Benefits Of Taping Ankles
The primary benefit of using sprained ankle tape is preventing injuries during the performance of certain sports where twisting your ankle or falling on it is a frequent occurrence. However, taping ankles also comes with other benefits, such as promoting the healing of minor injuries. In fact, ankle taping has even been used in chiropractic settings to help heal specific injuries.
Additionally, ankle taping has been shown to help treat instability and promote postural control.
How To Strap A Sprained Ankle
How to strap a sprained ankle from a podiatrist whos sprained his own ankle, many times.
Whether its your first or your fifth, a sprained ankle is no-ones idea of a fun time. Depending on the severity you could be back playing sports in under 10 minutes. Or, out for a long period of time. In this guide our foot and ankle experts will teach you how to strap a sprained ankle.
As with all guides on the internet, this one is general advice only.
If youve sprained your ankle then you really should get an expert assessment quick smart!
Advantages Of Sports Taping
Among the many patients in need of ankle strapping, athletes, both professional and recreational, frequently require sports taping. Kinesio taping is practical and quick, and hence, a preferred way to deal with less serious sprained ankles.
One of the first time you encounter such an injury, a physiotherapist will assess how serious it is and do the initial taping. Many patients decide to do sports taping themselves, which is not recommended. It can be a first-aid measure when they cant visit the physio clinic or need immediate pain relief. It is important to do ankle strapping properly to avoid causing greater damage and helping the injury to heal faster.
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Numbers Needed To Treat
From the data of Garrick and Requa15 on collegiate intramural basketball players, we determined that to prevent 1 ankle sprain per game in athletes with a history of sprain, a clinician would need to tape 26 ankles .2). In athletes without a history of ankle sprain, to prevent 1 sprain, a clinician would need to tape 143 ankles. From the data of Sitler et al25 on military academy intramural basketball players, we calculated that to prevent 1 ankle sprain during an intramural season in athletes with a history of sprain, a clinician would need to brace 18 ankles. In athletes without a history of ankle sprain, to prevent sprain, a clinician would need to brace 39 ankles. From the data of Surve et al23 on competitive soccer players over the course of 1 season , NNTs of 5 athletes with a history of previous sprain and 57 of those without a prior injury were determined. Both taping and bracing therefore appear to be more beneficial in preventing ankle sprains in athletes with a history of ankle sprain.
Patient And Public Involvement
Patients were not involved in this study. Participants, who were members of the general public, were not involved in the design of the study. They first became involved in the research process during the recruitment via email or seeing a volunteer recruitment poster. They were not asked to assess the burden of intervention or time required, nor were they involved in result dissemination. All participation was entirely voluntary and without remuneration or incentive. Volunteers were able to withdraw from the study at any time and without having to give reason.
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Lateral Ankle Sprain: How To Apply Kinesiology Tape For An Ankle Sprain
An ankle sprain is a common injury that can happen to anyone at any age. Whether youre an athlete who loves to stay active or just an average joe whos just walking around, a lateral sprain can happen to you! It happens when your foot twists too much and either the ligaments or cartilage in your ankle gets stretched out or torn. It is painful!
In this article, learn about the common cause of a lateral ankle sprain, its symptoms, as well as how to apply kinesiology tape for muscle activation to prevent it from happening in the future.
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A Sprained Ankle Can Cause Chronic Pain In Other Parts Of The Body
You may have already been using one, but if at all possible, try to avoid ankle braces. Your ankle is a mobile joint . But, if you go up to the next joint in the body , you will see that it is NOT mobile .
But, if you take a mobile joint and force it to become less mobile , then when you walk, run, move laterally, etc the body has to generate the movement from somewhere. And if your ankle is not mobile enough to move, your body may call upon the knee to become more mobile and that can very easily lead to a tear in your ACL, MCL, etc, because the knee can only safely move a few degrees. This is one of the reasons why that 70% of ACL tears are non-contact.
Even if you dont tear the ligaments in your knee, you may find that after a sprained ankle, , you start to get knee pain, or hip pain, or even low back pain. The reason is that the angle of your foot when you walk has changed. Most people tend to point their toes more outward to alleviate any pain or tightness in the ankle.
And that slight change can easily lead to tweaking your knee and generating knee pain. Basically, a sprained ankle is like a gateway injury that can lead to many more serious problems.
So, the key is NOT to ignore it NOT to just live with it But, to actually DO something about it. And the sooner you do something, the better.
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Why Should You Wrap A Sprained Ankle
The main function of your ligaments is to keep your joints stable. Immediately after injury, your ankle is less stable, and you are at a high risk of spraining it again. Wrapping a sprained ankle provides support and helps decrease swelling while your ligaments heal.
Wrapping your ankle is especially important if your leg will be in a “dependent” position during the dayhanging down to the groundwhere gravity can cause swelling to get worse.
