by rocktapeuk | Dec 18, 2014 | Medical
Highlights • My experience so far has been to use kinesiology tape, as a treatment adjunct, with patients who present with Parkinsons Disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury….. • Patients report increased confidence, awareness of limbs, movement control and ….. • We put tape where we put our hands and we use it for the same reason that we put our hands onto patients – sensory input, guidance, correction of alignment, balance of …… Full Article by Melissa Benyon Neurological Physiotherapist and Rocktape FMT Neuro Course developer. I started using therapeutic taping back in the late 1990’s, where my main objective was to purchase the most rigid zinc oxide tape on the market – how things have moved on! I used it for patients with neurological deficits, primarily for pain management, correction of shoulder alignment problems, stabilisation and muscle inhibition and recruitment and found it helpful. Following my attendance at a Rocktape taping course in 2014, I started using kinesiology tape – tape with elastic properties enabling the therapist to vary how much the tape is tensioned during application. I offered to get involved in teaching for Rocktape and consequently also started reading around the subject, searching on the TRIP database to look at what research was out there – did it demonstrate positive outcomes? and what mechanisms for actions of the tape could be described? There is a lot of research available investigating the efficacy of kinesiology tape in the musculoskeletal field, although research in the neurological arena is much less prevalent. Increasingly studies are targeted at patient groups with pathology, as some studies investigating the...
by rocktapeuk | Oct 2, 2014 | Interviews
Sam is a young dinghy sailor, who already at the age of 25 has a proven track record on the international stage. Sam is a double world champion, triple European champion and double national champion. His skill set has been best shown in single trapeze dinghies such as the 420 where he set a British record, the 470 which he now campaigns towards the Olympic Games and the Fireball which he has won numerous titles in. While his ability and performance on the international stage is unquestionable, Sam also finds time to give back into sport. Sam represents 3 charities all of which give him the opportunity to support the development of young people across the country. Sam spends his free time supporting projects aimed at getting young people into education, sport, employment and training. Sam also makes sure he uses his knowledge and experience to support the development of young sailors, helping coach their skills to develop the next Olympic champion. Outside of Sam’s giving back to charity, he also mentors other athletes helping guide them on their journeys through sport and beyond. Sam’s dedication to training and development is well beyond his years, taking detail in all his preparation is key to his performance. Having made a difficult decision in 2009 to finish education and not chase his dream of London 2012, Sam has recently quit his full time job to become a full time sailor looking towards Tokyo 2020. In order to ensure he has a strong full back post sport, Sam is successfully running his own business in sport around his training, while also being...
by rocktapeuk | Sep 22, 2014 | Running
I’ve been a little slow with my blogs lately so I thought I would get a little pre race blog done . So here goes tonight me , David & my dad Buff daddy les will be traveling up to Belvoir castle in Leicestershire to meet up with our ultra family .kath , Duane & Lorraine & to pitch our tents ready for a weekend of fun ( I’m guessing my fun is very different to others but 24hours of running is FUN ) If your at the event please come and say hi we will be in the solo camping area (look out for the Buff® Tape ) and Team Buff Uk kit. www.buffwear.co.uk This will be a strange 24hour race for me as normally I have full support and I don’t have to worry about anything but for my 5th 24 hour race , I’m going to be a lot more self suffient so it could be interesting , I just need to remember to eat lots and drink lots and wear warm kit when it gets dark ( Lorraine don’t forget to tell me ) . So what’s my plan for the race ? who knows how this will go , I’ve been having physio on my leg since the endure 24 in June I must thank www.Rocktape.net for sending me some tape for my leg & hopefully all will be well. I’ve also had a nasty cough for over a week !!! Not a ideal build up to a race , but I’m not making excuses , my head will be in the zone and I’m...
by rocktapeuk | Sep 16, 2014 | Cycling
Joe and Josh are cycling from Paris to Barcelona over 8days to raise money for The Ronald Mcdonald House charity and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Here is their day by day: Warm Up Ride Manchester to Blackpool done! James joined us for the ride as the charities are very close to his heart and has had a life changing experience with them. Every little helps! Our Sponsors Got to say a big thanks to our sponsors, Qdos Fitness and Saville’s builders for their help! And an additional mention to Rocktape for kindly donating some free tape for the ride to keep us in working order! The Night Before We have arrived in Paris ready for starting our ride tomorrow. Quick picture under the Eiffell Tower and then loading up on carbs!!! We have got a big day ahead, quick 20mile ride to CrossFit Lisses where will be completing ‘The Seven’! Once we have regained consciousness, we will be on our way to Orleans with another 65miles! We are currently in high spirits….. Lets see how we are when we check in tomorrow evening! DAY 1 So the first day ended up a 12hour day, not ideal for day one! We set off from Paris at 7:40 and cycled 21miles to CrossFit Lisses! Although paris is very nice and cycle friendly, our satnav is not! Taking many detours and after every possible red light, we arrived of CrossFit Lisses at 9:40. Then it began! ‘The Seven’ notoriously know as one of the hardest CrossFit workouts around, we now know why everyone thought we were stupid…. We are! Josh...
