6. You shouldnt have any open areas of skin. Lets start with a statement that isnt quite medical terminology, but is medical honesty. Taping your foot protects it from moving too quickly and furthering any injuries. Maybe, sometimes. Dr. If you feel tingling or pins, remove tape and try again. Wrap 2-3 long pieces of tape from the inside of your ankle to the outside as U-shaped stirrup straps. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The stretchy nature of the tape doesnt usually restrict blood flow and is waterproof, so you can still shower or bathe with the tape on. Then Megan twisted her ankle for the 647th time this year. Place the heel and lace pads on the top and backside of the ankle. The speed with which they could consistently run down the rocky, steep terrain seemed almost unfathomable. We include products we think are useful for our readers. Thats it! By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Be sure to avoid taping over open wounds or sores. What you need: medium-width athletic tape, ideally waterproof. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Dont just KT wrap the ankle and keep hiking, playing sports, etc. Its also waterproof, so you can shower or bath with the tape on. This blog contains 3 kinesiology tape techniques you can use with foot or ankle pain. Just as dogs that are scared of lightning may get better with a thunder shirt, runners that are scared of ankle sprains may get better with what amounts to a thunder sock. Try to prevent wrinkles in the tape and if the pre-wrap rolls up reapply it. This adhesive is popular because it speeds healing without limiting range of motion, says Amol Saxena, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist in Palo Alto, California. Additionally, we always recommend choosing footwear for ankle support and weak ankles. Its also helpful if youre playing sports on a slippery surface. Take the piece of tape that goes under your calf muscle. Fuel All Your Adventures With This Holiday Sale. Place the end of a piece of tape at the ankle bone and run it diagonally over the top of the foot. Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options. And a second later. Use your hands and fingers to smooth it out, then rub until its firm on the foot. The Dr. Bob Show. You have two main options for taping your ankle: They are athletic tape, which an athletic trainer may also call strapping or rigid tape, and kinesio tape. % of people told us that this article helped them. Since using athletic tape involves a different approach than kinesio tape, there are a few separate steps for each approach. Physio Chris demonstrates a simple ankle taping that can be used during sport and exercise to provide external stabilisation to more. After that, take a cloth and remove it if there is sweat. Youll also make the tape last longer. How To Tape An Ankle A Guide To Taping Your Ankle 1. The tape doesnt stretch, so its usually best-suited for stabilizing an injured ankle, providing significant support to prevent injury, or otherwise restricting movement. Are you an awesome superboss even when your ankles look and feel like overripe grapefruits? The tape should feel firm, but also lose enough so that the ankle can still move from side to side. Dr. Cheung is affiliated with the Brown & Toland Physicians and the Sutter Medical Network. Certified athletic trainer Jayson Berlin demonstrates how to properly tape an ankle. Make sure your skin is clean of oils and creams. Take your first piece of tape. Only this time, go around the ankle rather than up the foot. Gait kinematics after taping in participants with chronic ankle instability. This time, well need two lengths of tape. tears). Taping could be actively harmful if it reduces natural feedback cycles, leading to worse sprains or compensation injuries. Get access to everything we publish when you If you run, you should make sure to wear the right shoes. You may want to wear kinesio tape if: Kinesio tape can stay on much longer than athletic tape usually up to 5 days. Should I Always Tape a Wear Ankle Before Running? 1. It neither offers nor replaces medical advice. You should end up with something like this. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Create an "x" over the foot. Anchor the part thats whole to the bottom of your foot and behind your heel. You should only wear athletic tape for a short period of time roughly less than a day unless a doctor suggests otherwise as it can affect circulation. Tear off a strip of tape and twist and remove the paper backing You should end up with something that looks like this. If, for instance, youve sprained your ankle multiple times before, taping it before a trail run or a marathon will provide additional stability and support and can help to prevent another sprain. Learn more here. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. This method will keep your ankle stable. Dr. Enes likes to use this method for healthy athletes who want moderate ankle support. 5. Saxena thinks black sticks best to sweaty skin. Now take the strip of tape thats closest to the outside of your foot. If it's minor enough, you can continue exercising and doing things that have less impact, like biking, elliptical, swimming, or working your upper body. Now bring one side around the lower leg, stick it there and smooth it out with fingers and hands. Pre-wrap is Keep reading to learn more! Try to cover up most of your skin to protect the tape so that it does not pull out hair when you need to remove it. