This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Create an "x" over the foot. Shoethority is reader-supported. Take the athletic tape and apply two anchor strips at the top-most part of the prewrap. 2. 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. The tape should be tight enough to give support without cutting circulation. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. It should look something like this. Apply a second strip around the back of your heel. By using our site, you agree to our. Jahjah A, et al. more. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. How To Tape An Ankle A Guide To Taping Your Ankle 1. Glue it to the lower leg at an angle, like this. .css-1ck2l7d{display:block;font-family:Sailec,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1ck2l7d:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ck2l7d{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.4;}}.css-1ck2l7d h2 span:hover{color:#CDCDCD;}Read This Before Taking Melatonin to Sleep Better, Avoid These Mistakes During the Holiday Run Streak, Physical Therapy Will Keep You Running Strong, Why You Should Streak this Holiday Season, The Holiday Run Streak Helps Your Spring Marathon, Colorado Conducts Inquiry Into Running Program, Why 4-7-8 Breathing Can Ease Your Stress, Fast. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Good job! It needs to have some length to spare. 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. Wrap the tape around the ankle to circle it around the foot. Fuel All Your Adventures With This Holiday Sale. Place another anchor strip over the stirrup tape, wrapping about halfway from the start of the last anchor strip. Although each ankle condition has various causes and treatments, ankle-taping typically forms part of an effective treatment plan. Saxena thinks black sticks best to sweaty skin. Thatll look something like this. 6. 5. The first taping technique here is to support the arch of the foot. Stretch the tape over the heel, like you're putting your foot in a stirrup. If its loose, it wont provide enough support, and if its tight, it will hurt and make the injury worse. 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. Web268,146 views Mar 6, 2018 LEARN HOW TO TAPE AN ANKLE for sport, support and to prevent injury in 90seconds! Dr. Cheung is affiliated with the Brown & Toland Physicians and the Sutter Medical Network. 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. Keep the area clean, dry, and free of hair. It provides protection and support for your ankle without limiting your movement. Now carefully attach it to the ankle and the lower leg. WebAthletic Tape: This will act as the main bulk of your ankle wrap. WebFed up with traditional taping techniques and cumbersome bulky braces? Its also helpful if youre playing sports on a slippery surface. You may also need additional anchor strips. It took seeing Bailey and Johnny for that memory to click in. Was it the tape? By using our site, you agree to our. Wrap 2-3 long pieces of tape from the inside of your ankle to the outside as U-shaped stirrup straps. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. there is no hair to pull off and your skin is tough. This time, well need two lengths of tape. The speed with which they could consistently run down the rocky, steep terrain seemed almost unfathomable. Stick the middle of the second piece of tape between the ball and arch of your foot. Whether you are an athlete or a weekend hiker, it's easy to sprain an ankle. By keeping the joint in its natural range of motion (see above), it reduces the risk or re-injury. Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology, sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0958259217301402, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4080591/, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5759174/, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5706382/, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3414868/, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4716575/, 12 Stretch and Strength Moves for Ankle Mobility, How to Massage a Sprained Ankle Correctly, 8 Best Wrist Braces in 2022: For Carpal Tunnel, Wrist Pain & More, 8 Finger Splints to Help You Recover in 2022, youre back to physical activity after an injury, heel and lace pads, which are applied on the top of the foot and over the heel, taping base spray, which helps reduce friction while also allowing the tape to better adhere to the skin, prewrap, which is a soft, stretchy wrap thats applied before athletic tape and makes the tape easier to remove. This taping approach should provide full range of motion. Additionally, we always recommend choosing footwear for ankle support and weak ankles. Apply an additional strip halfway past where the first strip is located. As an Amazon Associate, we also earn from qualifying purchases. When you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission. Proper form (see this article on technical running), strength training and balance work are likely much more important than taping. 3. 4. He started testing and studying shoes after a series of sports injuries. Take your first piece of tape. She had confidence. The health economics of ankle and foot sprains and fractures: A systematic review of English-language published papers. Now stick the first piece of tape to both sides of your lower shin and under the midfoot. Mind-blowing. And a second later. where your medial arch is. What Is the Difference Between Athletic and Kinesio Tape? When Do You Need To Tape an Ankle for Running? Use wet wipes or sanitizer. Lets say youre getting back to sports after an injury. Massaging your ankle after a sprain may help reduce pain and swelling, but you also want to be careful. 1. No, unfortunately. 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. Chinn L, et al. It can help reduce swelling after an ankle injury and prevent reinjury. Use a pair of bandage scissors (scissors with blunt ends and an extra blunt edge on the side) to slide the scissors under the tape. Wrap your foot and ankle with pre-wrap to protect your skin. If you feel tingling or pins, remove tape and try again. