BRACE YOURSELF TAPING ESSENTIALS

Taping, strapping and bracing techniques are used to protect muscles, tendons and ligaments from the rigours of sport and exercise. These techniques are widely used by athletes and sports practitioners at all levels of participation, making taping skills a core requirement for any therapist wishing to practice in sport. Recently, there has been renewed interest in developing a reasoned and justified approach to ensure good practice in both the clinical and field settings.

By Linda Mitchell MSc, MCSP

THE TERMS The terms taping and strapping are interchangeable and are used to describe applications of adhesive or non-adhesive bandage to pro- vide support for soft tissue structures and joints. Applications range from the very simple to more complicated techniques and should be determined according to clinical need. Techniques are usually applied by a therapist or trainer in the initial stages of treatment but are then often modified for re-application by the athletes.

The term bracing usually describes the use of more substantial or rigid materials, such as neoprene, plastic, metal, webbing or splint- ing materials. These are used to provide firmer and sometimes more restrictive support to the limbs or trunk. Bracing products can be made in a range of sizes that can be purchased off the shelf, or alternatively can be made-to-measure. These products tend to be easier for the athlete to apply independently and therefore can be valuable adjuncts to the management plan in the absence of a supervising practitioner.

Taping and bracing techniques have their origins in several profes- sions working in sport, such as the athletic trainers and therapists in North America, and health professionals working in rehabilitation in Europe. There is consequently a huge diversity of products and techniques available for the practitioner to consider that can be daunting to the beginner. Care must be exercised when choosing materials and selecting appropriate techniques, as well as ensuring that any technique applied is safe and effective and fits in with the overall management plan for each athlete.

USE OF TAPING Taping is used in a variety of ways in sport. In its most basic form, it may be used to hold a dressing in place eg. a sterile pad over a wound held with adhesive paper tape. In a more complex applica- tion it can be employed to assist recovery from injury using tech- niques to provide compression and support in the early stages fol- lowing soft tissue injury or unload damaged structures as rehabili- tation progresses (1,2,3). Taping also has a valuable role to play in the later stages of rehabilitation, or when returning to sport, as it can be used to protect recovering tissues by, for example, restrict- ing the range of motion around a joint (1,4). Prophylactic use of

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taping techniques has also been widely utilised in some sports to reduce the risk of injury (5).

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT Taping products A large variety of taping products exist. Many manufacturers have developed products that are specialised for sport and adapted for use in certain situations eg. skin coloured tape, waterproofed prod- ucts etc. Products can be expensive and therefore therapists need to purchase prudently and use tape efficiently to be cost-effective.

Basic materials that are required in the clinic or in the run-on bag need to be versatile and provide a foundation for treatment but don’t need to be too expensive (Fig.1). Cheaper or lighter trainers’ tape can often be used for frequent, low load applications while better quality tape may be required for heavy exercise or higher loads. More costly tape for specific purposes can always be pur- chased as required, as most manufacturers allow ordering on-line or by phone and have swift delivery times. Tape does have a shelf life and deteriorates more rapidly if kept in warm conditions.

The types of tape that are commonly used relate to the properties of the bandage material. Bandages can be adhesive or non-adhesive and stretchy or non-stretchy. Some also have the advantage of being able to be torn without the aid of scissors. Some prod- ucts are available in hypoal- lergenic forms.

Figure 1: Equipment used for taping

Figure 2: Application of a cohesive bandage

Non-adhesive bandages such as crepes are stretchy in length and are reusable although their elasticity does reduce after a few applica- tions. It also doesn’t tear. Cohesive type bandages (various trade names) may or may not have an adhesive backing and are also stretchy

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