by rocktapeuk | Aug 21, 2014 | Cycling
Just under a year ago, I decided to enter this event to commemorate the Centenary of the start of the Great War. As you will know, if you have followed my blog, I was fortunate enough to serve with the Royal Engineers for a number of years until being medically discharged in 1997. A large number of my friends and colleagues have been impacted by loss in conflict and I have lost several friends and this seemed a fitting tribute to their memories. I had also recently been bitten by the cycling bug so it was a perfect fit. I also decided to dedicate the year to raising funds and awareness for Blind Veterans UK and you can read more about their work and my motivations elsewhere in this blog. I have had a superb year and have achieved a number of firsts (for me) with several highs (and a couple of hiccoughs) and have made many new friends along the way. I have had wonderful support and met many inspirational folk, so was very excited as we approached this ‘final’ event in August. However, I had not appreciated just how emotional the trip would be and what a superb end to the years fund raising. And so it began – Stratford Intl to Folkestone – High speed train The trip to Folkestone by train was unremarkable, as were my first impressions of the town when I arrived. Folkestone was gearing up for a big centenary parade on the 4th, with Prince Harry in attendance and there were bands rehearsing and police cordoning the front off, so I just...
by rocktapeuk | Jul 22, 2014 | Athletics
Chris Stirling was spotted at the recent Celtman! Extreme Scottish Triathlon sporting long strips of the Union Jack patterned RockTape. Clearly it did this endurance athlete a world of good as he came in second in the epic multi-sport event. Chris, who crossed the line in a hugely respectable 12 hrs 3 mins and 6 seconds, is photographed here by Steve Carter sporting the RockTape on his arms and shoulders. The 32-year-old, who hails from Ambleside in the Lake District, is a great believer in RockTape. He says: “I use RockTape to support the chains of movement and use of different muscle groups as I move between the three sports or triathlon. “I find that my muscles tire less quickly when using RockTape and it is easier to hold good form. “For example, when switching from bike to run, you go from being bent double for six hours to wanting to run nice and upright. The stretch of the tape reminds me not to lean forward too much and to pull my shoulders back.” Chris confesses that he is not a great swimmer. With the help of his physio Adam Smith he tried taping for power in the swim stroke. Chris says: “I swam much better than I thought I would with the help of the RockTape. I tested it in a couple of training sessions and another event prior to the Celtman! “The extra one to two per cent that it gives makes all the difference when you are trying to perform at your limit. I was pleased with how I performed in my weakest discipline in the...
by rocktapeuk | Jul 17, 2014 | Cycling
As one of the team sponsors of Team Garmin Sharp, ROCKTAPE, have had their fair share of experience working with cycling injuries, whether on the Tour de France, at local triathlons or at the UK National Mountain Bike Championship. Cyclo asked Daniel Lawrence, ROCKTAPE’s Education Director, to talk us through some of the most common cycling injuries, how they come about, and what you can do to treat and avoid them… Cycling injuries are usually not too severe and can be easily treated; however they can become commonplace if you do not take the correct precautions. Many of the injuries that I see amongst cyclists tend to be overuse injuries through regular repetitive movements, or postural injuries, the result of an improper riding position or posture on the bike. Points of contact cycling injuries are one of the most common things that I see with cyclists. Take, for example, where the cleats make contact with the pedal, usually via a clipless pedal system. If your cleats are not properly positioned at the correct angle, your will end up with shooting pains in your knees that will simply continue to grow until corrected. One of the simplest ways to remedy this is to correctly set up your clipless pedal system. It might take a bit of fiddling about and adjusting to get your shoe position correct but it will help ensure your feet are always in the correct position and also help you to generate more power easily too. If you haven’t invested in a clipless pedal system, than it is definitely something that I would recommend. Another incredibly common...
