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Athletic taping

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Yekaterina Gamova, a volleyball player, with athletic tape on fingers and wrist

Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin or over pre-wrap in order to maintain a stable position of bones and muscles during athletic activity. It is a procedure that uses athletic tape (pressure-sensitive tape similar to surgical tape or elastic therapeutic tape), attached to the skin, to physically hold muscles or bones at a certain position. This reduces pain and aids recovery. Taping is usually used to help recover from overuse and other injuries.

The general goals of athletic taping are to restrict the motion of an injured joint, in order to add stability for a temporary period of time. It compresses soft tissues to reduce swelling, support anatomical structures involved in the injury, serve as a splint or secure a splint, secure dressing or bandages, protect the injured joint from re-injury, and protect the injured part while the injured part is in the healing process.

Uses

Taping has many roles such as to support the ligaments and capsules of unstable joints by limiting excessive or abnormal anatomical movement. A study done in 2019 examines the effectiveness of athletic taping in elite athletes. It examined athletic movements such as balance, vertical jump, horizontal jump, wrist strength, and sprint speed, and found positive and negative effects of taping on performance. Taping also enhances proprioceptive feedback from the limb or joint. Finally, taping can support injuries at the muscle-tendon units by compressing and limiting movement and secure protective pads, dressings and splints.

Injury prevention

Athletic taping is recognized as one of the top preventative measures for reduction of injuries in collision sports. These injuries often occur as a result of extrinsic factors such as collision with other players or equipment. Athletic taping has also been shown to reduce the severity in injuries, as well as the occurrence of injury in most sports, this is especially helpful for people who are prone to certain injuries.

Injury management

Tape is often applied to manage symptoms of chronic injuries such as medial tibial stress syndrome (or shin splints), patella-femoral syndrome, and turf toe. Athletic tape can be applied to ease pain symptoms as well. Taping along the nerve tract of irritated or inflamed tissue can shorten the inflamed region and reduce pain. There is limited evidence of Kinesio taping benefit as a complementary therapy in shoulder-pain syndromes.

Other post-injury benefits include: 1) stabilizing and supporting joints after injuries to the muscle or ligament; 2) assisting and allowing the athlete to return to activity after minor injuries; 3) preventing and reducing further harm to injured area; 4) maintaining proper biomechanics during activity; 5) preventing neuromuscular damage; and 6) reducing force on the area during activity.

Disadvantages

  • Incorrect athletic taping may lead to blistering or future injuries.
  • After activity and motion begins, the stiffness of the tape reduces.
  • Physiological dependency on using tape
  • Expensive, especially when it is needed frequently

Techniques

There are set regulations and rules that govern the athletic taping techniques used by trainers and health professionals. There are a few aspects of athletic taping that are standardized.

Alternatives

Wraps and braces can be used instead or with taping to stabilize the affected area. Braces might alter muscular activity, where tape might not.

Types of tape

Standard athletic tape is classified by the following characteristics:

  • Number of vertical (warp) and horizontal (woof) threads per square inch. These threads vary from 120 to 150 per square inch. A higher thread count is synonymous with a higher quality including higher tensile strength, better adhesive, easier removal, longer lasting, and more expensive.
  • Tensile strength
  • Composition: bleached versus unbleached cotton; cotton versus synthetic fibers versus a blend of both.
  • Rigid tape: provides a firm support, holds and reduces movement of a joint with a strong and sticky material, examples include Strappal or Endura Fix, etc.
  • Under tape: has a different type of fabric that allows more movement and air, examples include Hyperfix or Endura Fix, etc.
  • Elastic tape: flexible tape, that when it is applied, lets your skin breathe and transmit moisture through the type of material used, examples include Tensoplast and Elastikon, etc.
  • Felt tape: this type of tape does not have any glue in the material and is used a barrier to the skin Example: Mueller
  • Bandages: does not have glue in the material which allows them to stick to each other. Example: Coban
  • Kinesio tape: Commonly used by athletes, but might function only as a placebo or equivalent to other types of injury taping

See also

References

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  2. Lau, Kenney Ki-Lee; Cheng, Kenneth Chik-Chi (2019-06-11). "Effectiveness of taping on functional performance in elite athletes: A systematic review". Journal of Biomechanics. 90: 16–23. doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.04.016. ISSN 0021-9290. PMID 31079878.
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