by rocktapeuk | Feb 10, 2017 | Uncategorised
When I started as a student Physiotherapist 13 years ago it felt as if the management of back pain was having a big overhaul with the doom-monger ‘you will be in a wheel chair’ therapists being swept away by the self management and exercise scientific clean up crew. Now I feel the profession and our allied colleagues (Chiro, Osteo, Sports Therapy) have got a much better handle on things. We have not cured the world of back pain because we never will. Back pain has plagued humanity throughout history with the earliest records dating back to ancient Egypt. I think this specific patient was treated to some traction and something involving a dog, I was never any good at translating hieroglyphics though! I will be speaking at the Back Pain Show in Birmingham in May. www.thebackpainshow.co.uk In preparation for my talk and demonstration I have been revising what we do and the evidence for it. There are now plenty of taping for back pain studies to read through. One recent OPEN ACCESS article (here) compared the treatment outcome for two groups of mechanical back pain sufferers (15 in each group) with both groups performing McKenzie exercises and only one group receiving Kinesiology tape applied to their lower back. The results show a considerable reduction in disability for the taped group in comparison to the non-taped group, according to Oswestry low back disability Questionnaire. The lumbar spine application is simple, check out the pics at the top of the...
by rocktapeuk | Jan 24, 2017 | Uncategorised
I joined the Army in August 1992 as a member of the Royal Engineers. I played football from the minute I joined, representing my Regiment and was also lucky enough to also represent the Corps of Royal Engineers, until everything went rapidly and abruptly downhill in 2003. I had just been promoted to Sergeant and was serving in Hameln, Germany. My Regiment had reached the Army Cup Final, the pinnacle of football within the Army. An innocuous challenge in a training session, whilst preparing for this Cup Final, brought my world to an abrupt halt! A slight pain led me to casualty, where it transpired I had fractured my right Patellar. Not good. I was placed in a plaster cast from ankle to thigh for 6 weeks and left to stew at my misfortune. Gutted. Once the cast was removed it was identified that the break had been more technical than first identified. Although the fracture had healed, my kneecap was dislocating and then popping back in as I walked, leading to intense pain. It was decide to carry out a ‘Lateral Release’ operation in a German Hospital – an operation not carried out within the UK medical system. This procedure involved the cutting of a ligament on one side of the knee to hopefully make it the same strength as the other side, thus allowing the knee to operate and track correctly. This didn’t work out as planned so I was sent back to the UK to have another operation – a ‘Patellar Decompression’. This time they opened up the knee and cut a slight ‘v’ into the...
by rocktapeuk | Jan 20, 2017 | Uncategorised
On the 13th May, two disabled veterans from the British Army, set off from Edinburgh Castle heading to Exeter. All in aid of Help for Heroes and Veterans With Dogs. Both veterans have been helped by these two charities during their ongoing recovery pathway. However, this is no ordinary challenge. Both veterans will be doing the challenge on recumbent bikes. Laura will be using an ICE Trike which uses foot power, and Patrick on his Top End Force 3 hand bike. That’s right, 518 miles by arm power, because doing it by leg power isn’t hard enough. They will be using these bikes as their disabilities restrict them from using a normal bicycle. Patrick Medhurst-Feeney and Laura Ellis were both Medically Discharged from the Army after they picked injuries and illness while in service. Both suffer with physical and mental health conditions, that hugely effect their daily lives. After receiving help from both charities, they had the idea of giving something back to two charities that have helped them so much. Safe to say they went for a big challenge. Training is in full swing, with Laura working hard in Bathgate, Scotland, and Patrick’s tackling Dartmoor from his home in Plymouth. Building up the miles so that they’re ready to tackle the challenge that sits in front of them. Continuously reminding themselves that it’s all for charity. However, this challenge brings something else to the pair. It’s giving them an aim and a sense of achievement. Since leaving the Army, both have struggled with finding those things, so having this challenge is a big boost for the pair of...
by rocktapeuk | Nov 21, 2016 | Uncategorised
Check out this awesome video we put together that shows how RockTape can help you soothe pregnancy pains!
by rocktapeuk | Oct 12, 2016 | Rocktape Kinesiology Tape, Studies
Don’t let aches and pains be an excuse. Tape up and get to work. Because of the way RockTape stimulates nerve receptors in your skin and deeper tissues, it also can downregulate pain and improve both mobility and stability. With plenty of upsides, here are picks for the top five best CrossFit applications for RockTape: Hands Every CrossFit athlete knows how easy it is to beat up your hands while training. RockTape can effectively protect your palms and those calluses you’ve worked so hard on, especially when your training involves lots of metal spinning in your hands. (Think kipping pull-ups and kettlebell snatches, for example.) This application requires some scissors work, but once you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll feel like a pro! Adhere two strips down the palms of your hands and a strip around your wrist to lock them down. All your calluses should be covered and your palms virtually encased in armor. RockTape takes chalk nicely — and unlike most gloves — the layers of tape are so thin you’ll barely notice there’s anything between you and the work you’re doing. Shoulders Just about everything in CrossFit requires both shoulder mobility and stability. Whether you’re upside down on your hands, pressing overhead, or doing pull-ups or Olympic lifts, the demand on your shoulders is exceptional. We recommend taping in a way that basically surrounds the deltoid muscle while hitting the upper traps and AC joint (the point of your shoulder). Make sure you use enough tape on one of the strips to extend back onto your shoulder blade. Most of the mobility and stability...
