Stability: Sports physio Pat Arnold demonstrates one of the steps in taping an ankle. Photo: Cath Grey
Sports physio Pat Arnold shares his tips and insights on common injuries your club will face this season. This week he explains how to tape an ankle to help protect it from injury.
Over the year I have written about some of the common injuries that we see athletes present with over the course of a winter sports season.
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While a good rehab program will fix most ‘weak and wobbly’ ankles after a sprain, taping can provide some extra stability, and give the athlete more confidence.
Our ankles primarily move in two different planes. They bend up and down, as well as turn in and out.
A typical ankle sprain occurs when the ankle ‘rolls in’ further than it can comfortably go with a lot of force.
So when we tape we aim to limit this movement, while not reducing the up and down bend of the ankle that is so important to allow athletes to sprint and jump.
There are lots of different variations we can use to tape an ankle.
Below is the basic style that works well for most players in most sports. It is effective and it does not use too much tape — which keeps the club treasurer happy.
If you have injured your ankle I recommend getting individual expert advice as to how to tape it as some injuries require different techniques.
An important thing to note — the athlete must keep the ankle bent up through the entire process.
Step 1: Apply an anchor strip, around the ankle just above the ankle bones, make sure it is not tight.
Step 2: Apply ‘stirrups’ from the anchor on the inside of the ankle, under the heel and back up to the anchor on the other side of the ankle. This tape needs to be moderately firm.
Step 3: Apply the ‘sixes’ — start on the inside of the ankle and go under the heel as you did for the anchor, except this time tape diagonally across the front of the ankle to finish where you started. Again this strip should be applied with moderate tension.
Step 4: Repeat step three but start and finish on the outside of the ankle.
Step 5: Apply another anchor as per step one, this should cover all the ‘loose ends’ of your tape to ensure they do not peel off during the game.
Step 6: Check the tape is not too tight by squeezing a toe nail and observe the colour quickly return. The athlete should have full up and down movement of their ankle, but feel some restriction when they roll the ankle in and out.
Note: Some people may have an allergic reaction to tape. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, take it off after 1-2 hours the first time you use it, and discontinue use if you notice signs of skin irritation. Consider using a hypoallergenic under-wrap tape if needed.
Pat Arnold is a director at Echuca Moama Physiotherapy and Kyabram Physiotherapy and Pilates. For an appointment with Pat, phone 5480 0860.