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Add one more anchor strip to keep them stable. Final Word on How To Tape an Ankle for Running, FAQs About How To Tape an Ankle for Running. Cut a second piece of tape measuring from the inside of your ankle, around the back of your heel and halfway down the outside of your foot. As you lay the tape down, find a balance of. When youre ready to tape, apply two layers of figure-eights around the foot and ankle for full support. WebIf you run, there are a number of things you can do to help prevent getting black toenails. Apply one piece of tape on your shin beginning at the top of your foot. By keeping the joint in its natural range of motion (see above), it reduces the risk or re-injury. I was always skeptical about preventative ankle taping until this summer. In this article, we provide some guidelines on how to tape an ankle for running injuries. Jahjah A, et al. This is because they absorb a force thats nearly three times your body weight every time your foot hits the surface. Youre not sure your ankle can handle the stress. This content is imported from OpenWeb. Although each ankle condition has various causes and treatments, ankle-taping typically forms part of an effective treatment plan. sign up for Outside+. Steps include the following: Ankle taping can help prevent injuries and reduce discomfort following an injury. It comes as no surprise, then, that runners can suffer from various ankle conditions. Now take the strip of tape thatll go under your foot. This allows them to focus on taping and you can focus on keeping your ankle still. 5. Mind-blowing. Great form, great strength work, great hair (Im not sure how that helps the ankles, but I just want you to have all the information). Football injuries of the ankle: a review of injury mechanisms, diagnosis, and management. Now keep going, sticking each successive strip of KT tape a few cm away from the previous one. An alternate approach just uses multiple stirrups without the twist, and you can see that here. https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/mHealthyLiving/Documents/Athletic-Taping-An-Ankle.pdf, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJRaL5jIoM, https://www.footcaremd.org/resources/how-to-help/how-to-tape-an-ankle, https://www.aook.com/sites/default/files/pdf/how-tape-ankle.pdf. Dr. Catherine Cheung is a board certified Podiatrist based in San Francisco, California. If your ankles going to be under a lot of stress, you could end up with an injury. Its hypothesized that kinesio tape lifts skin from the muscle under it. "The tape pulls up the skin slightly, allowing more blood to flow to the injured area," he says. In the early stages of an ankle injury, kinesiology tape can help reduce swelling and relieve pain. With Megan Roche, M.D., he hosts the Some Work, All Play podcast on running (and other things), and they wrote a book called The Happy Runner. 1. WebAthletic Tape: This will act as the main bulk of your ankle wrap. One ankle should take about a roll and a half of tape. Theyll tell you how serious the injury is. Place, but don't stretch, the tape on the inside of your ankle, wrap around the back of your heel and down the outside of your foot. For ankle-taping to be effective, you need to apply the tape properly so that it will hold and also provide you with the necessary support. Heres where we get into the intersection of empirical evidence and empirical bullshit. Kinesio tape is a stretchy, moveable tape. Miles, MD. Its vital, however, that you apply the tape correctly. Including ankle stretching and strengthening in your daily routine pays off in accident prevention and better mobility. Here are the steps for how to do it at home, plus signs that you. Sit with your foot at a 90-degree angle to your lower leg. Cover your ankle bone with tape from front to bottom, back to top. more. References. Taping your ankle when you incur a running injury is a useful way to provide the area with the necessary support. She earned a DPM from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, completed her residency at the Encino Tarzana Medical Center, and completed a fellowship at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center. 12-Week Intermediate/Advanced Base-Building Training Plan, The Power Hour: Your Ultimate Race Prep Workout, 8 Training Takeaways From Courtney Dauwalter, Ultra Legend, Groundbreaking New Study on Pregnancy and Athletic Performance, The Great Cooling Revolution in Endurance Sports. Strong, flexible ankles will. Finish by placing pieces of tape from the front of the lower leg, around the arch or heel to the other side. Good running shoes should have plenty of room in the toe This increases blood and lymphatic flow, potentially increasing the speed at which you heel. They do everything right. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Examples include: Shop for heel and lace pads, taping base spray, and prewrap online. 2005-2022 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Or maybe the tape harnesses the placebo effect. Apart from your knees and hips, your ankles are the body parts that take the most strain when you go for a jog. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a broken bone, you may need to use a splint to hold the bone in place. Here are some benefits to using tape: The kinesiology tape decompresses the ankle and alleviates swelling; Really great for running with arthritis; It stretches and moves with you Stretch the tape over the heel, like you're putting your foot in a stirrup. The first is best for immobilizing a sprained ankle. That side benefit of educating animals was not worth it. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. If youre in pain even when not running you can use the tape continuously until What Are the Benefits of Taping an Ankle? (2016). Lets say youre getting back to sports after an injury. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. (2018). specializing in physical therapy, osteopathy and sports medicine. Probe the tape for slackness or any loose bits. Place the ankle in the position that you want it to be maintained in . Start on the outside of your leg about 4 to 6 inches above the ankle. 2. (2012). Immediate effects of ankle balance taping with kinesiology tape for amateur soccer players with lateral ankle sprain: A randomized cross-over design. Since this type of tape negatively affects circulation, it should only be worn for short periods of time. For more tips, such as when to visit a professional, read on! You will continue to wrap the tape in C strips to cover up any opening spots where you can see the pre-wrap. https://medium.com/trailtales/how-i-tape-my-feet-9fbde33e2850 For added protection, skin lube can be applied underneath the pads themselves, although this is not strictly necessary. Firstly, clean the areas of injury properly in a way that there should be no skin strain. The ends of the tape are secured behind the leg. David Roche partners with runners of all abilities through his coaching service, Some Work, All Play. There isnt just one right way, though. Wrap a horizontal piece of tape around the ankle joint and upper heel about where your Achilles tendon is. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. It took seeing Bailey and Johnny for that memory to click in. I was always skeptical about preventative ankle taping until this summer. Our brains can incorporate hundreds of variables into a decision tree without even knowing it, spitting out behaviors. We look at what splints are available to effectively stabilize fingers for a number of concerns and needs. Apply a second strip around the back of your heel. The third needs to go under and over the midfoot, also with some length to spare. WebKinesiology tape, on the other hand, is thin, lightweight and flexible, allowing it to be worn around the clock during recovery from an injury. Do you have any tips on how to take care of a sprained ankle if I am still continuing to exercise? We all know that feeling. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Create a stirrup piece by applying the tape against the top of one anchor strip, advancing it over the ankle, going over the heel, and ending at the same place on the opposite side of the leg. The second piece will go around the midfoot. Kinesio tape doesnt cover most of the foot and ankle as athletic tape does. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. Get practical fitness, yoga and running advice here today. Thats it! This article was co-authored by Catherine Cheung, DPM. Your joints and ligaments are healthy, but you havent practiced in a while. 251 Likes, TikTok video from iMovePhysio (@imovephysio): "#howto tape an ankle in 30 seconds #tape #sport #run #fyp #physiotherapy #physicaltherapy #rehab #covid #rozelle". Then I saw elite runners and coaches Bailey Kowalczyk (coaching site here) and Johnny Luna-Lima (coaching site here) tear up the trails above Boulder, Colorado. We go over how to tape a knee for stability, support, and pain relief, with techniques that use kinesiology tape as well as rigid sports tapes. This article has been viewed 40,962 times. This taping approach should provide full range of motion. If youre unsure about how to tape your foot, rather consult a medical professional. Once youre done, cut three strips of KT tape. Cut the tape gently until you have made a large cut over most of the tape. To help an athlete recover from a minor ankle injury it is always a good idea to tape the ankle. Chinn L, et al. Do one side first and smooth it out with your hands and fingers. Although theres no doubt that youre less likely to suffer from a running injury if you follow a sensible training program and dont overtrain, injuries can unfortunately still happen. It doesnt immobilize the foot as much and it allows for ankle dorsiflexion. 4K Dislike Share. Athletic tape restricts movement as it doesnt stretch, which means it provides more stability for an injured ankle than Kinesio tape does. Make sure you're using even tension as you put the stirrup on the inside anchor, under the foot, and on the outside anchor. Running along freely, open to the possibilities of the universe, when CRACK. Run your thumb up the tape to the top of your Achilles tendon (a few inches above your ankle). WebFed up with traditional taping techniques and cumbersome bulky braces? Once youre done, smooth and rub the tape over the foot. And I imagine it would be difficult to design an effective study to evaluate taping that isnt subject to 100 confounding variables. Shes tried capoeira, Crossfit, Swedish walking and more. Rao S, et al. The health economics of ankle and foot sprains and fractures: A systematic review of English-language published papers. The last one will end up on your foot, around your long toe. Then bring it around the back of the heel and back up over the foot to create the other part of the "x." Place the first anchor strip on the top, then secure it with another piece of tape. By using our site, you agree to our. While different methods exist, heres an example of a common kinesio ankle taping approach: Be sure to remove any tape you may have applied if at any time your toes appear discolored or swollen. Make a stirrup strap starting at Wrap it to make it snug, not loose or tight. It provides protection and support for your