Urdaneta City University

San Vicente West Urdaneta City

Graduate School and Advance Studies

Introduction to Sports Medicine, First Aid and Massage

Understanding

The Basic Taping, Wrapping,

And Bracing For Injuries:

Injury/Illness Prevention And
Wellness Protection
 Prepared by:

Buenaventura, Rojane A.

De Vera, Sherwin G.

Mendoza, Mark V.

Puno, Ma. Theresa L.

Tingco, Mary Ann B.

.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Learning Objectives ……………………………………………………………

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..

Topic 1 ………………………………………………………………………….

Topic 2 ………………………………………………………………………….

Topic 3 ………………………………………………………………………….

Topic 4 ………………………………………………………………………….

Adhesive Tapes ……………………………………………………………….

Most Popular Type of Adhesive Tape ……………………………………….

Cohesive Tape ………………………………………………………………….

Application of Cohesive Taping ……………………………………………….

Uses of Cohesive Bandage ……………………………………………………

Implication ……………………………………………………………………….

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………
Recommendation ……………………………………………………………….
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. List considerations to be given when properly fitting head gear.

2. Identify the types of marketed and fabricated bracing devices as well as

techniques.

3. Know the advantage and disadvantages of taping versus bracing.

4. Determine which elastic wraps and wrapping procedures are most appropriate
for specific scenarios.

5. Differentiate between different types of adhesive and cohesive tape, and

determine what application is best for a specific scenario.

INTRODUCTION

Athletic taping is a temporary technique or an adjunct mechanism

adopted as a measure of post-injury rehabilitation. It is mainly used as a
preventive measure by athletes to protect an existing injury. The goals of the
taping in sports are to restrict motion of injured joint(s), compress soft tissues to
prevent swelling, support to the anatomical structure involved in the injury, serve
as a splint or to secure a splint, secure the dressing and/or bandages, protect the
injured part from re-injury and to protect the injured part while the healing
process is under progress.

Therefore, the taping is mainly procured as one of the means of

rehabilitation and prophylaxis in cases of support and stability, immediate first
aid, securing a pad or brace, preventing injury, restricting the angle of pull and
psychological assistance .

Athletic Taping has been in the fore-front for a long time. It plays an
important role in coping up with postinjury conditions of an athlete and also
performing in the field even before completing the rehabilitative recovery from
injury. Literatures suggest that taping serves as a measure of “post-injury
rehabilitation” and yet there has still been others who point out on the
disadvantages of taping in reducing performance and skill. Although it is such a
common technique, yet complete guide to the principles and techniques involved
in taping, its advantages, types, disadvantages, etc. are rare to be found. This
article nonetheless serves the purpose of providing a suitable guide about the
basics of Athletic Taping.
 An elastic bandage is a "stretchable bandage used to create localized
pressure". Elastic bandages are commonly used to treat muscle sprains and
strains by reducing the flow of blood to a particular area by the application of
even stable pressure which can restrict swelling at the place of injury. Elastic
bandages are also used to treat bone fractures. Padding is applied to the
fractured limb, then a splint (usually plaster) is applied. The elastic bandage is
then applied to hold the splint in place and to protect it. This is a common
technique for fractures which may swell, which would cause a cast to function
improperly. These types of splints are usually removed after swelling has
decreased and then a fiberglass or plaster cast can be applied.
Due to the risk of latex allergies among users, the original composition of
elastic bandages has changed. While some bandages are still manufactured
with latex, many woven and knitted elastic bandages provide adequate
compression without the use of natural rubber or latex. The modern elastic
bandage is constructed from cotton, polyester and latex-free elastic yarns. By
varying the ratio of cotton, polyester, and the elastic yarns within a bandage,
manufacturers are able to offer various grades of compression and durability in
their wraps. Often aluminum or stretchable clips are used to fasten the bandage
in place once it has been wrapped around the injury. Some elastic bandages
even use Velcro closures to secure and stabilize the wrap in place.
Aside from use in sports medicine and by orthopedists, elastic bandages
are popular in the treatment of lymphedema and other venous conditions.
However, ACE compression wraps are inadequate for the treatment of
lymphedema or chronic venous insuffiency. They provide a high resting
compression and low active compression. A more appropriate use for
compression in treating lymphedema or other edema conditions would be TG
shapes, tensoshapes, compression socks or compression wraps for acute
conditions or exacerbation. Physical therapists and occupational therapists have
special training and certifications to apply appropriate compression wraps for
edema and lymphedema. ACE are also used for weight loss when applied as
a body wrap, and rehabilitating injured animals through veterinary medicine.
Elastic bandages should not be confused with compression therapy
devices designed for the purpose of venous edema management or lymphedema
management. Such devices are specifically designed to deliver graduated
compression from the ankle to the knee, to assist with venous return.
 Adhesive tapes is a combination of a material and an adhesive film and
used to bond or join objects together instead of using fasteners, screws, or
welding. Applying adhesive tapes in lieu of mechanical fasteners enables you to
use lower temperature applications, which can simplify the manufacturing
processes. Additionally, adhesive tapes can protect your surface area since there
is no need to damage the surface by using fasteners or screws. Adhesive tapes
are great solutions for automated product production, whereas liquid adhesives
are messy and time-consuming because they need to be sprayed or rolled onto
the surface before bonding takes place.

