Preventative sports taping can be used effectively in both the prevention and treatment of sports injuries. As an aid to prevention, the role of taping (or strapping) is to decrease the frequency and severity of injury.

Taping is also essential during early management of injury and rehabilitation and it is found that recurrence of injury when an athlete recommences training is less likely with supportive taping.

Taping preparation and removal

How to prepare the skin:

    • Shave the area – for best results, shave the skin 12 hours before or use an electric razor just prior
    • Clean the area by using a tape remover to remove body oil
    • Cover any rashes or broken skin with a non-stick wound pad.

Where to apply the tape:

    • Joints are normally strapped in their “at rest” position
    • Do not use the limb to pull against when getting the tape off the roll
    • Hold the roll in one hand and pull the tape off with the other hand, then apply gently or cut off the required number of strips of the correct length before you start applying.

How tight should the tape be:

    • Flexing the muscles when applying the tape will help you get the correct tension
    • Check that the tape is not too tight by pinching the skin below the tape for a few seconds. The skin should return to its normal colour when released
    • If numbness and tingling result, remove tape or bandage and re-apply with reduced tightness.

When to remove the tape:

    • Remove the tape as soon as you have finished training or playing.

Which tape to use

Athletes continue to rely on various taping techniques to help them heal more quickly and protect their muscles and joints during sports competition. Traditional athletic tapes are generally applied over gauze to form a stiff, somewhat inflexible, bandage with the goal of supporting, and usually immobilising, a joint or muscle.

During the 2008 Olympic Games, the benefits of athletic taping made headlines when a new type of athletic tape, Kinesio tape, which is extremely strong and flexible, showed up on the shoulders, arms, legs and backs of many high-profile athletes.

It doesn’t matter which tape is used. What is important is to remember that using athletic tape may be helpful as you are recovering from an occasional injury, but should not become a regular accessory. Playing while injured, without allowing proper time to heal completely, can easily lead to chronic pain and injuries. Taking time off is still the preferred method of injury recovery.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about preventative sports taping.

Sources:
http://sportsmedicine.about.com
http://www.leuko.com.au/