Taping and Bracing :

Principles and Techniques

Presentor : Dr. Saurabh Yadav
PG 1st Year
Department of Sports Medicine
TAPING : Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin or over pre-wrap in
order to maintain a stable position of bones and muscles during athletic activity.

BRACING : Bracing is a therapy option that uses external braces on various limbs to provide
additional support for unstable joints or ligaments.

Taping (or strapping) and bracing are used to restrict undesired, potentially harmful motion and
allow desired motion.
There are two main indications for the use of tape and braces:
a. Prevention-taping is used as a preventive measure in high-risk activities (e.g. basketball players'
ankles).
b. Rehabilitation-taping is used as a protective mechanism during the healing and rehabilitation
 Principles of Taping Preparation
• Decide on an appropriate technique.
• Gather required tape supplies.
• Place the athlete's body part in position of function and/or
protection.
• Use an appropriate table height to optimize the taper's body
mechanics.
Types of tape
• Nonstretch tape: good tensile strength with cloth
backing that gives mechanical support to
ligaments and joints; can also be used to
reinforce stretch tape (e.g., standard trainer's
athletic tape)
• Stretch tape: may be a one-way stretch (in length
or width) or two-way stretch (in length and
width); conforms to contours of the body and
allows normal tissue expansion; typically requires
scissors to tear and are more expensive (e.g.,
Kinesiotape, Elastikon, Lightplast, or Cover-Roll)
• Cohesive bandages: sticks to itself, waterproof,
and reusable; may be used in place of stretch
tape (e.g., Coban or Co-Flex)
• Hypoallergenic tape: alternative to standard zinc
oxide nonstretch tape
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
• Shave hair: Increases adhesion of the tape and reduces irritation and
build-up of residue
• Apply taping base (e.g., tincture of benzoin): Increases adhesion of
the tape and provides a protective layer between the tape and skin
● Apply tape underwrap (e.g., thin polyester urethane foam):
Decreases skin problems and increases athlete's comfort; may not be
appropriate for all uses
• Apply lubricant to possible areas of irritation (e.g., lace and heel areas
of the ankle)
 ANKLE TAPING
• Prophylactic ankle taping and ankle
braces are used in several sports.
• Certain studies show a lower
incidence of ankle injury with
taping and bracing.
• Whether taping and bracing
decrease the incidence in primary
and/or secondary prevention and
whether one method is superior to
the other remains unclear.
 WRIST TAPING
• Wrist taping, wraps, or braces
are commonly used in various
sports (gymnastics, weightlifting,
football lineman, and
snowboarding).
• Wrist guards in snowboarding
have a role in preventing serious
injury in children and novice
riders.
Post-taping checks
• Impaired circulation.
• Impaired sensation.
• Restriction of movement.

Removing tape
• Use of adhesive solvent.
• Application of pressure and pull tape back on itself.
 BRACING
BRACING : Bracing is a therapy option that uses external braces on
various limbs to provide additional support for unstable joints or
ligaments.
Conditions Braces are Commonly Used for:
Fractures of leg or foot.
Wrist sprains.
Chronic ankle sprains.
Sprains of the knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, LCL, PCL), both pre- and
post-operatively.
PRINCIPLES OF BRACING
• Bracing material should be functional during sport and daily activities; comfortable,
lightweight, and moldable braces enhance their functionality.
• Braces should fit appropriately and be adjusted as swelling improves and activity
progresses.
• Braces may migrate during activity. Tape, straps, and undergarments may be used to
decrease unwanted migration.
• Brace evaluation over time is necessary to ensure appropriate function and to assess
need for part replacement.
• Over-the-counter braces are instantly available, less expensive,efficient to use, but may
not offer as much support as more specialized braces.
• Custom applications constructed from thermoplastic and other materials available for
specific athlete needs (e.g., clamshell brace or ankle foot orthosis). Consultation with
experienced orthotist, prosthetist, or occupational therapist recommended.
Bracing has several advantages over taping.
A sportsperson can put a brace on by himself or herself and, although the
initial cost of a brace may be high, a good-quality, strong brace lasts a
considerable time and may prove to be cheaper than repeated taping.

Bracing has a number of disadvantages. These include:

Possible slipping of the brace during use the weight of the brace problems with
exact sizing the risk of the brace wearing out at an inopportune moment.
 It may be necessary for braces to be custom made.
A number of different types of braces are available.
Heat retaining sleeves are commonly used in the
treatment of many chronic inflammatory conditions.
• These sleeves are usually made out of neoprene.
• The neoprene support offers increased warmth and
comfort over the affected area and may improve
proprioception; however, it provides little or no
mechanical support. The sleeves are available for
most joints and muscles.
• Increased mechanical support can be gained by the
use of harder material or the addition of straps or
laces.
Some braces are used only to restrict movement (e.g.
a hinged knee brace))
Braces can be custom-made by molding thermoplastic
material over the affected part.
Such splints are commonly used on the hand and
wrist, particularly over the first carpometacarpal joint
after a Bennett's fracture, or at the first
metacarpophalangeal joint after a hyperextension
sprain or ulnar collateral ligament sprain
 COMPLICATIONS
• Complications of Taping/Bracing application include :
1. Reduced circulation from tight taping, skin irritation due to
mechanical or allergic phenomena, and decreased effectiveness of
tape with time.
2. Tape provides substantial material support but, as with any
material, it does have a threshold where it fails}' It may be
necessary to reapply tape at a suitable break during the sporting
activity (e.g. at half..time).
3. Application requires practice to perfect technique.
Thank You