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Heres an example of a common Kinesio taping method that you can apply if you have an ankle injury: Heres a tutorial you can look at, as a visual demonstration will help you gain a better understanding of how to go about correctly taping your ankle. We all know that feeling. Take a minute to clean your ankle. Cover your ankle bone with tape from front to bottom, back to top. This will create kind of a closed tape job. 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. Then Megan twisted her ankle for the 647th time this year. An alternate approach just uses multiple stirrups without the twist, and you can see that here. Sprained ankle ligaments cant support the joint the way they need to. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. Pre-wrap is Under heavy impact, the ankle can hyperextend beyond its natural range of motion. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you run, you should make sure to wear the right shoes. Wait for the skin to dry. Run on softer surfaces. Too light and the tape won't anchor the the pre-wrap strongly enough; too tight and the circulation to the foot could be pinched or cut off. Do explain to them that it may feel a bit tight due to the support it is providing. Place the end of a piece of tape at the ankle bone and run it diagonally over the top of the foot. By taking a minute to trim them so theyre circular, youll improve fixation strength. Since this type of tape negatively affects circulation, it should only be worn for short periods of time. 1. Like Bailey and Johnny, Megan did everything rightstrength work, wobble board for balance, great hair. It doesnt immobilize the foot as much and it allows for ankle dorsiflexion. George is the founder of Shoethority. In emergency situations, heel and lace pads may not be necessary. Make sure you're using even tension as you put the stirrup on the inside anchor, under the foot, and on the outside anchor. It could potentially hurt them more. If you have the following symptoms, you may have a sprained ankle: If youve got a sprain, Dr. Enes advice is to stop what youre doing. Apply a base spray to the ankle, spraying on top of the foot and on the ankle. The ends of the tape are secured behind the leg. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Once youre done, youll have a criss-cross pattern of 5 thin strips on each side. "The tape pulls up the skin slightly, allowing more blood to flow to the injured area," he says. They can recommend injury- or body-specific taping approaches that may help. Run your thumb up the tape to the top of your Achilles tendon (a few inches above your ankle). From a sitting position, keep the knee slightly bent but extend the leg and the ankle so that the foot is pointing downwards away from the leg.Apply the longer I strip vertically from the bottom of the shin to the top with a 50% stretch. Ensure that it covers the specific area of pain.Now, focus on the area of pain nice more. He now shares his knowledge with Shoethority readers as a writer, tester and editor. Use this list to select a high quality, effective wrist brace that matches your needs. Strong, flexible ankles will. As you lay the tape down, find a balance of The heel can remain uncovered. Check with the athlete after application to find out if the tape is comfortable. (2014). Part 2: The direct and indirect costs of injury. Examples include: Shop for heel and lace pads, taping base spray, and prewrap online. Remove the backing from the first piece of tape. This could indicate the tape is too tight and may be affecting your circulation. Sit down on an elevated surface where you can allow the foot and ankle to hang off comfortably. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Make a stirrup strap starting at This involves starting at the front of the leg and wrapping until the strips of tape overlap by 1 to 2 inches. Learn more. Remove the tape if you feel tingling or numbness in your toes. Put another piece of tape on the back of the foot, centering it with your Achilles (heel) tendon. 2. Thats it! By the final few miles, she was running down technical hills with confidence and speed. For this article, we worked with Dr. Enes: a sports doctor and osteopath. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. If you want a preventative tape for extra ankle support, use the other method. Once youve done the first one, glue each one a little further away from it. You should be able to move up and down and to both sides, but it shouldnt be able to move as far as you would before the tape. Keep reading to learn more! Miles, MD. If youre in pain even when not running you can use the tape continuously until On one side of each piece of tape, cut around the edges so theyre round. Do you have any tips on how to take care of a sprained ankle if I am still continuing to exercise? Kinesio tape, on the other hand, is stretchy and allows for movement. It is usually easier to have someone else tape your leg. 16.5K subscribers. In addition to the 3 methods, well cover 5 reasons to use KT tape, signs you need to see a doctor and more. If the tape is especially persistent, consider using an adhesive remover wipe. Get access to everything we publish when you wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This method will keep your ankle stable. This results in sprains and other injuries (e.g. 