Protect The Ankle When Its Not Taped
Taping your ankle is useful when you need to be active or walk around, but its only one part of R.I.C.E., a larger treatment protocol.
In addition to taping, dont neglect the other R.I.C.E. steps:
- Rest: Ensure that you are staying off the ankle after an injury.
- Ice: Paired with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, ice will reduce swelling.
- Compression: Keeping the ankle wrapped throughout the day will help promote stability and reduce swelling. When youre relaxing at home, you can use an Ace bandage to wrap the ankle as opposed to taping it.
- Elevation: Elevating the ankle will reduce blood flow, helping to minimize swelling after the injury.
Be sure to seek medical attention if the injury isnt improving after being treated at home.
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Does Wrapping Your Ankle Help
Yes, the tape wrapping the ankle serves as a substitute for the damaged ligaments that generally cover and protect the ankle joint .
There are two kinds of ankle taping. The first is for when the game needs to continue regardless of acute ankle sprains. It uses the tape as a flexible cast for the joint and is not recommended unless multi-million dollar NFL contracts are on the line. Why? Additional damage to the ankle is possible.
The second kind, and likely the reason you are reading this, is for the weekend warrior who has yet to have loose ankle ligaments fixed and has ankle pain during or after a workout. Here the goal is to provide temporary protection and compression with an elastic bandage like KT tape also known as Kinesio tape or Kinesiology tape.
Protect The Ankle When It’s Not Taped
Taping your ankle is useful when you need to be active or walk around, but it’s only one part of R.I.C.E., a larger treatment protocol.
In addition to taping, don’t neglect the other R.I.C.E. steps:
- Rest: Ensure that you are staying off the ankle after an injury.
- Ice: Paired with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, ice will reduce swelling.
- Compression: Keeping the ankle wrapped throughout the day will help promote stability and reduce swelling. When you’re relaxing at home, you can use an Ace bandage to wrap the ankle as opposed to taping it.
- Elevation: Elevating the ankle will reduce blood flow, helping to minimize swelling after the injury.
Be sure to seek medical attention if the injury isnt improving after being treated at home.
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How To Tape An Inversion Ankle Sprain
Disclaimer: This is not a substitute for medical care. Please consult a doctor or healthcare professional to get a medical diagnosis, rule out any serious complications and get advice on a treatment plan for your particular condition before beginning any self-treatment described here.
Make sure that your foot and ankle are clean and dry and position your ankle at 90 degrees. Well be using a total of four strips of Rock Tape here, but depending on the amount of support your ankle needs, you might only need the first strip, first and second strips, or first through third strips. A good rule of thumb is to apply the strips one at a time, getting up and testing out the level of support provided between each step.
1. For your first strip, you want to anchor one end of the Rock Tape at the medial malleolus and, making sure theres zero stretch in the tape, run it to the inside of your heel. As you go under the heel, increase the stretch in the tape to about 70%. When you hit the ankle bone on the outside, reduce the stretch back to zero and run it up the outside of your shin.
Be careful not to touch the adhesive side of the tape with your fingers.
Once the Rock Tape has been applied, give it a bit of a rub. The adhesive is heat-activated, so a little friction will help the tape stick to the skin.
Once more give these strips of tape a good rub so that they stick to the anchor pieces.
Does Taping Ankles Really Help
Whether sprained ankle taping helps or not is debatable. Since there are many variables surrounding ankle injuries, studies are inconclusive. Some research suggests taping is less effective than braces but more effective than an absence of added protection. Other studies have shown that wearing high-quality sneakers is important. One study indicated that wearing a high-top sneaker and tape resulted in a more than 50% decrease in ankle injuries compared to wearing other shoes with tape.
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Customers Also Viewed These Products
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer :No
- Product Dimensions :30 x 30.99 x 0.2 cm 99.79 Grams
- Date First Available :March 19 2019
- Manufacturer :Scico Medical Corporation
Fit both left and right foot Womenâs Size: 6 â 12
What you can expect when using M7 Sport Tape
Instant pain reliefInhibits the pain receptors in your body by the lifting action of the kinesiology tape and relieves pressure directly on them under the skin
Reduce swelling and inflammationQuicken the reduction in joint swelling, bruising and inflammation, by lifting the skin and creating pressure under the tape. Increases the space under the skin, enhances blood and lymphatic circulation, and drain lymphatic fluid away from the injured area quickly.
Adjustable Ankle SupportProvide strength and stabilization for injured ankles, using criss-cross adjustable straps that make it very comfortable to wear. Gain extra support for your weak ankle, help to accelerate healing and reduce the risk of re-injury
Breathable and Waterproof Ankle TapeM7 Sport Tape is made of elastic premium cotton fibers, very thin, designed to last through humidity, sweat, showers 3-5 days of wear, getting the maximum benefits of it. The adhesive is latex-free and hypo-allergenic, offering comfort and wearability for a longer period.