Adhesive tapes consist of a material called a backing or carrier (paper,

plastic film, cloth, foam, foil, etc.), which is coated with an adhesive and a release
liner if needed. The adhesive-coated backing or carrier is then wound up to form
a long jumbo roll of tape. The jumbo roll is then slit into narrow width bands to
produce several rolls of tape. Each roll and its composition are unique and can
be tailored to specific applications for a wide variety of bonding solutions.

Adhesive tapes can be pressure sensitive, thermally activated or may

even require moisture to work. Others, such as latex gums, adhere to
themselves.

Most Popular Types Of Adhesive Tapes:

 Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are tacky at room temperature in dry

form. They adhere firmly to a variety of surfaces and require only the
application of a finger or hand. PSAs do not require water, solvent or heat
activation in order to bond to materials such as paper, plastic, glass,
wood, cement and metal. The recommended bonding pressure is 14.5 –
29 psi =^ 10 – 20 N/cm². The temperature during application should be
moderate, somewhere between 59º F and 95º F. Lower temperatures
might lead to insufficient “wetting” or “coverage” of the adhesive on the
substrate. Very high temperatures may cause the tape to stretch when
being applied, which could create additional stress in the final application.
 Heat activated tape is usually tack-free until it is activated by a heat
source. Heat activated tape requires time at elevated temperatures at
180˚F or higher to achieve a bond.  Heat-activated adhesive allows for
 aggressive bonding to difficult surfaces such as rubber, EPDM, PU and
PVC-based plastic materials. It can be made with different carriers that are
suitable for a variety of applications.
 Water activated tape, gummed paper tape or gummed tape is a starch or
an animal glue-based adhesive on a kraft paper backing which becomes
sticky when moistened. Water activated tape is inexpensive and is used
for closing and sealing boxes.
 Non-adhesive tapes, films or laminates do not have an applied adhesive
because they are self-adhering. PTFE thread-sealing tape is a type of
non-adhesive tape.

Cohesive tapes is a type of bandage that coheres itself but doesn’t adhere well
to skin, hair or other material. This makes it ideal solution for any taping job that
requires tape to be wrapped around the limb without the commonly associated
pain of waxing the hair off your skin when it comes to removal. Woven in a way
that allow for maximum stretch giving it a bumpy in texture and feel, similar to
chicken skin. However, it is because of this texture that the cohesive bandage is
able to stretch up the double the un-stretch length.

Application of Cohesive Taping

 Does not have this level of give

 Stay put until it’s removed
 You can tear it by hand
 Use and reuse
 Can be used to lightly wrap and support a minor finger injury applying very
little stretch, or alternatively it can stretch tightly to provide a heavy
compression to a bedding wound
 Can be applied to offer a range support levels for injured joints depending on
the amount of tension in the bandage, and the number of layers applied
 Can hold up socks, shin-pads and other added protection to a goal keepers
hand, finger and wrist.
 Can be used to hold ice and heat pack in place protecting dressing and for
rugby ear protection

Uses of Cohesive Bandage

1. Wrist Support Wrap

The wrist takes a lot of punishment in sport, whether

this is due to repetitive movements and impact forces like in
tennis or just from breaking a fall with the hands. For most
cases of minor wrist injury, the treatment is usually ice followed
by support taping. Cohesive bandage is excellent for this
purpose. You can simply wrap it around the wrist, adding layers
until you have the desired level of support and compression, or
you can make a figure-of-8 wrap to include the thumb (as
pictured) for greater security. Rugby players might want to add
an extra wrap of PVC tape on top to make absolutely sure it
stays on, but for most situations this is not necessary –
cohesive bandage is unlikely to come off unless it is deliberately
unwrapped or forcefully pulled on.
2. Ice Pack Wrap

For many sprains, strains and bruises, the first step of

treatment is to get the injury on ice to numb the pain and keep
down swelling. However, sitting around holding on an ice pack is
not at the top of anyone’s to-do list and will lead to an
uneccessarily cold hand. The solution is to strap the ice pack on
with cohesive bandage, giving you an instant, improvised, cold
compression wrap.

3. Ear Tape
Cohesive bandage is the intelligent choice for ear taping
because it won’t stick to your hair and thus obviates the need to
muck around with a pre-taping underwrap. Simply wrap the
cohesive bandage around your head, press the layers together
and tape over with PVC tape. Because cohesive bandage is soft
and absorbent, this taping technique can also be worn as a
surprisingly effective sweatband by those who don’t mind
looking like an idiot.

