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Do you have an ankle sprain and want to try kinesiology taping? Well, let us point you in the right direction!
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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.
How To Apply Athletic Tape
Place the ankle in the position that you want it to be maintained in . Keep the area clean, dry, and free of hair. As you lay the tape down, find a balance of stability without pulling on the tape too hard and restricting blood flow.
Pre-wrap
This is a soft layer that you will apply to protect the skin from the adhesive. Simply roll it around the entire foot and ankle where the tape will be placed. Minimize any bumps from the wrap that can cause irritation.
Anchors
Wrap one circumferential piece of tape around each end of the pre-wrap, at approximately the mid-calf and mid-foot .
Stirrups
These are meant to provide generalized lateral stability. Start the tape on the inside of the top anchor, then bring it under the foot . Then, pull it past the outer ankle bone and attach it to the outer edge of the shin on the other side of the anchor. Apply 2-4 strips that overlap about 50%. This will be based on the amount of stability or size of the ankle.
Horseshoe
This tape pattern is meant to support the top section of the ankle joint itself by creating a figure-eight pattern. At a slightly upward angle to accommodate the curve of the top of the ankle, start by placing the tape across the shin bone. Then, pull it behind the leg/ankle until it crosses back over the other side of the tape.
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How To Tape An Ankle Like An Athletic Trainer
This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 295,976 times.
Ankle injuries can take a while to heal, especially when they dont receive the proper treatment. Anyone is capable of sustaining such an injury, but athletes are more prone to experience one. To help an athlete recover from a minor ankle injury it is always a good idea to tape the ankle. Taping the ankle allows for extra support while still providing mobility.
Is It Better To Tape Or Brace An Ankle
Most have shown that braces are slightly more effective than taping but that both are better than no support at all. One study found that simply wearing high-top sneakers instead of low-tops prevented some ankle injuries and that high-tops plus taping had more than 50% fewer injuries than low-tops plus taping.
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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.
Get The Help You Need
We love being your resource for musculoskeletal issues, so once again we are going to make it easy for you to get the help you need without cost or obligation. If you have a history of ankle problems whether youre a current or former athlete simply call into our office at 866-588-0230 or email us and get scheduled for a brief, free screening. It will only take 20 minutes of your time, and you could find out something that saves you both money and pain.
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How Does Kt Tape Work
Taping the skin to try to replicate the function of ligaments isnt easy. Most tape doesnt stretch the way your ligaments do. When you jump up and down, your ligaments stretch to their limit and then stop. That hard stop protects the joint, and their ability to stretch protects the ligament itself.
VectorMine/Shutterstock
The most common ankle ligaments supported by ankle taping are the ones on the outside of the joint . The posterior and anterior talofibular ligaments travel horizontally and the calcaneofibular ligament travels almost vertically, which is why the tape follows the same pattern as these ligaments highlighted yellow in the image above. Think of these ligaments as pieces of tape on the outside of your ankle that attach the small outside ankle bone to the main leg bone and foot.
Regular cloth tape doesnt stretch, so using it just amounts to a tape cast around the joint. On the other hand, KT Tape can be forgiving and stretchy, or tight with only a slight give. Flexible KT tape is also easy to remove from skin, making which makes it convenient for daily use.
When Should I Avoid Ankle Taping
Ankle taping should be avoided in the following instances:
- If you have certain injuries, such as some fractures
- If you have a skin allergy to sports tape
- If the taping technique results in an increase in symptoms such as pain, ache, discolouration, pins and needles, numbness, swelling or excessive redness of the foot or ankle.
- If you have sensory or circulatory problems
Weaning off ankle tape in general activity is usually recommended as strength, range of movement and balance improves and symptoms reduce. In these instances though, taping during high-risk activity is usually still recommended.
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How To Treat A Sprained Ankle
Your ankle joints allow your feet to move this way and that so you can run along rocky trails, cruise down snowy slopes and jam your feet into splitter cracks. Unfortunately, theyre also prone to twisting sprained ankles are a particularly common injury among outdoor adventurers and they can happen with nearly any activity, including hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing or running. Given just how frequently sprained ankles can occur, knowing how to treat one is a valuable skill to have.
Ankle Sprains = Overstretched Ligaments
Ligaments are like tough rubber bands that help to provide stability to a joint by limiting movement. Sprains happen when one or more ligaments are stretched beyond their normal range.
In an inversion ankle sprain, there are 3 ligaments on the outside of the ankle that can be involved: the anterior talofibular , calcaneofibular and posterior talofibular ligaments . Injury to the ATFL is the most common. When both the ATFL and CFL are both damaged, ankle instability will be more noticeable. The PTFL is the strongest of the three and is usually only damaged in severe ankle injuries.
