Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Review: Rock Tape

I wrote this review for Runabout:

I tripped and fell at the Brush Mountain Breakdown sustaining a bruised hip and knee and I was just three weeks out from my first marathon in Richmond. The knee was troubling, and the best I can describe it, it felt as if something was getting hung up on the outside of the knee. I kept visualizing a string on an instrument being plucked. Whatever it was, it was not comfortable, but I didn't want to mess with any kind of wrap or brace that might just cause other problems if I used them during a run. At Runabout Sports, I was given a roll of Rock Tape (www.rocktape.com) to try. (This particular roll was hot pink, always a plus!) I remembered having seen something similar on tennis and volleyball players, and learned that it works to lift the skin away from the muscle thus promoting blood flow. My massage therapist does myofascial release and I supposed it did roughly the same thing. I applied the tape as directed (there are printed instructions and also videos online), with strips curved around each side of the kneecap and additional strips above and below. WIth the tape applied in its stretched state, it created a comfortable tension on the knee, giving the sensation of mild support and counterpressure. Mentally it also provided a distraction. The adhesive holds up well even in water, yet leaves no tackiness behind when removed. It's pretty much like removing long bandaids though. Lotions will affect the adhesive so put it on clean, dry skin. I can't say for sure what it does or how it does it, but at this point, I am still using the RockTape on my runs and will continue to do so. I asked my massage therapist about the efficacy of this kind of product and she was very much in favor of it. I will definitely add Rock Tape to my arsenal of tools to keep me running.