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 different tapes. Sports tape, or athletic tape, is usually white, non-stretchy, and is basically used to stabilize a joint or area of the body for the duration of one athletic event or training session. Elastic therapeutic tape, also known as kinesiotape as well as several brand names, is cotton, stretchy, and longer lasting than athletic tape. The cotton allows it to breathe and dry out after activity or a shower. The stretchiness allows it to move with your skin and some tapes can last from from 3 days up to a week of wearing.
I chose RockTape as a brand after seeing what it did for my fellow doc. I’m sure these applications can be done with other brands of kinesiotape, but I can’t speak for any of those. I used the tape for sacroiliac pain (what many call “hip” pain, but they grab or spread their hands over the back area just above the buttocks), belly support, and lower back pain. There are several applications for the physical ailments that come along with the second and especially the third trimester of pregnancy. Trust me, I had an 8 lb 14 oz baby! I think this company does a wonderful job of providing visual and video guidelines so anyone can tape themselves. Although seeing a chiropractor who tapes is also great, since the chiropractor can adjust you to best alignment before stabilizing the affected area – but that’s a different post! Here’s one visual showing many of the various pregnancy applications: http://rocktape.com/wp-content/uploads/instructions%20pregnancy%20small.pdf This brand also has up to 100% stretch, more than any other, and I’ve personally worn some applications up to a week.
The main reason I chose taping over belts, belly bands, or other physical supports was that I could not stand the thought of ONE more layer of clothing after maternity pants and shirt. Hormones and layers of clothing were not making me a happy camper! So this afforded me the option of support for days, relief of pain, and did not make me any hotter than I already felt. That was, to me, a great option during those lovely hot beach days!
From Myrtle Beach Birth Services, by Rebekeh Liberty, DC
Read the article from the source.