How to Support Your Ankle Using Tape

You might want to consider taping your ankle to help reduce your risk of suffering any kind of ankle injuries when engaging in athletic activity. When done correctly, this can dramatically lower your risk of suffering an ankle fracture or sprain when participating in sports like basketball, football, or soccer.

Your feet, ankles, and legs may become less mobile if you have an ankle injury. Additionally, it may result in pain and discomfort, which may interfere with your everyday activities.

Ankle injuries are becoming more widespread, especially among sportsmen and people who routinely exercise. An ankle injury can occur if you walk on something sharp or uneven or if you twist your ankle while participating in a sport or another activity.
How an ankle injury affects your body

There are two types of ankle injuries: traumatic and non-traumatic. Trauma to the ankle joint, such as slamming your foot against a hard surface or excessively twisting your ankle, can result in traumatic injuries. Non-traumatic injuries are those that affect your ankle joint without causing any trauma (such as falling over something).

An ankle sprain, one of the most common types of ankle injuries, happens when the tendons on the outside of the foot are stretched more than is customary for them (for example, when someone steps on your foot). As a result, the area around your ankle joint becomes uncomfortable and swollen.

Non-traumatic ailments like Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis are also frequently brought on by overuse, which occurs when these tendons are subjected to excessive strain over an extended period of time.

Three categories can be used to categorise ankle injuries:

Sprains are accidents where one or more ligaments, which unite the bones in your joints, are stretched or torn. Sprains can be minor or severe.
Strains are wounds in which muscle fibres and/or tendons (the robust bands of connective tissue that hold muscles to bones) are torn. There are mild to severe strains.
When a bone breaks or fractures, a fracture occurs. Simple fractures, which are typically brought on by a direct blow, or open fractures, which are brought on by an instrument piercing the skin, such a knife or bullet, are two different types of fractures. Other issues with open fractures could include infection or a loss of blood flow to the bone, both of which might need surgery to be fully fixed.

Finding the best approach to support and wrap your ankle after an injury is crucial. You’ll recover more quickly and avoid getting hurt again if you do this. There are numerous different ways to wrap your ankle with athletic tape, making it a wonderful alternative for compression and support. Athletic tape is a close second to wearing a brace when it comes to providing support for your ankle.
Taping Methods

The most popular technique is a figure-eight wrap because it offers firm support without restricting circulation or movement.

On one side of your body, the figure-eight pattern begins at the foot and extends up across the front of your shin bone to about four inches below your knee. From there, come down around your calf muscle, cross over at an angle around behind that calf muscle, back up over the other shin bone (you should be able to see both loops coming off in opposite directions), then across in front of that same calf muscle. Finally, come down around behind that calf muscle and tuck everything into place so that no loops are sticking out.

To produce this type of wrap, you’ll need at least 10 feet of tape (often two 5-foot sections). Hold one piece’s end against the top of your foot as though you were going to begin winding it around your leg to form a loop.

Next, strait across, place the second end on top of the first end, and release. As a result, a circle is formed through which more tape can be wound until it reaches the centre point on top of your thigh where all ends meet. When you get to that point, unroll a little from each end if necessary.

After tying a knot in the middle, overlap each end by 2 to 3 inches, then twist them together. Finish up with a second little knot close to the end of the finished item, again allowing extra material to cover any exposed skin.

While providing more mobility than a figure-eight wrap, a single-loop design is less supportive. Additionally, joints other than your ankle are better suited for it. Start by measuring out two 4-foot pieces of tape and marking out 2 inches with duct or masking tape on both ends of each piece to make a single loop.

Start by placing one piece on top of one foot, leaving one inch to show on each side. Then, mark a spot two inches away from that end and set aside what will become your bottom edge. Finally, repeat the process with the second piece on top of the other foot, leaving a gap of half an inch between each finished product and an extra half inch to overlap where all ends meet in the back. To conclude, tie your last knots in front according to the previous directions. For this design, longer tape strips could be required. Instead of utilising two 5-foot strips when working with smaller components, use three.

In order to prevent overlaps from showing once the strip is finished, fold the ends back approximately 6 to 8 inches so they don’t protrude. Also, while winding the next layer over top, make sure your new beginnings do not overlap at either end.
ankle sprains

You know how painful it may be if you’ve ever sprained your ankle. The discomfort could be excruciating and throbbing, and it might persist for days or weeks.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates that 4 million ankle sprains take place in the US each year.

The good news is that most ankle injuries are milder than average and will normally go away on their own within a few weeks. It could take longer to mend if your ankle is seriously hurt or has already been hurt.
What Takes Place When Your Ankle Sprains?

The ligaments that link your bones flex too much beyond their normal range of motion when you sprain your ankle. Your foot and ankle’s joint is afterwards painful and swollen.
What Can Injure An Ankle?

Ankle injuries are sometimes brought on by twisting or turning your foot while it is firmly planted on the ground or by performing exercises incorrectly. High heels or shoes with little support, playing sports like basketball or tennis on hard courts, and having flat feet (commonly known as “pronation”) are additional risk factors for ankle sprains.
Does Taping My Ankle Before Sports Require It?

Ankle taping can offer additional support and safeguard against damage. Consider your activity level, past injuries, propensity for rolling your ankle, and level of pain tolerance when selecting whether or not to tape your ankle. Before taping your ankle, always seek medical advice if you have any concerns.

Before participating in sports, taping your ankle has several advantages. The main advantage is that it lessens the risk of sprains and strains. By enhancing ankle joint stability, taping your ankle can also help you perform better. By preventing injuries to your ankle, the tape enables you to perform at your best.

Some benefits of taping up your ankle before training or participating in particular sports include the following:

One of the most significant advantages of taping your ankles before participating in sports is injury prevention. Reduced discomfort and swelling can be achieved by taping an injured joint.
Increasing Stability: Taping a hurt joint might make it more stable while you're exercising. This is particularly true if you have an unstable foot or ankle joint as a result of prior accidents or operations that could have left you with an unstable range of motion in your joints.

Final Reflections

A wonderful approach to make sure your ankles stay sturdy and secure when playing sports is to firmly tape them up. So doing will reduce the likelihood of suffering an injury.