the 100% directionless thread

PotatoMedic

Has no idea what I'm doing.
2,703
1,541
113

EpiEMS

Forum Deputy Chief
3,816
1,144
113
My biofeedback (OT) therapist wanted to put some kinesio tape on my neck/upper back yesterday. I wasn't familiar with the stuff, but I was like, eh, what can a bit of tape hurt. Woke up a couple times that night with pain in my neck/upper back and I very rarely get pain there. In the morning I couldn't turn my head very far to the right and barely at all to the left. My physical therapist (lower back stuff) was kind enough to peel the darn stuff off for me this morning so I didn't have to play contortionist. Never again. Plus I finally Googled it and there's like zero science behind it apparently. Invented by a chiropractor [emoji849]

I was wondering how it felt to wear! Seems to be very popular among pro athletes, but I figured it was bunk. Looked around for a few metaanalyses and they seem to come to the same conclusion (probably not harmful, but no evidence of benefit).
 

Akulahawk

EMT-P/ED RN
Community Leader
4,924
1,322
113
My biofeedback (OT) therapist wanted to put some kinesio tape on my neck/upper back yesterday. I wasn't familiar with the stuff, but I was like, eh, what can a bit of tape hurt. Woke up a couple times that night with pain in my neck/upper back and I very rarely get pain there. In the morning I couldn't turn my head very far to the right and barely at all to the left. My physical therapist (lower back stuff) was kind enough to peel the darn stuff off for me this morning so I didn't have to play contortionist. Never again. Plus I finally Googled it and there's like zero science behind it apparently. Invented by a chiropractor 🙄
Athletes do use it quite a bit, but they don't usually leave it on for long. Basically they'll use it during competition or during practice as basically a biofeedback (think reminder) to help the athlete do some particular movement in a specific way to avoid further injury. You've found out what happens when you sleep with it on...

I'm in the camp of "not likely harmful, possibly beneficial" for the use of this stuff. Done right, it basically assists in proprioception to help you do or avoid a given movement.
 

EpiEMS

Forum Deputy Chief
3,816
1,144
113
Athletes do use it quite a bit, but they don't usually leave it on for long. Basically they'll use it during competition or during practice as basically a biofeedback (think reminder) to help the athlete do some particular movement in a specific way to avoid further injury. You've found out what happens when you sleep with it on...

I'm in the camp of "not likely harmful, possibly beneficial" for the use of this stuff. Done right, it basically assists in proprioception to help you do or avoid a given movement.

Kinda like splinting for a sprain/strain? You could move it but it’ll hurt, that sort of thing?
 

Seirende

Washed Up Paramedic/ EMT Dropout
891
429
63
Are we talking about kinesio tape or athletic tape at this point? There are differences to my understanding
 

EpiEMS

Forum Deputy Chief
3,816
1,144
113
Somebody tell me I’m not the only one watching The Book of Boba Fett?
 

Akulahawk

EMT-P/ED RN
Community Leader
4,924
1,322
113
Kinda like splinting for a sprain/strain? You could move it but it’ll hurt, that sort of thing?

Are we talking about kinesio tape or athletic tape at this point? There are differences to my understanding
The tape and the concepts behind the application of the tape types are different. With athletic tape, you basically build a brace. By laying the tape down in certain directions, you can determine which underlying structures get greater or lesser support. Athletic taping is basically used to support joints and essentially act as an external ligament. Kinesio tape is a lightweight elastic tape and isn't going to be as supportive as athletic tape. The website advocating its use says that the tape is primarily used to lift skin layers a small amount to allow for better flow of fluid. Looking at the taping methods, the effect the tape has is to enhance your sense of proprioception and in that way, guide your body to move in a more desirable, more efficient manner. Now if the tape actually does lift and separate skin layers as advertised, this could potentially lead to localized edema. Every bpdy "learns" to move in particular ways and therefore some muscles are recruited more for certain movements and other muscles don't have as much responsibility so they don't need to work. If you change the movement dynamics, you change the usual muscle motor units that are recruited for a given movement so perhaps some less used muscles are forced to work more so they get damaged because they're not accustomed to the work. This damage ultimately is noticed as muscle soreness/pain. Those muscles are also irritated and will swell a bit thanks to an inflammatory response. That combo leads to stiffness too.

In short, if I applied an elastic tape to the outside of your body in a certain manner, I can influence how your body is going to move. I'm primarily used to using elastic and non-elastic purpose-made athletic tape. The elastic tape I am familiar with is MUCH stronger than the kinesio tape and is used to support injured tissues as opposed to influencing movement.

While I'm not hugely familiar with kinesio tape, biomechanics is a part of my training and as such, it's not all that mysterious to me. I take the microlifting of skin layers claim with a healthy dose of skepticism. Kinesio tape, IMHO, is beneficial but you do have to use it appropriately...
 

Jim37F

Forum Deputy Chief
4,300
2,875
113
Doing my Annual Physical for the city today. Includes the hearing room with the beeps and headphones... hate that, always feel deaf AF... bit of trouble reading the bottom lines on the eye chart too 😭 (chart says 20/20-1?)
Even had to do an EKG (once every 5 years they said).. apparently I'm in Sinus Brady (rate of 58 lol)

But my blood pressure was 110/68 so that's something lol
 

ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
11,025
1,474
113
I never quite understood the rationale to do that every year!
Early detection of hearing loss, which can be a safety factor on scenes and while driving emergency vehicles?
 
Last edited:

CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
4,524
3,348
113
Doing my Annual Physical for the city today. Includes the hearing room with the beeps and headphones... hate that, always feel deaf AF... bit of trouble reading the bottom lines on the eye chart too 😭 (chart says 20/20-1?)
Even had to do an EKG (once every 5 years they said).. apparently I'm in Sinus Brady (rate of 58 lol)

But my blood pressure was 110/68 so that's something lol

Every time I do my annual physical I just randomly push the button for the hearing test. In my left ear I can hear my pulse so I’m pretty sure I have some hearing loss. Eye sight is always good and for some reason they think my B/P is always high. Last time it was 140/84 on two cups of coffee.
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
Community Leader
7,844
2,794
113
Got out the side door of the ambulance to go drive and the dirt we were parked on collapsed. Turns out I stepped on a frozen out rodent den or something and went DOWN. Face in the dirt, the whole nine yards. Ankle is all bruised and swollen, just some real icing on a very long 48.
 

ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
11,025
1,474
113
Varmint Cong?
Now I can't get the image of Tigger wearing a boonie hat while low crawling and singing "Greasy grimey gopher guts" out of my head. Guess I might as well watch both Caddyshack movies today.
 
Top