Football is a grueling, physically brutal sport in which players of all ages receive injuries each year. The MedlinePlus website recommends using elastic compression bandages on injuries of the arm and elbow. ACE wrap is a widely available brand of elastic compression bandages, which has been around since 1918 to help treat and prevent injuries to joints and muscles.
Injury Treatment
According to FamilyDoctor.org, wrapping an injured joint with an elastic compression bandage, such as ACE wrap, provides support and protection from further injury. Football requires you to move your body in a variety of directions, sometimes moving joints in ways that they weren't meant to go. If a football player has a pre-existing joint injury, he may wrap that joint in a bandage to prevent it from torquing too far in any one direction and making the injury that much worse.
Injury Prevention
Football in general is extremely hard on the knees and elbows, especially for linemen, who are the big, bulky guys who weigh more than anyone else on the team. The persistent collisions and falls put a great amount of stress on the elbow joints. Thus, many linemen wrap their elbows with compression bandages to provide some support to the elbow, and prevent it from twisting or bending too far in the wrong direction.
Feeling Safer
Some players that play less physically demanding positions, such as kickers or quarterbacks, still wrap their arms in ACE wrap. These players sometimes do this because they feel safer with the protective wrap on their arms, even if their risk of injury to those joints is minimal. This feeling of safety can, for some players, help them play with a clearer mind, therefore allowing them to engage themselves in the game at a higher level.
Cover Up
Occasionally a player will wrap an unsafe object on his arms with ACE wrap. If a player has a cast on his arm with a rough exterior, he may wrap it so that it doesn't get wet, or so that it doesn't catch on another player's jersey. Other players may have jewelry that they either don't want to take off, so they wrap these items to prevent them from falling off or cutting someone's skin.
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