Sometimes this can be achieved through custom fitting versus an “off-the-shelf” model. Bracing can cause skin irritation as well in addition to discomfort if they are not fitted properly, so it’s important to make sure that the patient is sized appropriately. It’s also important that the tape lay as flat as possible on the body, meaning there are no creases or folds. Skin irritation can occur from taping directly to the skin, especially if someone has an allergy to adhesives. There are elements of both taping and bracing that the patient should be aware of prior to application. Taping will require the hands of someone who is trained in the technique, and many athletes find increased benefit from the stability and support they feel from a solid tape job. You will find that some braces will also have these elements added in as additional straps. Each of these different techniques are intended to reduce the risk of an ankle sprain. “Stirrups” are put in place to limit excessive eversion or inversion of the ankle joint when landing. The “heel lock”, just as the name implies, locks the heel into place to keep it from moving side to side. The “figure-8” holds the ankle joint in a neutral position. Most ankle taping techniques will include some combination of a “figure-8”, “heel lock” and “stirrups”. Not all ankle taping techniques look the same, but they typically have the same basic principles applied to provide the appropriate amount of support and stability. Taping for the ankle differs between each sports medicine professional. The bonus to using a brace is that they are typically more cost-effective than using tape and can be applied by the patient themselves to their own comfort level. You will typically see this type of brace worn by someone who is recovering from a recent ankle injury and needs additional support for daily activities. This is a very common ankle brace worn in volleyball players who perform a lot of side-to-side movement as well as jumping and landing movements.Ī rehabilitative ankle brace might look like this: Some things you might notice about this brace are the lateral and medial supports and the within-shoe placement. To the right is an example of what a prophylactic ankle brace might look like for a volleyball player. Rehabilitative or functional braces are meant to allow the athlete to feel stable and supported post-injury and prevent risk of re-injury. Prophylactic braces are meant to reduce the risk of injury. Musculoskeletal braces are typically categorized as either prophylactic (preventative) or rehabilitative. For the purposes of this article, the focus will primarily be on bracing/taping techniques for the ankle. The most common regions of the body where you would find a brace or taping technique used for athletic injuries include the ankle, knee, and shoulder. The purpose behind each varies slightly depending on what you are protecting and why you are protecting it. The basic difference between taping techniques and musculoskeletal braces are that a brace is typically going to be firm and rigid whereas tape can be more malleable and adaptive. Whether you have sustained a strain or a sprain, or you want to be proactive about potential injuries, it can be challenging to decide what type of external support you need, or if you even need it at all. Unfortunately, where I grew up in Michigan, not every high school had an athletic trainer to turn to if I needed to get my ankle taped at an away game.īeing a Certified Athletic Trainer myself, I have supported athletes who needed their ankle taped before participation to feel prepared to perform at their best. After a trial period of both taping and bracing my ankle (and many hours of resistance band exercises), I found that it was a lot easier to have a consistent method of support in an ankle brace than it was to get my ankle taped for practice and games. One of my most troubling injuries as a young athlete was a lateral ankle sprain that we worked tirelessly to rehabilitate and treat so that I could return to my place on the field. By Leah Komisak, MS, ATC, Center for Athletes Athletic TrainerĪs a high school athlete, I spent a lot of time being cared for by my Athletic Trainer during basketball and soccer season.
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