ankle without limiting your movement. The downside is that its less supportive. When Do You Need To Tape an Ankle for Running? Continue wrapping in this fashion until you reach the top of the foot. She is a former executive editor at Womans Day and features director at Readers Digest and a current adjunct professor at New York University in the School of Professional Studies. Go down the leg and go over each side as well. Taping your ankle when you incur a running injury is a useful way to provide the area with the necessary support. WebCompression can bring swelling down and keep the ankle immobile. A popular athletic adhesive helps relieve pain associated with a sprained ankle. Now bring it around the ankle, wrap it around itself and massage until its firmly stuck. Preventative ankle taping may be complete bullshit. Step One (1:03): Use tape for a circular anchor just above the ankle bones. As a writer for Shoethority, Dr. Enes covers biomechanics, injury recovery, injury prevention and more. There are no good studies on the efficacy of ankle taping for trail runners. It just didnt seem like enough empirical evidence to say anything in an article. gather your materials. you will need 1 1 2" athletic tape, quick drying tape adhesive, two 2" x 2" non adhesive pads (to prevent blistering), and pre wrap. 2. prepare and pre wrap the ankle. place one pad over the front of the ankle and the other over the back of the ankle. these pads will help prevent blisters. The taped area should be clean-shaven just below mid-shin level to the ankle joint for ankle taping, and 5cm above and below the patella for kneecap taping. The small space that this creates between the muscle and connective tissue, increases lymphatic drainage and blood flow. Compression socks work in a similar way, as they support the leg muscles, improve blood circulation, and normalize blood pressure. This allows them to focus on taping and you can focus on keeping your ankle still. George is the founder of Shoethority. A PT and running coach we love is Asher Henry, who works with athletes remotely here. This is the hardest part of the ankle taping process. This is a different way to KT tape your ankle. Different methods may work for different athletes depending on the source of the sprains, so try other options if this doesnt work. Below is the method to combat an ankle sprain; see also .css-1hr08dr{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#59E7ED;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1hr08dr:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, runner's knee and shinsplints. Once youre done, youll have a criss-cross pattern of 5 thin strips on each side. For this article, we worked with Dr. Enes: a sports doctor and osteopath. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Repeat and place an additional stirrup piece slightly more in the center of the top part of the foot, going around the ankle, and having the tape adhere to the anchor strip. KT tape prevents this. Your foot should look like this now. If the tape is especially persistent, consider using an adhesive remover wipe. This should look like a stirrup. Becauseit doesnt restrict circulation, you can wear it for much longer than athletic tape. Either kind of sprain results in the painful stretching or tearing of ligaments. Gently roll the edge of the tape downward, pulling the tape away in the direction of the hair growth. If you find any massage the tape over the foot until its firm all over. Try it on a hike before you run to make sure it works for you. Keep the area clean, dry, and free of hair. Use wet wipes and/or sanitizer to clean the area between your knee and ankle. Sprained ankle ligaments cant support the joint the way they need to. 4 Types. Place one pad where the laces will go and the other on the heel. Apply additional tape in the same order for more stability, as needed. Make sure that each anchor strip is applied with even tension. The first needs to go from around ankle to under the foot. 1. Apply gauze or protective pads on the front and back of your ankle to prevent blisters. WebFor injury prevention or milder ankle injuries, KT tape is the perfect choice. The tape is best-suited for when you need range of motion in the ankle, but want additional support. Last Updated: June 24, 2021 The tape should be tight enough so the foot bends, yet still feels supported. Apart from using ankle-taping as part of a comprehensive recovery plan, some runners also choose to tape their ankles as a preventative measure. Removing dust, skin and other particles will help it stabilize the ankle longer. Youll also want to pre-wrap the ankle and apply strips of tape to the mid-foot, sides of the ankle, and back of the ankle for additional support and stability. Check with the athlete after application to find out if the tape is comfortable. there is no hair to pull off and your skin is tough. She showed us how to KT tape an ankle in 3 different ways. It could potentially hurt them more. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. Then, apply a heel pad to the back of the foot, starting just behind the ankle (where shoes often rub), and a lace wrap on the front of the foot (where shoelaces often rub) if desired. Position the heel and lace pads. Does ankle taping work? 1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f1\/Tape-an-Ankle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Tape-an-Ankle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f1\/Tape-an-Ankle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1018427-v4-728px-Tape-an-Ankle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"