Taping the ankle

introduction

The ankle is one of the joints most commonly affected by injuries. These include bruises, slight stretching of the ligaments or ligament tears and injuries to the joint capsule. In addition to the damage that occurs in everyday life, the majority of injuries are due to sports accidents, e.g. attributed to playing soccer or jogging. Therefore, in many cases it has proven useful to tape the ankle and give it more stability.

You can tap the ankle to prevent injury or as part of an injury therapy. Tapes can be roughly divided into elastic tapes, which functionally support movements and allow a relatively large amount of freedom of movement, and inelastic tapes, which are primarily intended to provide stability. Well-known tapes are Kinesio Tapes or Leukotape.

In the following, indications, correct use and common areas of application for ankle tape are discussed.

Read more on the topic: Kinesio tape

Causes and indications

There are a number of causes and indications for which the ankle can be taped. A first major area is the prophylaxis of injuries and restrictions on the ankle that can result from excessive strain or unwanted movements in sports accidents. The tape offers the joint more stability and helps reduce the risk of injury. In theory, every athlete can tap his ankle in this form, especially people with previous ankle injuries use it. Sports in which ankle taping is often used are soccer and jogging, but ankle joints are also taped in tennis, martial arts and many other activities.

In addition to prevention, a tape is also used in the treatment of ankle injuries. Here you should tape the ankle joint to provide further stability, especially if the ligaments can only do this to a limited extent. Taping the ankle clearly promotes healing here. Typical indications here are ligament stretching and torn ligament, sometimes also a torn capsule at the ankle.

Symptoms and areas of application

Symptoms that indicate the ankle is compromised and it may make sense to tape the ankle are above all Pain. Usually the complaint is a sports accident, e.g. at the Soccer or to jog preceded. The pain is movement dependent and depending on the circumstances of the accident to Knuckles located inside or outside.

Associated with this often exist Restrictions on walking and runningso that one then Ankle joint should tap. Also Swelling indicate damage to the ankle. If these and the other symptoms are very pronounced, you should visit a doctor before self-treatment to confirm the diagnosis.

Prophylactic Tape the ankle joint makes sense if you have done one more often in the past instability has been noticed in the ankle joint with associated injuries. Also from unfamiliar or great stress you can tape the ankle.

diagnosis

Before getting one Ankle joint If you want to tap, you should definitely start with a physical examination respectively. The aim is to make an accurate diagnosis and e.g. between Torn ligament and Ligament stretch to be able to distinguish. In some cases, inaccurate taping can aggravate the course, and further ankle treatment may have to be initiated.

Do you want to work within the prophylaxis Taping the ankle, these examinations are not necessary, but one should get one beforehand manual read through.

Kinesio Tape and Leukotape

There are many elastic or inelastic plasters and tapes available in the market today, two of which are commonly used to tape an ankle.

Kinesio:

The Kinesio Tape is a for Sports injury treatment or their prevention used tape that originated in the 1970s and was developed by a Japanese chiropractor. His is characteristic of the Kinesio Tape special elasticity and the Structure based on the skin. The elasticity makes the Ligamentous apparatus in the ankle supportedwithout restricting freedom of movement. At the same time, the elastic Kinesio Tape causes one with every movement light massage of the affected places what the Blood circulation promotes.

Other features of the Kinesio Tape are its Air and water permeabilitywhich allows the skin to breathe. The effect of the Kinesio Tape unfolds through the Relief of muscles and ligamentsby going through the elastic train Forces acting on the ankle are transmitted through the skin. As part of the treatment of sports injuries, a kinesio tape Inflammatory reactions and Swelling at the ankle to reduce. In addition to the finished rolls in various widths, pre-cut Kinesio strips that are adapted to the ankle are also often offered.

The Ankle joint Taping with Kinesio should be placed in experienced hands, as they are the anatomy and get to know the course of ligaments at the ankle better and one can possibly cause counterproductive effects if used incorrectly.

Leukotape:

Leukotape is a tape from another manufacturer and available in different versions. As Leukotape K (for Kinesio) it has similar Properties like the Kinesio Tape described above. In addition, variants such as Leukotape P or Claassic offered that in contrast not elastic are and so more mechanical stability as having functional properties.