by rocktapeuk | Jun 16, 2014 | Rock Stars
A brand new Ski Cross camp open for you to try the new exciting discipline of ski cross. ROCKSTAR Emily will be hosting her 1st exclusive ski cross training camp in Les Deux Alps this summer to see if you have what it takes. Emily Sarsfield is Britain’s No.1 Ski Cross athlete 7 x British Champion and competing on the World Cup tour. Previously an alpine ski racer, Emily switched to ski cross in 2006 and never looked back. With a sports science degree, qualified ski instructor and coach Emily is more than an athlete she loves working out the details of what it takes to be the best, and wants to share this with you. Ski Cross is the ultimate downhill ski race with 4 skiers, racing head to head over jumps, rollers and banked turns. This camp will give you an insight into ski cross, introduce you to the skills needed and improve your skiing technique. Alongside the skiing the camp offers World class ski fitness (including ROCKTAPE applications!!) and nutritional advice from Emily’s World Cup fitness coach and nutritionalist. Giving you an intro to ski cross with a world class background. The camp will be set in one of European best glaciers in Les Duex Alps, France. World class coaching will be given daily on ski technique, starts, jumping, rollers and all things ski cross, looking at tactics along with technique to get you out in front. The afternoons will be packed with fitness and fun activities in the amazing mountains and video analysis. Accommodation is provided with full board athlete nutrition. Who’s it for? …...
by rocktapeuk | Jun 5, 2014 | Exhibitions
http://www.rocktape.co.uk/the-rocktape-blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Thoracic%20Rotation.mp4 Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation or IASTM, is a relatively new method of soft tissue mobilisation that originated in the US in the mid 90’s. It has however got links to more ancient forms of treatment such as Gua Sha which has been around for centuries. The techniques has become popular because it delivers quick results, with improving range of motion, improving movement quality and decreasing pain. And it does this within a few minutes. Originally, IASTM was developed as a hand saver for doing treatments such as deep transverse friction massage, breaking down scar tissue and promoting healing in the treated region. Whether this actually occurs with IASTM is still up for debate, there are some preliminary studies that shows some encouraging signs that it may augment the healing process however the jury is still out. When I do my treatments I am gradually using less and less pressure and still having the same awesome results from it. With the light pressure that I use it is unlikely that I am actually penetrating deep enough into the tissues to cause a a mechanical effect and setting up an inflammatory reaction. A more likely source of the improvement is through affecting the peripheral and central nervous system. By stimulating the mechanoreceptors and nerve endings in the skin and possibly in the superficial fascia, it is possible to cause a reduction in muscle tone and ‘release’ restrictions we can feel with our IASTM tools. Let me clarify this a little as I am not certain that we actually feel ‘restrictions’ , however, when we assess the soft tissues with...
by rocktapeuk | Jun 5, 2014 | Exhibitions, News
We are very proud to announce that ROCKTAPE has won in the ‘Best Accessory’ category at the 2014 Running Awards. Watch a video of us accepting the award below: The full list of winners on the night can be seen below: Small Retailer 1st Absolute Running 2nd Run and Become 3rd Runners World Large Retailer 1st Sweatshop 2nd Runners Need 3rd Asics Etailer 1st Sweatshop 2nd Wiggle 3rd Sports Shoes Accessory 1st Rocktape UK 2nd Workplay “Fleetfoot II” women’s fit running bag 3rd Body Glide anti-chafe Clothing – Women 1st Nike 2nd Ashmei 3rd Shock Absorber Clothing – Men 1st Ashmei 2nd Nike 3rd Adidas Shoe – Women 1st Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 2nd Brooks Ghost 6 3rd Asics Gel Nimbus 14 Shoe – Men 1st Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 2nd Inov8 X-Talon 212 3rd Asics Gel-Kayano 19 Gadget – GPS 1st Garmin Forerunner 10 2nd Garmin Forerunner 610 3rd Garmin Forerunner GPS Watch 910XT Gadget – non GPS 1st AfterShokz M2 Open Ear Sport Headphones 2nd Yurbuds Inspire Pro Earphones 3rd Mio Alpha HRM App 1st Strava Run GPS Running Tracker 2nd mapmyrun 3rd Nike+ Running App Magazine 1st Runner’s World 2nd Obstacle Race Magazine 3rd Women’s Running Book 1st Can’t swim can’t ride can’t run 2nd Fat Man to Green Man 3rd The Joy of Running Blog 1st Veggie Runners 2nd Lunges and Lycra 3rd Dreaming of Footpaths Website 1st Run Mummy Run 2nd Runner’s World 3rd Mudstacle Podcast 1st Marathon Talk 2nd The parkrun show 3rd Talk Ultra Fun Run 1st Nos Galan 5k 2nd Liverpool Santa Dash 3rd Gosport Golden Mile 10k 1st Southport Mad...
