen can reach the affected tissues to help speed up healing and recovery.
And voila!
How To Apply KT Tape for Runners Knee While Running
Before you start taping, make sure you have all the supplies at hand. These include:
- Tape
- Scissors
- Low allergy or elastic tape
- Pre-wrap
- Clean knee
All of this helps ensure the adhesive tape sticks properly.
Keep in mind that some KT tape products come precut, so just choose the right size for your leg, and that’s all.
Once you got everything you need, follow these steps to do it right.
Patella Taping Method
Patella taping employs rigid tape to help correct the alignment of the kneecap.
Follow this Youtube tutorial to do it right:
- Start by measuring the bump under your patella—or what’s knowns as the tibial tubercle—to your quadriceps tendon.
- Cut two KT tape strips of similar length. Minimize peeling by rounding the ends.
- Place the low allergy tape over the front of the affected knee to act as an anchor and protect the skin.
- Take a piece of rigid tape, then place it towards the top of your patella.
- Add in two more pieces of tape.
- To form the teardrop shape, place two strips of KT tape on your quads, and then run them down both sides of the affected knee.
You can apply the tape before a run to help soothe your knee pain.
Or you can leave it after a run until it falls off—typically taking roughly 24 to 48 hours.
You can also remove the tape by slowly peeling it off. Removing it too fast may irritate your skin, and you don’t want that.
Here’s the method
YouTube Tutorial
The Research On KT Tape & Knee Pain
Although there are a lot of anecdotal claims that support the effectiveness of KT tape for managing knee pain, the science on the matter is still lacking.
I’ve not found any conclusive research or medical proof to confirm the tape’s effectiveness.
A review of the current studies for KT tape to manage sports injuries was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine.
The review reported that no clinically significant results were found to support the Tape use for pain relief. The tape has also been reported to have some effects on muscle activity, but it’s uncertain whether these changes were positive or negative.
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Consult Your Doctor
Before you start rolling the tape and sticking it to your knee, get the green light from your doctor or a trained physical therapist to make sure you’re doing it right.
Keep in mind that a runner’s knee is a serious injury—one that can put you out of the game for weeks, even months, if left ignored.
So to make sure you won’t make your condition worse, apply KT tape under the guidance of your doctor and a certified physical therapist.
What’s more?
The tape isn’t for everyone and shouldn’t be considered a long-term fix forerunner’s knee, so if using one proved ineffective—or made your condition worse—consult your doctor immediately.
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KT Tape for Knee Pain While Running – The Conclusion
There you have it! If you’re looking for practical ways to tape your knee for pain then today’s article should put you on the right track. The rest is just details.
Please feel free to leave your comments and questions in the section below.
Thank you for dropping by.