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NISMAT Athletic Trainer's Corner: Taping For The Sprained Ankle

by admin last modified 2007-03-08 10:43
Scenario:

A competitive volleyball player comes to you complaining of problems with her ankle. Her ankle is very weak due to repetitive sprains over her years of participating in high level competition. She wants to add support to her ankle while playing without losing a lot of her motion. She has seen her physician who has instructed her to tape the ankle prior to competing.


An athlete with a history of repeated ankle sprains such as this is a prime candidate for a simple taping procedure to be done with one and a half inch white athletic tape. This is called a closed basketweave and is for an ankle with an inversion sprain. Inversion sprains (ankle rolling inward) are much more common because of the joint's configuration.

[Ankle Wrap Step 1] Place two anchor strips on the distal leg and around the foot.
[Ankle Wrap Steps 2 + 3] Apply one stirrup, pulling from the leg's medial aspect, under the heel to the leg's lateral aspect.

A horizontal 'horseshoe' strip from the foot's medial to lateral aspect is then applied.

[Ankle Wrap Step 4] The procedure is then repeated until there are three stirrups and three horseshoes.
[Ankle Wrap Step 5] Close in ankle with horizontal closure strips.
[Ankle Wrap Step 6a] Two heel locks are then applied to the ankle's medial and lateral aspects, making sure to pull on the medial aspect last, to finish the tape job pulling the foot into eversion.
[Ankle Wrap Step 6b]
[Completed Ankle Wrap] Completed Ankle Wrap


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