Ikar Babeliuk: "Why do we see less and less kinesiotapes on top athletes?"

Former Rukh Lviv doctor Dmytro Babeliuk talks about the practice of using kinesio tapes by athletes.

"Professional athletes and sports fans are well aware of kinesio tapes - colored tapes that are glued to different parts of the body for therapeutic purposes. However, as time goes by and large amounts of scientific information become available, the popularity of this technique is falling sharply. Scientific evidence has confirmed that kinesio tapes are not effective in many ways, such as pain relief, muscle fixation, joint stabilization, and more. The only place where this technique may have limited effect is that in case of severe swelling, the effect of lifting the skin can slightly reduce it for a short time.

How is this happening in Europe now? Kinesio tapes are glued only at the request of the player. If a football player comes to the physio and asks him to stick a tape because he feels that it will be calmer and more reliable, then the medical staff fulfills this condition. However, no self-respecting sports doctor in Europe would recommend taping as a necessary or proven method of treating anything.

It should be said that this method is safe and cannot be harmed, which is why they agree to use it so easily at the request of players, but science suggests that it is better to work out once again in the gym or on the field and not spend extra money on the club's or your own on the purchase of useless colored tapes. This is especially true for ordinary patients who have serious diagnoses such as osteoarthritis, back pain, etc. People who need to return to work as soon as possible and have a limited budget for treatment should be prescribed only effective treatment based on international medical protocols. Kinesio tapes are not included in any medical protocol for the treatment of any medical condition," Babeliuk wrote on Telegram.