4. Boxing Hand Wrap

Typically, boxers make their competition wraps from
some combination of an open-weave bandage, squares of
gauze and zinc oxide tape. However, we have heard it
mentioned that cohesive bandage could also be used in hand
wraps, so we decided to try it out. Cohesive bandage wrap to
the hand (pictured) with the same criss-cross pattern use for
training wraps, and the result was solid and supportive without
being too bulky. Try it, you might like it.

5. Finger Protection Tape

This is a great one for goalies. Just wrap cohesive

bandage a couple of times around any of your vulnerable
fingers, and there you go. It will help support and protect your
fingers from hyperextension. Don’t pay more for the so-called
‘goalkeeper tape’ – it’s exactly the same stuff as normal
cohesive bandage.

6. Dressing Retention / Blood Tape

Because cohesive bandage is so quick and easy to

handle, it is well suited for retaining dressings such as trauma
pads or low-adherent dressings. You just place the dressing on
the wound, and wrap over with the cohesive bandage (making
sure to completely cover the dressing.) Because cohesive
bandage is very stretchy you can apply quite a high level of
compression to contain heavy bleeding. Alternatively, if you just need a ‘quick-fix’
blood tape in order to get the casualty back on the field, you can dispense with
the dressing and apply the cohesive bandage directly to the wound.

7. Ankle Support Wrap

Minor ankle injuries happen all the time in sport, and
cohesive bandage provides a cheap and effective way of treating
them. After cooling the injury with an ice pack, use cohesive
bandage to form a simple support and compression wrap. Start
by wrapping around the ankle or foot a couple of times, and then
continue in a figure-of-eight pattern around both with the cross-
over at the front and leaving the heel open. You should wrap
beyond the ankle itself, so that the bandaging comes up the
lower leg about as far as a normal pair of socks. Apply the
cohesive bandage with only a moderate amount of stretch – if
you wrap it on too tightly you’ll cause constriction and end up
with a blue foot.

8. Shin Pad Wrap

Cohesive bandage offers a fast and simple way of

securing your shin pads so they don’t flap or move around, and
is particularly useful if you favour the slip-in style of pad. Just
wrap the the shin pad onto your leg (a couple of turns is
enough,) tear off the tape and press down the loose end. You
can either wrap over the entire shin pad, or just do the bottom
and the top.

9. Rugby Lifting Straps

In Rugby, lineout jumpers often strap their thighs to

give the players lifting them something to grab hold of. Usually,
these straps are made from something like a wodge of gauze
or a slice of foam pipe insulation taped onto the thigh
with elastic adhesive bandage and secured with PVC tape.
However, as its name suggests, elastic adhesive bandage is
adhesive and the process of removing it may reduce hairy-
legged lock forwards to tears. One solution: use cohesive
bandage instead.

10. Splint and Brace Retention

Cohesive bandage is soft and flexible and, unlike

adhesive tapes, doesn’t require any pressure to be applied
in order to stick firmly. These properties make it useful for
strapping splints to very painful injuries like fractures and
severe sprains and hyperextensions. It’s a particularly good
tape for use with reusable splints you might want to keep – like the sugar tong
finger splint in the picture – because it won’t leave any grubby adhesive residue
on them.
IMPLICATION

Taping has been found to be effective in cases of ankle, foot, hand and
wrist injuries as well as appeared to be more valuable in rehabilitation than in
prevention of knee and ankle injuries. After a brief duration (2-3- minutes) of
motion, the stiffness exerted due to taping gradually decreases. It extends an
enhanced mechanical support and proprioception to the ankle without any
negative effects on body posture and equilibrium. Best performance of taping is
limited to dorsiflexion.Adhesive tape has been found to be superior to cloth
bandaging for supporting unstable ankles.

Silicone rubber is effective for fabricating splints to protect stable injuries

to hand and wrist. Taping has been found to be a protective and rehabilitative
technique for digital injuries when combined with modified exercise schedules
and stretchinG. However, based on the current literatures, taping is a useful tool
to the clinician in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome and does not seem to
exacerbate the symptoms. Although the exact mechanism of the disease is often
not completely known, but regardless of the choice of therapeutic intervention, it
is important to thoroughly understand or speculate the mechanisms and causes
of the patient's patellofemoral pain.

Unlike traditional athletic tape that is tight and restrictive, kinesiotape

provides support without limiting range of motion. It is water resistant and
breathable, and can be worn for up to 5 days, even through intense exercise,
showering or swimming.

CONLUSION

Athletic taping has been found to have both advantages and certain
disadvantages. According to some scientists it is more of a boon to the athletes
as a part of their post-injury rehabilitation and to others it is a mere burden which
reduces the capability and intensity of performance of the athlete. Nonetheless it
is widely famous and common in use among majority of athletes for various of its
advantages as stated earlier and it still remains a question as to whether it is a
boon or a burden.

RECOMMENDATION

It is very important to understand basic taping, wrapping, and bracing for

injuries specially for students, athletes, coaches, and teachers. They should
conduct training and seminars to provide athletes with a solution for working
through minor injuries and recovering faster from major injuries. Nonetheless
athletic taping is recommended with certain precautions for the benefit of the
sportspersons and athletic performance
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