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 Preventative ankle taping may be complete bullshit. Use wet wipes and/or sanitizer to clean the area between your knee and ankle. Ankle tape can provide stability, support, and compression for the ankle joint. KT tape prevents this. https://thewiredrunner.com/how-to-tape-an-ankle-for-running Dr. Cheung specializes in all aspects of foot and ankle care, including complex reconstruction. Finish by putting a high sock over the tape to avoid it coming off from rubbing with your shoe. When youre ready to tape, apply two layers of figure-eights around the foot and ankle for full support. A PT and running coach we love is Asher Henry, who works with athletes remotely here. Now bring it around the ankle, wrap it around itself and massage until its firmly stuck. But her ankle did not stop turning on technical terrain, leading to changed weekend plans and lots of frustration. Starting near the ball of your foot, wrap around your foot in pre-wrap, working towards your ankle up until the mid calf. You may want to wear kinesio tape if: Kinesio tape can stay on much longer than athletic tape usually up to 5 days. The first piece will go from the bottom of your calf muscle, under your foot and to the toes. WebIf you run, there are a number of things you can do to help prevent getting black toenails. Ankle sprains are common sports-related injuries. Wash or clean the foot and ankle. It comes as no surprise, then, that runners can suffer from various ankle conditions. Taping an ankle after an injury helps with alignment, reduces swelling and pain, and also provides much-needed support. Make sure that each anchor strip is applied with even tension. Note: our brains can also incorporate hundreds of variables and spit out the Cats movie and keto diets, so this approach has limits. Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: assessments and treatment options. My guess is that benefit would be more pronounced in athletes with certain biomechanical issues and health histories that predispose them to constant turns. You should end up with something that looks like this. We include products we think are useful for our readers. Jogging injuries often occur in the knees and the area below especially the ankles. Or not. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. To get rid of the injury and recover soon, here are the steps to tape an ankle. Place the first anchor strip on the top, then secure it with another piece of tape. First, cut around the edges of your KT tape on one side. Trim any excess length and massage the tape into the foot so it sticks. WebKinesiology tape, on the other hand, is thin, lightweight and flexible, allowing it to be worn around the clock during recovery from an injury. (2012). Be sure to avoid taping over open wounds or sores. Now lets go for the second piece of tape. As a writer for Shoethority, Dr. Enes covers biomechanics, injury recovery, injury prevention and more. For example, if you rolled an ankle youre likely to roll it again. What you need: medium-width athletic tape, ideally waterproof. If you're continuing to exercise, you want to make sure that you're not causing more pain and swelling. I was intrigued and excited! KT tape stops this from happening. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. Now keep going, sticking each successive strip of KT tape a few cm away from the previous one. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. It gives you a lot more mobility. Taping your ankle is not a substitute for rehab, physical therapy, or surgery. Walls RJ, et al. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Apply prewrap to the foot, starting just underneath the ball of the foot and wrapping upward until the ankle (and about 3 inches above the ankle) is covered. Take the piece of tape that goes under your calf muscle. Your joints and ligaments are healthy, but you havent practiced in a while. This allows them to focus on taping and you can focus on keeping your ankle still. The other 2 methods give you more mobility while still Your ankle is now stable but mobile. The tape is best-suited for when you need range of motion in the ankle, but want additional support. Get your last piece of tape out. In the early stages of an ankle injury, kinesiology tape can help reduce swelling and relieve pain. 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. Taping seems somewhat common for international skyracers, though by no means universal practice. Bring it down under the arch and toward the inside of the heel. WebFor injury prevention or milder ankle injuries, KT tape is the perfect choice. Create a stirrup-like effect as you take the piece of tape over the heel, pulling the tape to the opposite side, over the inner aspect of the ankle, and stopping at the same level as the first piece of tape. Heres where we get into the intersection of empirical evidence and empirical bullshit. For more health tips and information visit And on the first run with tape, Megan noticed a change. Although current research isnt conclusive, some studies show that when Kinesio tape is applied correctly, it lifts the skin slightly. This is a good way to protect the ankle after a long break from a sport. Different methods may work for different athletes depending on the source of the sprains, so try other options if this doesnt work. This is a different way to KT tape your ankle. Should You Have Protein After A Run? By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Possibly, the tape improves proprioception, enhancing an athletes ability to understand where the foot is in space. Taping your ankle when you incur a running injury is a useful way to provide the area with the necessary support. Start on the outside of your leg about 4 to 6 inches above the ankle. Take the second piece of strip and anchor it to the outside of your tibia. Tear off a strip of tape and twist and remove the paper backing Some athletes wore Kinesio Tex Tape in strips of pink, blue, and black. Now take the strip of tape thatll go under your foot. 6. Rao S, et al. To protect yourself, or others from future injury, taping your ankle will to prevent and protect from injuries.To start you will need some tape and pre-wrap, and preferably a friend to help tape the ankle. It may help to shave the area starting a couple inches above the ankle joint. Wrap it to make it snug, not loose or tight. WebSkin Preparation. But theres a fine line between a well-taped ankle, and one thats taped too tight or doesnt provide the needed support. 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. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 305,795 times. Cut or tear 3 pieces of KT tape. Check the fit of your shoes. Follow this step by step guide for inversion sprains, using She showed us how to KT tape an ankle in 3 different ways. 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