Ankle Taping after a Sprain

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Ankle Taping after a Sprain

An ankle sprain is one of the most frequent injuries in sports and very often results in short-term limitation of activities and a few days' absence from competitions and training. After a physiotherapy evaluation to determine the severity of the event, ankle bandaging, or also known as ankle taping, can be a useful tool for a gradual return to sporting activities.

Ankle Taping: What is it?

Ankle taping is a bandage using an anaelastic adhesive tape (tape), which is therefore not subject to stretching either in length or width. The tape used for the ankle is also called leukotape, from the classic white colour with which you will find it on the market. It is generally used for ankle, knee and hand bandages to give a feeling of better stability after an injury, or to try to give a limitation of movement to a joint.

Taping or Kinesio Taping: what are the differences?

The main difference between tape and kinesio tape is the stretching capacity. Kinesiotape can be stretched to 100% of its original length, so it is ineffective in providing greater joint stability, but can be used to provide skin stimulation or to aid drainage of haematoma and swelling after injury. In contrast, tape on the ankle after a sprain allows for increased confidence in functional gesture. A final and almost obvious difference lies in the colour: whereas anaelastic tape is usually presented in white, kinesiotape is marketed in a wide variety of patterns and colours. In both cases the adhesive is hypoallergenic, and there is no medicinal substance inside the tape.

Ankle Taping: What is it for?

The application of tape to the ankle makes it possible to limit the re-injury rate in those who have already had a previous sprain, so it can be a good preventive tool in the first period of return to the field after an injury, or in the case of chronic ankle instability that has already been diagnosed. It does not, however, work as a preventive strategy in athletes who have never had a sprain. The basis of this preventive effect lies in the limitation of joint mobility provided by the application of taping. In fact, it appears that after 30 minutes of exercise, under indoor training conditions with even ground and not on wet ground, the tape application still maintains its stability in a percentage between 50% and 65%. This percentage decreases considerably in playing conditions on more or less wet or uneven surfaces such as in football or rugby. The preventive effect given by the application of the tape is also given by the increased confidence that the application gives during functional movements, such as jumping upwards.

Dispelling some myths, ankle taping does not seem to improve the proprioception of the ankle when applied; on the contrary, it may even adversely affect the perception of movement of the joint itself, due to the great strain it puts on the skin.

Ankle Sprain Taping: How to Make a Bandage?

Let's see together how to perform an ankle wrap.

1. Before applying the tape, the skin must be cleansed and dry. It would be advisable to protect the skin with a few laps of skin protection (image a), also to avoid slight abrasions to the skin.
2. Next we can proceed with the application of two turns of tape over the malleoli, it is important not to close the tape completely in a loop over the calf, leaving a space of at least one centimetre between one end and the other. These two initial turns will act as an 'anchor' for the application of the subsequent layers.
3. Starting from the anchorage, I make one turn of the tape from the outside inwards, forming a 'stirrup' that passes exactly under the heel, and a second turn starting from the inside of the anchorage and rotating around the central area of the foot (image b).
4. Always starting from the inner anchorage area, I go around the outer heel and reinsert from where I started (image c)
5. Same procedure as step 4, but starting from the outside.(image d)
6. As a penultimate step, we unwind two bandages in a figure of eight, starting from the outer edge of the anchorage, passing under the foot and crossing the tape over the instep and finishing with the end of the tape on the inner part of the anchorage (image e)
7. I seal the bandage (image f).

Ankle drainage taping: how is it performed?

Although a physiological time period for the reabsorption of oedema and haematoma of approximately two weeks is required, the application of draining kinesiotaping to the ankle can help in the management of these post-traumatic consequences. The draining application involves the following steps:

1. Dividing at least two tapes into 4/5 tails of the same width.
2. Positioning the insertions of the two tapes in the lateral region of the ankle, above the lateral malleolus, at least 5 cm apart.
3. Tensioning the joint in the lengthening direction
4. Apply the strips of the first tape one centimetre apart without putting tension on the ankle in the stretching position. After gluing the first tape, proceed by gluing the second tape in the same way.
5. At the end of application, the tape should be 'wavy'.

Conclusion

Anaelastic tape and kinesiotape are two different tools to be used for equally different purposes to support the return to sporting activity; in particular, when seeking 'support' for the ankle, anaelastic tape is more useful. Always consult a physiotherapist before applying them to get more clarity on the best treatment for your ankle sprain!

s.r.l.