Athletic Taping Techniques

Athletic taping is a method of preventing injury or damage to an existing injury by supporting joints and tendons with sturdy, cloth-like adhesive tape. Athletic taping is commonly used to support ankles, knees and wrists, as these joints come under pressure in many sports and are prone to sprains.

  1. Ankle Taping

    • Sports with a lot of running and jumping, like basketball, tend to cause ankle sprains and as a result the ankle is one of the most commonly sprained joints in the body. To tape an ankle, begin by placing several strips of tape along the back of the ankle along the Achilles tendon. Next place a couple of long strips of tape under the heel, extending up along the sides of the lower leg. These strips will go over the ends of the ones you placed around the Achilles tendon, securing them in place. Proceed by wrapping a continuous piece of tape around the upper leg, starting from just above the ankle, then working your way down to the heel. Once you get to the heel wrap under the foot and continue going around the foot several times until you get to the middle of the foot, and finally rip the tape. If you wish, you can apply a prewrap to the ankle before taping so that the adhesive does not stick directly to the skin.

    Knee Taping

    • Knee taping is often used as a way to prevent knee injury. Knee taping can be as simple as wrapping a tape around the upper part of the calf, just under the kneecap several times, which will help keep the tendons behind the kneecap tight. For more stability, a knee can be wrapped in a way that mimics the support of a knee brace. Start a strip of tape on the outside of the calf, then wrap it under the kneecap, and tear it on the inside of the upper leg. Now place a second strip of tape on the inside of the calf and have it travel under the kneecap ending on the outside of the upper leg. Now use two more strips, one from the outside of the upper thigh to the inside of the calf and the other from the inside of the upper thigh to the outside of the calf. Have both of these strips cross just above the kneecap. Add additional strips in the same fashion for extra support, and then wrap circles of tape above and below the knee to secure the strips. For those with chronic knee injuries, a brace may be a better choice than taping.

    Wrist Taping

    • Wrists are prone to sprains and jamming in sports that use the arms heavily, such as racket sports, boxing and wrestling. Similar to the knee, a few circles of tape around the wrist itself can be enough to provide some extra support to prevent injury. For an injured wrist of very high-impact activities, like boxing, a heavier taping job might be necessary. To tape the wrist for additional support, begin a strip of tape just below the wrist joint and wrap it around the forearm once, then proceed by wrapping it over the top of the wrist, around the hand and over the palm, then back across the wrist. Continue this figure eight motion several times for extra stability. When you are finished wrap several extra loops around the wrist to further secure the tape job and the wrist.