ROCKTAPE: Tape Me Up Coach!! Find Nic STAT…

If you’re paying close attention to some athletes, you may have noticed the odd taping surrounding targeted areas of the body (eg. IT Band, patella, achilles and more). It’s not a new way of body marking, it’s kinesiology taping. Designed specifically to help you move faster by reducing muscle vibration,  which can cause muscle fatigue. It sometimes looks silly, but after the Celebration Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, I’m a believer. My IT Band occasionally acts up, so I asked Nic Ebright, member of TEAM FIGHT to “hit me up with the ROCKTAPE please!!” He asked where and went to work. Once applied, I continued to rub it on, applying body heat as recommended for additional adhesion. 20 minutes later I was in the water. I went through the entire race and forgot about it until I sat down to catch my breath. No pain and felt great. A couple of our TEAM FIGHT members also got taped up and can also attest to the benefits. So I interviewed Nic, wanting to know more about ROCKTAPE, the benefits, who uses it and when he’s going to be demo’ing this body-art type tape in our area (hahah). Check more info on Nic at http://www.nicebrightmassage.com.

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1. How long have you been using Rocktape?

As both a Sports Massage Therapist and an Athlete, I’ve been using Kinesiology Taping techniques for over 3 years. I first learned taping techniques while as an Athletic Trainer and Performance Coach in college. I had both knee and ankle pain as I transitioned into endurance sports. RockTape is a brand I trust because the materials and technology is higher in quality than all the brands I’ve tried.

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2. Who do you recommend to use Rocktape?

I recommend for individuals who experience muscle and joint pain in any physical environment whether it’s sports or work. Depending on the application it can help re-align and support your joints to improve bio mechanics; Improve bloodflow to reduce swelling/sorenesss after an injury; and reduce overall pain. My clients love using it to help them perform more efficiently and pain-free.

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3. Can ROCKTAPE be self-applied? If so, are there any preferred approaches for application? (eg. no hair, can it go on sunscreen, need additional adhesives, etc.)

Yes, a box of RockTape comes with instructions for effective self applications. There are alot of video instructions available at http://www.rocktape.com/how-to-use. I also help clients apply the tape to fit more specific areas such as the back, neck and areas that can’t be reached. For more complex patterns, I recommend that my clients see me for proper fit. Regardless, with each application the skin needs to be clean and dry (less hair the better) for better adhesion. The tape and adhesive is waterproof so it can be worn for a few days, but during a high performance event like a Marathon, it will hold for the entire event.

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4. Is Rocktape a quick fix? Is it something that will always have to be used, etc.

Rocktape is similar to a Band-Aid or anti-inflammatory. It’s pain relief properties allow your body to heal faster in the absence of pain signals, which tend to limit range of motion or cause tightness in a joint or muscle. If used over time, It can help you improve your bio-mechanics so that you can reduce potential or chronic injury. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to properly recover to get to the root of the problem. Improving strength, flexibility, muscle endurance can be more effective in the long term.

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5. Where do you work?

My office is at Awaken Wellness Center located in the RT32/29/100 at 7130 Minstrel Way, Columbia MD 21045. My colleagues and I specialize in different areas of the Massage Therapy discipline, as well as Acupuncture and Yoga.

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6. Can you name some athletes who use it? Who was the last person you applied it on? Were they satisfied?

Since I’m part of an endurance training team called TEAM FIGHT, I’ve applied it to all different body types and skill levels. I’ve used it on a client who is a TOP 10 National Female Triathlete with shoulder pain while swimming and most recently, a 50 year old woman who was participating for the first time at the Celebration Sprint Triathlon in Columbia. After the event, she told me that her hips were in agony (she didn’t get them taped), but her knees felt brand new. More famous users of Kinesiology Taping include Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams and Kerri Walsh.

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7. Can you pinpoint one area of the body that Rocktape helps the most? Where is the common complaint, resulting in you applying it?

There’s not really one area that I can pinpoint because the body moves as a complex chain. The most common “Chain” that I use tape on is the ankle, knee, hip and lower back chain. This is why I encourage and recommend strength and stability exercises to client who have “weak links” in one or more of these areas.

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8. When is your next ROCKTAPE workshop?

My FREE workshop is at Awaken Wellness on Sat. July 3rd 2010, 2:30 pm. I’ll be educating attendees on the uses and benefits of RockTape, talk about most common uses and best of all, attendees get to try an application.