From exercises to assistive devices, physical therapists use a variety of techniques to keep you on the playing field. Athletic bracing and taping are examples of how physical therapists help prevent and/or treat an injury. Although there are some lessons you can learn and use at home concerning bracing and taping, if you have experienced a serious injury such as a bone break, leave this treatment to a professional.
Goals
Physical therapists use athletic bracing and taping techniques to encourage stability in a joint. For example, if you have sprained your ankle, you might wear athletic tape and/or a brace, which can act as a replacement for weakened muscles and ligaments until they heal. Some taping and bracing techniques are designed to keep a joint immobile, which prevents added pressure that can slow healing times after an injury.
Types
Physical therapists evaluate an injury, then determine which taping and/or bracing type is best. For example, when taping, physical therapists or trainers recommend applying two types of tape. The first is a white, soft tape. This helps the next tape type -- a brown, adhesive tape -- to better stick. Bracing examples include rehabilitative braces designed to restrict movements. These are used in bracing techniques that require limited motion in the joint. Prophylactic braces tend to be smaller and more lightweight and are designed to prevent injuries, such as wearing ankle braces for those who play contact sports.
Bracing Techniques for Proper Wear
Always inspect a brace before wearing it -- look for signs of wear and tear that can cause it not to work, such as a tear in cloth or bend in a metal piece. When pulling or attaching a brace to a joint, test the joint to make sure it is in the right place. If your brace has straps, your skin should not be so tight as to cause skin discoloration. Check your brace periodically during activity to ensure it has not shifted out of place -- if it does, you could be at increased risk for injury.
Taping Examples
Areas for taping include the ankles and wrists, which can be commonly injured areas for an athlete. If you are taping a sprained ankle, start by applying a horseshoe-shaped felt or foam pad underneath the ankle. Place the ball of the foot over the middle of an elastic bandage and start overlapping the wrapping, moving up the foot in a figure-eight position. Leave the heel exposed and stop wrapping just above the ankle. Keep the wrapping in place by applying adhesive tape over the ankle both vertically and horizontally for support. Taping the wrist typically involves wrapping athletic or Kinesio tape -- a soft, fabric-like tape -- around the wrist, stopping at the base of the hand.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org; Knee Bracing: What Works?; December 2010
- FamilyDoctor.org; Ankle Sprains: Healing and Preventing Injury; December 2010
- Westwood Physical Therapy: Sports Taping
- Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation; Knee Taping; Timothy L. Uhl, PhD, ATC, PT
- Sports Injury Clinic: Tennis Elbow Braces and Supports
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