Chiropractic Economics KT Tape Talks Preparation, Performance, and Recovery with NBA Athletic Trainers

The first feedback when you apply KT Tape is how un-intrusive it is. The player doesn’t even notice that it’s on most of the time.

This spring, KT Tape sat down with members of the NBATA (National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association) during their annual conference to understand why athletes and trainers at the highest-level love KT Tape and how it can help all bodies perform and recover.

KT Tape: “What are some of the most common injuries you see as an athletic trainer in basketball?”

Bri Jefferson, Assistant Athletic Trainer: “We have a lot of ankle sprains and a few knee injuries whether it be patella tracking, MCL sprains, meniscus, various knee injuries.”

Erin Sierer, Assistant Athletic Trainer: “We’re seeing mostly lower body, ankles and knees primarily, but you’ll get some hips as well.”

Barnett Frank, Director of Performance Science: “Probably the most injured joint in the body in the NBA right now is the ankle. There’s been some research initiatives at the league working through some of that, that we’re a part of.”

Although these trainers are addressing injuries in professional basketball players, any active person could potentially suffer from a similar limitation. Ankle sprains account for anywhere from 15-30% of all athletic injuries, according to the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Ankle injuries can even be caused by wearing the wrong shoes, causing you to twist your ankle past its natural positioning. To protect your ankles from injury or for extra support, we recommend our ankle stability application.

KT Tape: “How do you introduce KT Tape applications to players new to kinesiology tape and what kind of response have you gotten?”

Pascual Gerrero, Director of Rehabilitation/Athletic Trainer: “One of the things we look for in our new athletes [is] getting a sense of what their routine is. It’s a big education piece. Part of it is taping and preparing the body for competition, especially if they’ve got a history of injuries for certain body parts. It plays a very vital role and has its place within the whole spectrum of treatment, therapy, activation, and competition.”

Joe Sharpe, Director of Healthcare & Sports Performance: “Our players will want to use KT Tape and they’ll ask for it for chronic and even acute stuff. They apply it and they feel instant relief just walking around in their daily living.”

Albert Padilla, Assistant Athletic Trainer: “The first feedback when you apply it is how un-intrusive it is. The player doesn’t even notice that it’s on most of the time. The next day it certainly helps with reducing the stiffness in a joint.”

One of the best aspects of KT Tape is how easy it is to use and see results. If you’re new to kinesiology taping, check out our resource library for helpful application videos and detailed look at how KT Tape works to keep you moving and recovering faster.

KT Tape: “Beyond injury, how do you and your players use KT Tape to combat delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)?”

Joel Noland, Athletic Trainer: “Our players get sore after games or training very often and KT Tape is a simple solution to send them home with and feel better the next day.”

Pascual Guerrero, Director of Rehabilitation/Athletic Trainer: “The body definitely feels it and soreness becomes more of a daily thing more frequently. KT, especially when we’re on the travel grind of the season, definitely helps the body get rid of some of the lactates and metabolic build up in the muscles and joints”

Delayed onset muscle soreness, while a positive indicator of a successful workout, can be limiting. Using KT Tape before, during, and after exercise has been shown to help reduce post-workout muscle soreness by 50% for days.* Whether the challenge is back-to-back competition or moving freely about your day, applying KT Tape should be in your toolkit.

KT Tape: “We’ve talked a lot about how KT Tape has specifically helped professional basketball players. What about active people at other levels?”

Jason Biles, Head Athletic Trainer: “Professional athletes use it quite frequently, we love using it on them. But it’s not just for them, it could be used for everyone. Weekend warrior-type athletes, everyday people going to the gym. It’s easy to apply, you can apply it yourself, it stays on really well, it improves recovery, and supports you through any injuries you may have.”

Eric Waters, Director of Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer: “In terms of the general population, I absolutely recommend it. We’re working with the highest-level athletes in the world and they find it beneficial. I’m certain that the general population people that are weekend warriors, and active folks on the street, with find it beneficial.”

To see the full interviews, check out our KT Tape YouTube Series, “KT Tape Talks”.

KT Tape is proud to support the athletes and trainers of the NBATA. For more information about how KT Tape can help active people of all levels prepare, perform, and recover, and to view our full suite of products and application resources, visit KTTape.com.