The anatomy of the human foot is an engineering marvel. Many bones, muscles, and tendons work together to support your weight. A simple miss-step can result in debilitating injuries and restrict your movement. Ankle and foot taping are common and effective tactics that limit foot and ankle injury risk.
Athletes in the sporting world are more prone to foot and ankle injuries due to the nature of their work. Pushing their bodies to extreme limits and staying healthy is a tricky balancing act. Athletes tape their feet and ankles for stabilization. Taping also helps reduce swelling after an ankle injury and prevents re-injury.
Benefits of Taping a Foot Injury
Taping ankles before engaging in a sporting activity can help to keep your ankles safe. Taping is also helpful when recovering from a previous injury. The significant benefits of taping are:
Injury Prevention
Taping gives ankles durability and support when making quick movements. The added support makes it easier to run on uneven surfaces. Ankle taping is quite common in high-impact sports like running and football.
Ankles carry the entire body weight and propel your body in any desired direction. Taping ankles prevent joints from moving too far in any one direction. Limiting the stretching of ligaments prevents ankle sprains.
Post-Injury Stability
Taping prevents ankle sprains in athletes with a history of ankle sprains. Recovering athletes take caution when working their way back to reduce ankle pain. The extra stabilization minimizes the chances of re-injuring the ankles.
The tape can help support the affected area from re-injury and keep pain at bay. When healed, athletes can go through their regular workout routines with increased confidence.
Reduce Swelling
Acute trauma can cause ankle pain and swelling in the affected area. Accumulation of fluids from the lymphatic system can slow down the healing process. Taping takes the stress off an injured area by improving the lymphatic flow.
Types of Ankle Tapes
There are two common types of ankle tape. The decision made depends on the kind of injury sustained.
Athletic Tape
Athletic tape restricts the movement of joints. It has limited stretching capabilities and is best suited for ankles. It also stabilizes an injured ankle by providing significant support to prevent injury.
Kinesio Tape
Kinesio tape can stretch over 40-60% of its resting length. It limits ranges of motion and tightens muscle movement. It allows athletes to move while supporting the injured part of the body.
Foot Injuries That Need Taping
Taping a foot injury helps reduce the pressure exerted due to sudden movements. It also lessens the recovery time. Some of the foot and ankle injuries that need taping include:
Achilles Tendonitis
The Achilles is the largest tendon in your body, stretching from the bones of your heel to your calf muscles. It enables you to point your toes toward the floor and balance on them. In short, you can’t tiptoe without your Achilles tendon.
Taping the Achilles tendon and calf supports the structure and prevents further injury. Simple strategies such as resting and stretching quicken the recovery process.
Turf Toe
Turf toe occurs when the great toe joint bends too far. The injury is common in sprinters who need to dig their toes for propulsion and momentum.
Taping it to the smaller toes restricts motion while it heals. Wearing sturdy and supportive footwear increases stabilization.
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is the connection that stretches from the heel to the toes. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation or tearing of the fascia. It affects the bottom of the foot and causes foot pain when walking.
Taping the arches reduces the amount of stretching and moving the ligament does. It gives the plantar fascia time to heal while limiting the damage.
Bunions
Bunions are foot deformities that form on the outside of the big toe. The bumps occur due to prolonged pressure on the big toe joint. The pressure causes the big toe to bend and face the second toe.
Taping re-aligns the toe by keeping the foot in the correct position.
Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)
This painful foot condition occurs when the posterior tibial tendon breaks down. The tendon connects the calf muscle to the bone. It supports the arch on the inner foot. The injury affects foot and ankle movement and is the most common cause of flatfoot.
Non-surgical options such as over-the-counter tapes provide support for the tendon and arch.
When Not To Use a Tape
It’s ill-advised to use ankle taping when dealing with specific injuries to the foot and ankle. Examples include:
- Open wounds. Taping over an open wound can lead to skin damage and infections.
- After having a lymph node removed. Kinesiology taping encourages the fluid to go toward a lymph node for draining. It is dangerous as directing fluid where a node is missing could cause swelling.
- Patients with Deep Vein Thrombosis. Deep Vein Thrombosis occurs when blood clots in the veins in your body, usually in the legs. Increasing fluid flow to the affected area could cause a blood clot to dislodge.
- Diabetic patients. Diabetes causes a reduced sensation in some areas of the body. Taping an affected area won’t have any noticeable changes.
- Allergies and fragile skin. Some with fragile skin people react to the adhesive used in tapes. Tape shouldn’t cover either. It can lead to skin tears.
Steps for Effective Ankle Taping
The guide below will result in the best tap job when taping a foot injury.
- Get the ankle in the proper position. Curl the toes in an upwards position and hold the position through the whole taping process.
- Use as a base layer. It’s not a must, but a base layer smoothens the taping process. It acts as a barrier between the tape and skin.
- Tape right, not tight. Taping shouldn’t cut blood flow to your ankle and foot. Comfortable taping allows for easy mobility without limiting explosiveness.
Tapping is beneficial in supporting the foot or ankle. It assists healing, prevents injury, and supports feet and ankles during activity. Dr. Marc Frankel has over two decades of experience serving the residents of Milford, PA, Warwick, NY, and Middletown, NY.
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