Tape against hay fever complaints
A cold, burning eyes, an itchy palate: if you suffer from hay fever, the spring and summer months are no fun for you. You have probably already tried everything to relieve your complaints. But have you ever heard of Medical Taping? Healthnet tested it for you!
Medical Taping is a Japanese treatment method, which was previously known as Kinesio Taping. The tape used for this has an elastic effect that supports movements and muscles. This is used by (physiotherapists) therapists for several applications, such as for injuries and disorders. For a treatment for hay fever complaints, the tape is usually applied to the upper back or chest, on the spots of the lung area.
The theory is that the tape stimulates the skin, which immediately stimulates the nerves. These stimuli have a calming effect on the immune system, which should reduce the complaints. Tape for hay fever complaints? It sounds crazy, but a lot of people seem to benefit from it.
Tape against pollen
My partner has been suffering from all the pollen there is for years, from the birch in February to the last pollen in September. Like many hay fever patients, he has already tried many remedies (in vain). And if it doesn’t help, then it doesn’t harm, so he underwent the test: through the company FysioTape he received three treatments, which he could do by a physiotherapist in our area.
The treatments
Many (physiotherapists) therapists have followed a course to apply the tape correctly. The physiotherapist who treated him recommended that the three treatments be spread over three consecutive weeks, if the first treatment was successful. After that, he thinks he should try it without tape for a while.
A treatment is done in no time: it takes no more than fifteen minutes, which my partner found a great advantage. The tape was applied to his upper back in a kind of X-shape. After an average of three days, the tape let go of him; that is quite fast, because on average the tape should remain on it for about five days. This can of course differ per person.
The result
And now the most important question: does it work? My partner had the first two treatments in early May – in the middle of the hay fever season – and he noticed a difference right away. He had to sneeze less and no longer suffered from an itchy palate. Unfortunately, the tape was not properly attached during the third treatment, because the next day it came off again. Fortunately, he was allowed to come back for this one more time, but the result was also disappointing this last time. He spent most of the day in the garden that weekend, while you could literally see the flower fluff flying around in the air. Maybe that’s why the result was disappointing, or his expectations of the tape were too high. Who will say?
Conclusion
Medical taping is not a panacea; you are not ‘suddenly’ rid of your hay fever symptoms forever. Although it has not been scientifically proven that it works, my partner noticed that it relieves a large part of his complaints.* He is not alone in this, because from his own inventory of PhysioTape (performed on 286 people) shows that the tape had a positive effect in 84 percent of the patients. That’s worth a try! You can also easily apply the tape. After a treatment with the physiotherapist, you should be able to do it yourself with your partner with a few exercises. That is a cheaper solution than going to the physiotherapist more often, because since this year these treatments of hay fever are no longer reimbursed by health insurers.
So the tape has many advantages, but not every skin is the same. For example, the adhesive layer of the tape can trigger an allergic reaction in some people. If you choose a good product, which has been approved for medical purposes, the chance of this is much smaller. It is also important that the tape is not stretched too much to prevent skin irritation (as much as possible). Fortunately, my partner did not suffer from this, and is generally positive about the results. Do you also suffer from hay fever? Then he definitely recommends Medical Taping!
*During the treatments, my partner did not use any other hay fever remedies.
This article was written in collaboration with PhysioTape and Physiotherapy Medical Center Zeewolde. PhysioTape is producer of CureTape®: currently the most widely used Medical Tape. In addition, the company offers various Medical Taping courses to specialists such as physiotherapists, sports masseurs and podiatrists.
