Hi firefreak,
By way of introduction, I am a physiotherapist as well as a Kinesio Taping Instructor in Australia and New Zealand.
Kinesio Tape is great for muscle recovery from overuse (eg, shin splints). It works on the principle of assisting the normal body mechanics.
If you are using your body (or abusing it!) you will generally produce by-products and this can result in muscle soreness following the event. Kinesio Taping over the "overused" muscle will assist in removing the waste products and therefore pain by facilitating lymphatic flow. Kinesio Taping can also be ustilised to assist in the function of muscles that are under performing or relatively "weak" compared to other muscles.
If it is purely muscle soreness from overuse then Kinesio Tape would be great (that's one of the reasons all the elite athletes love using it) however it is generally best to consult a Kinesio Taping practitioner who is also a physio/chiro first to assess your situation. They will determine whether your muscle soreness is due to poor technique, poor footwear, tight or ineffective muscles that overload others etc etc.
This will be a better long term solution as you will be addressing the cause of the problem instead of just the symptoms that follow.
They will also instruct you how to apply the Kinesio Tape properly as it is very different to the conventional tapes available in stores. Different degrees of tension will yeild varying effects and they will explain that for you.
You can find a list of practitioners at the Kinesio Tape websites (along with other useful information):
United States: www dot kinesiotaping dot com
Australia: www dot kinesiotaping dot com dot au
(Sorry - it won't let me write the actual links as I don't have 15 posts yet).
With regards to buying the tape, most of the Kinesio Taping Practitioners will sell the tape, or you can buy it directly from the USA website. It is more expensive than normal rigid tape due to the special way it is manufactured, so keep that in mind as you do your searches.
Most generic pharmacy stores probably won't stock Kinesio Tape as it does require specialist knowledge to apply it correctly (for maximum effectiveness) which the majority of the general public wouldn't know.
I hope this helps.
Cheers