Precut Unique ShapeEasy to apply and easy to use kinesiology tape without the need of scissors or any asisstance, easier to handle just following the steps from the box
Therapeutic Tape
Indications For Ankle Taping
It is generally beneficial to tape an ankle in the following instances:
- Following certain ankle injuries Ankle taping may be beneficial following certain ankle injuries , during activities that aggravate, or are likely to aggravate, the existing condition .
- To prevent injury Ankle taping may be beneficial during sports or activities that place the ankle at risk of injury
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Be Proactive To Prevent Injury
Once you have an ankle injury, strengthening exercises and balancing drills can help you be proactive in preventing further harm. You should perform several repetitions of each exercise 2 to 3 times a day. The 4-way ankle strengthening exercise is performed by placing a resistance band on the ball of the foot, and then moving the ankle joint in an up and down, and side-to-side t pattern. Additionally, perform towel slides by placing a towel flat on a smooth surface, and then placing the foot at the end of the towel. Then use your foot to pull the towel to the left and then right .
Similarly, restoring proper balance is important to reduce risk of injury as well by placing more outside forces on the ankle to help strengthen it. Balancing drills such as single-leg stands with increasing difficulty levels, adding ball tosses and unstable surfaces can help you regain confidence in your ankle and ability to balance . When performing these exercises correctly, they enhance the ankles overall strength and decrease the likelihood of another injury.
How Can I Remove The Tape By Myself
Removing tape from an ankle can be a critical task if it is done without instructions.
Firstly, pick one head of the tape and place the finger next to the head.
Stretch skin up and tape down. Keep on rolling the tape down along with your finger. Rollback, in the end, you will see tape has come off.
Dont give a jerk to tape while putting it down because it can cause chronic pain. Therefore, follow the above-mentioned procedure.
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Ankle Ligaments To Know About:
The ankle ligaments were are most likely to damage are the:
- ATFL anterior talofibular ligament
- and PTFL Posterior talofibular ligament
Their names simply indicate their location, see below. .
Now the severity of the a ligament sprain like our ankle sprain, is graded in three different classifications:
- Grade 1 Ligament is stretched and a small number of fibres have been damaged. Often little to no bruising, swelling or pain just a weakness to the ankle movement and hesitancy to walk on it immediately which eases over time.
- Grade 2 Ligament is partially torn, causing bruising, swelling and pain, with some limited range of movement. Most likely unwilling to weight-bare and hobble back home from your run.
- Grade 3 Ligament is completely torn, there is lots of swelling, nasty deep bruising and a lot of pain. Unable to walk or weight-bare on the foot and will require a trip to the doctor.
There is also something called, chronic ankle instability which either comes from a pathological joint laxity or through functional instability which relates to your proprioception and neuromuscular responses usually through a previous strain and having not completed sufficient rehabilitation. Either are not good. And with either, or a light Grade 1 ankle sprain, tape can help assist your ankle ligaments do their job
How To Tape A High Ankle Sprain
This article was co-authored by Catherine Cheung, DPM. Dr. Catherine Cheung is a board certified Podiatrist based in San Francisco, California. Dr. Cheung specializes in all aspects of foot and ankle care, including complex reconstruction. Dr. Cheung is affiliated with the Brown & Toland Physicians and the Sutter Medical Network. She earned a DPM from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, completed her residency at the Encino Tarzana Medical Center, and completed a fellowship at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center. She is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 46,780 times.
High ankle sprains are less common than low ankle sprains, but they can be more painful and take longer to heal. Knowing how to properly tape a high ankle sprain is very important. If done correctly, it can decrease pain and swelling, and reduce the recovery period.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source Start with Step 1 below to learn how to correctly tape a high ankle sprain, then keep reading for more information on how to identify, treat and prevent a high ankle sprain.
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Kinesiology Taping For A Lateral Ankle Sprain
Application: Ligament Application
Tape Tension: 25-75%
Tissue Stretch: No Ligament is placed in a mild degree of tension
Objective: To provide both mechanoreceptive and proprioceptive input to assist in the stabilization of the ankle joint
The use of kinesiology tape for the treatment of a lateral ankle sprain can be extremely effective. The following video demonstrates an application for a mild or 1st degree sprain that is 2 weeks old.
In many cases of acute sprains, we would start by applying a lymphatic application aimed to decrease the swelling from the injury. Once the swelling has diminished, it is important to provide the ankle with support, while maintaining a certain degree of mobility. If the ankle remains in a rigid or stationary position for a prolonged period of time, it can develop adhesions that ultimately limit the mobility of the ankle and may be detrimental to a full recovery.
When applied in conjunction with the proper rehab protocol of pain reduction and normalizing the soft tissue prior to beginning any kind of strengthening or stretching, you will see significant results in your patients overall recovery process. There are other applications that may be applied as you move into the next phases of increase the loads on the tissues.