Should you be k-taping?

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a workshop with a fantastic Chiropractor, Dr. Gabrielle Gray from Flow Chiropractic here in MI at the MindBodyBaby Collective. We have hosted this before, when I was pregnant with Teagan. Dr. Gray gave a presentation on how to use kinesiotape (k-tape) during pregnancy, and I taught a barre class customized to the participant's needs. Dr. Gray is certified in the Webster Technique. If you are looking for a chiro near you, you will want one who has training in this method as well.

you might be most familiar with this use of kinesiotape- many long distance runners reap the benefits of joint stability if they have had past injuries.

K-taping can be a really effective tool during pregnancy. Think of the support of a belly band or external pelvic sling, but localized to exactly where you need it. There are many different kinds of tape that you can use. Some have magnesium, her favorite brand has vitamin E and is designed to be less irritating on pregnant skin.

The main areas where people experience pain during pregnancy are wrists, shoulders, low back, pelvic, and hip pains. This can turn into carpal tunnel, sciatica, and round ligament pains. You might be told these are normal. This doesn't mean you have to suffer. Relaxin and progesterone are the main hormones that cause joint laxity during pregnancy. This is to help baby grow, and eventually, leave. Unfortunately, these hormones don't just effect the belly and pelvis, they live everywhere. So, all have joint laxity in our hypermobile joints during pregnancy. When we have hypermobility we are at higher risk for injury. So regardless if you are currently pregnant, we want to stabilize hypermobile joints with exercise and if necessary, slings or tape.

You can use the tape to essentially create stability. Dr. Grey did add, which I cannot agree more with, that the benefit of taping vs a belly band is that it doesn't do all of the work for you. When you are taped, you are more aware of your joints. The more mentally aware you are of your pain points, the more you can do throughout your day to make adjustments. Think of it like having me sitting right next to you reminding you to keep your ribs over your hips, your wrists straight, and your feet pointing forward. A belly sling won't do that. It is truly just a support band. It will not help you to keep your feet/ spine/ pelvis/ shoulders in alignment. (Side note - same goes for your high-waisted leggings.) We cannot rely on belly bands, wrist guards, or pelvic slings alone.

I personally used tape many years ago when I was dealing with a lot of knee pain. If you haven't heard my story already, I was diagnosed with bi-chrondromalicia femoral patellar syndrome at 18. I was incredibly weak, so when I started tap dancing, my kneecaps essentially popped out of place. My physical therapist did a lot to stimulate the muscles around my knees, and we used k-tape when I was dancing or performing as a reminder to use those muscles more (rather than just relying on the joints).

Dr. Grey taped me when I was pregnant with baby #3 and it was incredibly helpful on my low back. She used the tape to essentially line my rectus abdominis, and to cue my low back to stay in alignment at 38 weeks. (We all tend to anteriorly tilt or rotate our pelvis when we have babies sitting on them- and tradition exercises that work the rectus muscles - crunches/ sit ups etc - are not recommended at this point.)

You can absolutely purchase tape and play around with different patterns. I would advise you to find a Webster- Certified Chiropractor or PT who has experience with tape so they can help you find the exact patterns you need supported. If you are concerned about Diastasis Recti, you might want to make an "X" shape around the areas you are noticing any doming, for example. I thought this was a great tip and I would definitely encourage my clients to try this during pregnancy or postpartum.

Dr Gray doing her magic.. while also 37 weeks pregnant. She is an absolute rockstar.

I had a lot of fun both participating and teaching this workshop! Please reach out if you are living in Western Michigan and would like to be notified for upcoming events in the future.

For more information on pregnancy resources, please go here.

For workouts designed for pregnancy - please go here.

To join any of my online programs you will need to message me and join MomTrainer.com as a member. It is completely free to join as a member and I like to make sure that everyone is a real person before I allow them to participate.

I hope this helps! Please reach out if you have any specific questions or want more information on anything I've discussed here.

xo

Sarah Ann