Known running fact: Shin splints suck. Less known? Kinesiology tape can make them suck a little less. According to a study of people with shin splints published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, those who wore kinesio tape for just a week experienced less pain than those who used shoe insoles. That’s big news when – as the study also points out – shin splints make up 13 percent of all running injuries.

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If taping away shin splints feels like a Band-Aid solution that doesn’t really solve the problem, it’s time to reframe your thinking.

“Shin splints happen when you overload the muscles in the front of your shin, causing inflammation in the muscle, tendon, and bone,” says senior physical therapist Cameron Yuen. “Kinesio tape lifts the superficial tissues – which promotes healing by moving waste products out of the area – and stimulates nerve endings that relax the muscle.”

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The elastic nature of the tape also allows for normal movement patterns, so you can still log some of the kilometres on your training plan. Yuen recommends taping the area per the how-to here, then cutting your mileage in half for the next two weeks. “Shin splints are often caused by going too hard or too far without building up to it,” he says. If you feel better, increase your mileage by 10 percent each week; if you’re still hurting, see a doc to rule out a stress fracture. Says Yuen, “Shin splints respond well to rest, so something else is going on if you still feel pain.”

Here’s how to properly tape up your shin.

1. MEASURE

Sit with your leg in front of you, foot flexed. Hold tape at the centre-top of foot (about five centimetres beneath top of big toe) and unroll until it hits just below the outside of your knee. Cut tape there.

2. STICK

Without stretching tape, peel off 5cm of adhesive and stick just below the outside of your knee.

3. STRETCH

Peel off remaining paper, and stretch tape to stick just beneath the base of your big toe, foot still flexed.

Pro tip: To keep tape from coming off, do not stretch tape at adhesion points.

4. PRESS

Point toes, lightly pressing tape to shin until flat.

5. ADD

Cut additional strip(s) the length of the full width of your shin, then stick across bone, stretching tape laterally over pain points.

Pro tip: You can leave the tape on for up to a week.

This article originally appeared on runnersworld.com.

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