We use Grade I III to classify the severity of the injury.
Grade 1 ankle sprains are painful, but they have no increased laxity when compared with the uninjured side usually a mild stretching of the ATFL that takes 1-3 weeks to heal.
Grade II ankle sprains are painful and have increased laxity most often a complete tear of the ATFL and a partial tear of the CFL. These mid-grade sprains can take 3-4 weeks to heal.
Grade III ankle sprains are painful and unstable usually complete ruptures of both the ATFL and CFL . These severe injuries can take between 3 and 6 months to fully heal.
Of course, age, health, lifestyle and previous damage to the bones and soft tissues that make up the ankle can all affect how long it takes for an ankle sprain to heal.
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How To Wrap A Sprained Ankle
This article was co-authored by Joshua Grahlman, PT, DPT, FAFS. Dr. Joshua Grahlman, PT, DPT, FAFS, is the Founder and Chief Athlete Mechanic of Clutch PT + Performance, a private physical therapy clinic specializing in sports and orthopedics in New York City. With more than a decade of experience, Dr. Grahlman specializes in treating acute and chronic pain and injuries, sports performance optimization and post-operative rehabilitation. Dr. Grahlman earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is one of just a few DPTs in New York City recognized as a Fellow in Applied Functional Science through the Gray Institute for Functional Transformation . He is certified in Active Release Technique and Spinal Manipulation and is a TRX Suspension Training Specialist. Dr. Grahlman has spent his career treating athletes of all levels, from Ironman Champions and Olympians to marathoner moms. He consults for Triathlete, Mens Health, My Fitness Pal and CBS News.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 97% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 591,609 times.
Why Would I Need Tape
Athletic tape, when applied correctly, can help stabilize a joint by acting on behalf of your ligaments . The tape, rigid and strong will mimic your ligamentous tissue also pretty rigid and strong.
Ligaments stop the joint from going too far beyond the natural movement. On your ankle, the ligaments job is to stop the rolling of the ankle joint its-self, but a lack in training, your technique and overall conditioning, will determine if your ligaments give up, let it go you fall over and damage ligaments OR it stops the movement and snaps you all back into place, with a whoa that was close smile on your face.
NOTE: A SPRAIN is when you tear fibres of ligamentous tissue. A STRAIN is tearing fibres of muscular tissue, hence ankle sprain and hamstring strain get these mixed up and youl give your physical therapist a giggle.
With me so far?
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How To Apply Kinesiology Tape
This technique can be as few as one to as many as four strips. Start with a small amount of stretch in the tape to assess the efficacy and skin tolerance. Then increase the stretch to what feels most comfortable.
Ankle Wrap
Cut a piece of tape that will wrap around the ankle. Place the center of the tape under the heel with it facing forward at a diagonal. Then, with one loose end of the bandage at a time, pull it across the front of the ankle at an angle until it crosses to the opposite side of your foot. Repeat this with the second arm and create an X on the top of the foot and ankle .
Heel Support
Cut similar strips as above. Then, place the center of the tape under the heel, this time facing backward at a diagonal. The X will now be made at the back of the ankle.
S To Securing A Sprained Ankle With Atheltic Tape
Here is what an inversion sports taping would look like and what the physiotherapist will do when an injured patient comes in for treatment:
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How To Tape A Sprained Ankle
How to tape a sprained ankle using four simple techniques.
Here we demonstrate how to tape a sprained ankle in four simple stages. Each stage offers progressively more support or can be done on its own.
The following ankle taping techniques form part of our full sprained ankle rehabilitation program. They comprise:
Wrapping With An Elastic Bandage
Swelling tends to be worst around the outer ankle bone when you have an ankle sprain. If you have some felt, cut several layers into a “U” shape. Place the felt under your ankle bone, and incorporate it as you wrap your elastic bandage, for extra compression in this area.
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Ankle Injuries And Instability And How To Tape Them: Notes From A Physical Therapist
Tape glorious tape!
This really has been the bread and butter of my career. From a nasty ankle sprain of my own crazy athlete career, to being the therapist taping ankles for a day job. Ankle instability for runners can be catastrophic! From rolling your ankle on a stone, curb, branch, dodging an escaped-from-his-leash doggo and about everything in between.
As a trail runner I carry tape with me on every single run, just incase. Call it paranoia but I lived and learned to never be without some sturdy sports tape you never know when youre going to need it.
To get familiar with taping technique, the how tos, you ought to be clued up on the why. And that, is exactly where were going to start.
Getting Ready To Wrap The Ankle
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