Many athletic injuries stem from a join or muscle moving too far in the wrong direction. Sprained or broken ankles, pulled muscles and torn or strained ligaments are just a few examples of these types of injuries. Athletes with athletic tape for support can be seen in just about any professional sport on television. Learning to wrap your joints effectively can help to lessen your risk of injury while engaging in physically demanding activities.
Step 1
Wash the area to be taped thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap to remove residue. Dry the area thoroughly with a clean, dry towel.
Step 2
Apply a 2 inch by 2 inch bandage around the front bend of your ankle, near the top of your foot. Apply another 2 inch by 2 inch bandage just above the heel of your foot, on the back side of your ankle.
Step 3
Place pre-wrap around your ankle in a figure eight pattern. Start at the back of your heel and proceed to wrap a full circle around your ankle. Wind the tape down under your foot and back up the opposite side. Apply tape around the ankle. Complete two to three full patterns around the ankles.
Step 4
Wrap pre-wrap fully around the arch of your foot aiming for complete arch coverage. Wrap pre-wrap 2 inches above your ankle bone. Wrap two layers with the ends overlapping about 1 inch.
Step 5
Wrap the top of your ankles with athletic tape with two separate strips over the pre-wrap. Overlap the athletic tape by several inches in two full wraps.
Step 6
Wrap three strips of athletic tape in a "U" shape under the arches of your feet starting on one side of the ankle and ending on the opposite side.
Step 7
Apply a strip of tape around your ankle, starting at the top and moving down to the base of your ankle until it overlaps the heel of your foot. Apply tape in a downward spiral pattern. Overlap each rotation by about 1 inch.
Step 8
Apply athletic tape around the edges of the pre-wrap on the arch of your foot. Overlap the rotations by several inches as you tape around your foot in a continuous strip.
Step 9
Apply athletic tape under the arch of your foot, around your ankle in a small figure eight pattern. Apply this tape in the opposite direction than the previous wrapping in this area. Apply several strips of tape around your ankle to secure your taping job.
Things You'll Need
- Athletic tape
- Pre-Wrap
- Scissors
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