by rocktapeuk | Oct 10, 2016 | ROCKTAPE Study's
The 9 months of pregnancy come along with all sorts of difficult changes to the body. Not only are there many hormonal and emotional changes, but there are enormous physical changes. Pregnancy is tough. RockTape is tougher. RockTape has created many different taping standards and protocols with the goal of easing the pain and stress on the pregnant body. Swollen feet? RockTape can help. How about a sore and fatigued back from all the extra weight? RockTape can help. Sciatica? Plantar Fasciitis? Rib Pain? RockTape can help. Physical Support Options for Pregnancy: RockTape I was “lucky” to be pregnant through the summer months. I hit the second trimester as the temps were escalating in our lovely beach town and began to feel the stretching and pulling of my belly as those temperatures kept going up, up, and up! I was not interested in one more layer of clothing and needed something while I was upright rather than all the lovely pillows that are available to support your belly as you sleep. Enter RockTape. As a chiropractor, I found out about this from a fellow doctor who posted pics on Facebook showing how it was helping one of his patients a couple years prior. He was actually using it on a bruise on an athlete, a gentleman who did strongman feats. The results I saw prompted me to look into this specific company. I had heard of kinesiotape before, as well as sports taping during a semester of athletic training in high school. This product, in my opinion, goes above and beyond! https://www.instagram.com/p/BJg0NYCh6VL/ First of all, let me explain these...
by rocktapeuk | Aug 31, 2016 | Uncategorised
Rocktape is considered to be hypoallergenic as the adhesive is an acrylic adhesive and contains no zinc oxide. Rocktape is also latex free. Because of these two properties, Rocktape is generally considered to be very good for skin of all ages. Very occasionally, some skin sensitivity can occur, but this is much more likely to be “operator error” than a true reaction to the tape itself. We have listed some steps below to ensure that you get the most out of your Rocktape application, and also reduce the risk of any skin issues. 1. Round the corners: this means cutting the corners off your Rocktape before applying. The reason we do this is that the corners are much more likely to catch on clothing, towels, sheets etc and cause the edge of the tape to lift. Once this lifts, the rest of the tape can peel off very quickly. We want your tape to last 3-5 days, so this is important! 2. No tension on the first or last inch of tape: each end of the tape needs at least an inch (2.5cm for those who only know metric!) of UNSTRETCHED “anchor”. This anchor means the tape is going to stay stuck better, but most importantly, it reduces the risk of skin traction injuries that can occur right at the very end of the tape. If you have a very small patch of irritation on the skin where the tape started or finished, this is most likely the cause. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF SKIN MOVEMENT, LIKE AROUND THE SHOULDER 3. Stretch...
by rocktapeuk | Aug 16, 2016 | Uncategorised
I always get a little pumped to get a play with a new bit of kit and an oppourtunity to teach a new course. Two years of development has culminated in Rocktape’s version of IASTM (instrument assisted soft-tissue mobilization) tool appropriately called RockBlades. A lot of people think of Rocktape as a taping company. We like to think of ourselves as a “Movement company that dabbles in tape.” As with the tape, Rockblades are another tool to help our medical professionals help our patients decrease pain, move better, and ultimately perform better. RockBlades consist of 2 tools. One, attractive surgical-grade stainless steel tool affectionately called the “Mallet” and a smaller thermoplastic tool the “Mullet”. The Mallet is designed for in clinic use and the Mullet is for pitch side or out of clinic use. Both tools have a variety of edges for use with multiple body-parts and techniques. Rockblades come in an attractive case including a tub of RockRub emollient and RockWipes to clean the tools and the bodypart prior to taping. I had the honour of teaching the first RockBlade course in the UK with Rocktape’s Medical Director Paul Coker at the British School of Osteopathy in London. The course was attended by a variety of manual therapists including, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, sport therapists, and sport massage therapists. There were quite a few familiar faces that have been on previous Rocktape UK’s courses. As with all of our courses we present concepts rather than recipes. We feel once a therapist understands a concept you can apply the concept to a wide range of conditions. We spend a lot...
by rocktapeuk | Aug 11, 2016 | Uncategorised
Do you remember the first time you rode a horse? It was a day I relived for years. I was visiting my mom’s friend, Pam Hubbard, and she let me ride on of her daughter’s horses. I had been practicing for weeks on a horse made of chairs and blankets in my living room. What kind of horses do you ride in your sport? Who is your favorite four-legged riding companion/why? I ride mostly warmblood horses which are bred with the stamina to gallop long distances, the athleticism to jump large fences and the movement to be competitive in dressage. The types of horses I ride typically are the trip-athlete of horses. I have been blessed to ride so many wonderful horses, but at the moment, Castle Larchfield Purdy is my top horse and he is truly a gift to have at the barn. He is an integral part of my dream and has help it become a reality. I am his biggest fan! How/when did your career begin? I have ridden since I was eight years old, and attended my first recognized event when I was 13 years old. I spend many years on at the lower levels and competed in my first international competition at the age of 21. What is “eventing”? Three-day eventing is the triathlon of equestrian. It is comprised of three disciplines of riding which stems from the test that the calvary would take to prepare for battle. The first is dressage where we memorize a test, wear a top hat and tails, and are judged on our the...
by rocktapeuk | Aug 11, 2016 | Uncategorised
Wondering what that odd tape is on athletes in Rio? It’s Kinesiology Tape! Watch our quick intro video below to learn...