Inelastic Leukotape is affixed according to the course of tapes, and can thus remove forces from them and conduct them over the skin. In addition, additionally attached strips of leukotape offer a Deliberate, slight restriction of movementto protect against unwanted excessive movements. So be Ligaments and joints supported and relieved. The person can also perceive unwanted movements better and thus counteract them. In addition, bandages with Leukotape compress the tissue and thus promote inflammation and injuries to the ankle cure.

Practical use

Do you want a Ankle joint taping, mistakes are often made in practice, especially when using loan applications. However, the success of taping depends heavily on Technology and type of application from.

When taping you should five rules note that 5 A's:

• Measure and start: First unroll the desired length from the roll and determine the exact length by placing it on the body
• Tear off: Especially in the case of injuries, you should tear off the used piece after measuring and not just while putting it on
• Invest: Apply the tape to the ankle using the appropriate technique.
• Modeling: Finally, by pressing lightly, the contact to the skin or underlying tape and thus also improves durability. These rules should be followed on every strip.

There are several ways how to do this Ankle joint taping, so that two types are described here as examples. A relatively simple Kinesio tape is applied in three steps as follows:

1. U-reins

The first strip runs from Outer ankle under the Sole of the foot here to Inner ankle. The tape should end about 5-6cm above both ankles. Under tension, the tape is stuck from the outer ankle over the affected area to the sole of the foot and from here loosely back over the inner ankle.

2. Figure 8 reins

Taping the next rein at the ankle is similar to however, crosses on the back of the foot. The strip is slightly longer than the U-rein and is attached to the Sole of the foot in the field of heel placed, with both ends going upwards are of the same length. The tape should be affixed gently over the affected area, the other end loosely towards the opposite side. With these two reins you can do that well Ankle joint taping if it's especially the prophylaxis serves. It supports the ankle and helps e.g. at the to jog through difficult terrain or when Soccer play a Twist to prevent.

Are the Ligaments unstable, come more reins added.

3. Lateral pulls

Depending on your needs several shorter ones (approx. 15-20cm) Stripes complementary Glued over the painful areas towards the big toe. These should tape the ankle with sufficient tension. This gives the bands additional stability.

A bandage with inelastic leuco tape could look like this: First, a strip is placed underneath the Calf muscles and about the Knuckles to the Lower leg glued a second strip is then perpendicular to it across the bottom of the Foot applied from ankle to ankle and should go over the painful or protected structures (similar to the U-rein). The bandage is then stabilized with additional strips that are glued around the lower leg and over the second rein. This way of taping the ankle offers more stability, but less freedom of movement. If you want to tape the ankle, you must always make sure that the bandage is not too tight. It starts to tingle or becomes the foot deafthe bandage must be removed. Before taping, the skin be clean and shaved if you have a lot of hair.

Common areas of application

Soccer:

Taping the ankle is often used in soccer. Soccer is a sport that comes with great stress on the ankle goes hand in hand. Permanent change of direction, much Leg work and the effects of the opponent therefore make taping the ankle useful. This reduces the risk of kinking over while playing football or making other unintended movements. In addition, most physical therapists will tape the ankle joint around the ankle after an injury while playing soccer cure to support. Especially people who go to Twist should tap their ankle before playing soccer. However, one must always be aware that this is no safe protection against injuries to the ankle. In football there is often one Combination of Kinesio tape and stronger, inelastic tape used.

To jog:

Often a Ankle joint also taped while jogging. In addition to suitable footwear, you can tap your ankle to help you jog additional stability to get. This can occur in a straight line previous ligament injury Make sense, but especially that Jogging through uneven or difficult terrain puts a lot of strain on the ankle. Therefore, an ankle bandage can effectively prevent ankle twisting while jogging prevented become. Even if the Training intensity e.g. Increased for a competition, the ankle can be taped to reduce the stress on the structures. The association but should not interfere with jogging, you may have to take a break or take other measures.

forecast

The effect on taping the ankle is not clearly proven in medical studies been, however, a great experience speaks of Physiotherapists and Sports physicians making the taping clear positive effect in terms of prevention and therapy Has. So the risk of injury is reduced and larger sizes e.g. at football or to jog be trained. As part of the treatment of injuries, it supports the regeneration of ligaments and joints in the ankle. However, incorrect use can have negative consequences. So, apart from slight discomfort and to Prevention, one physical examination done at the ankle before putting on a tape. Also should be the right one technology should be applied.