1. Right On
When you think of splints, you most likely think of some type of stiff material used to immobilize an injury wrapped with a bandage. In sports taping, splinting happens with the tape itself. Because sports taping must be done directly on the skin for the best result, using the tape like a splint to provide extra rigidity and immobility of the joint helps the tape job hold up under pressure, especially when the athlete continues to play. In any sport taping and wrapping procedure, the first tape to go on is the stirrup tape. The stirrup tape acts as a splint, immobilizing either side of the joint. Normally, a horseshoe pad rests around the ankle bone to fill in any gaps, and then the stirrup tape goes on either side. An additional strip of tape on both sides of the stirrup gives extra support. This layer of tape comes after under-wrapping if the athlete is allergic or sensitive to adhesives.
2. Here We Go 'Round
Another form of splinting with sports taping is the figure eight bandaging technique. After the initial taping of stirrups around the injury, the figure-eight bandage technique keeps the injury from moving and adds even more support than the first layer of sports tape. Because zinc oxide tape is very rigid and has no flexibility, it covers elastic adhesive tape. This provides almost a cast like support of the joint or bone to protect it form further damage. Each layer of tape wrapped in a different direction from the previous layer provides all the support of a typical splint and keeps the joint or bone immobile until further medical treatment is available or the athlete is no longer in play.
3. Anchors Away
In injuries to areas like knees, elastic adhesive tape anchors the knee and keeps it from bending much like a splint. Tape the knee cap around the leg and attach a tape anchor form the skin on the calf at the base of the tape to the top of the tape on the thigh. Use two or three strips on either side and then tape around them once more to ensure they stay connected to the skin and help keep the knee immobile in a slightly bent position. This allows blood to flow freely to the knee. Use three additional strips of tape to form a fan. Attach the fan or check rein to the back of the knee from the top of the anchors to the bottom of the bandaged area. Both the anchors and the check rein provide splint like support to the injured area.
Member Comments