Taping 3

Jannali (Acute Ankle Sprain)

Impairments: Often caused by an inversion injury, leading to damage of lateral ankle ligaments. Typical signs include localized pain (especially on palpation of ligaments), significant swelling (edema), ecchymosis (bruising), decreased range of motion (particularly dorsiflexion and inversion/eversion), and functional instability, making weight-bearing difficult. Reduced proprioception can also be an impairment.
Indications for Treatment:
- Compression: Crucial for reducing acute swelling and managing effusion by increasing interstitial pressure, improving venous return, and minimizing fluid accumulation. This helps control inflammation and pain.
- Bandaging: Provides mechanical stabilization to the ankle joint, restricting excessive or painful movements (like inversion) that could re-injure healing ligaments. Elastic bandages offer graded compression, while rigid bandages can provide more robust support.
- Taping: Offers external support and restricts specific undesirable movements during activity, enhancing joint stability. Rigid sports tape provides mechanical support, while Kinesio tape can offer proprioceptive feedback and assist in swelling management by lifting the skin.

Andy (Post-Cast Removal Following Distal Radius Fracture)

Impairments: Following immobilization, common impairments include severe joint stiffness in the wrist and hand (reduced flexion, extension, pronation, supination), muscle atrophy and weakness in the forearm and hand, residual swelling or lymphedema, pain with movement, diminished grip strength, and potential sensory changes or nerve impingement due to prolonged compression.
Indications for Treatment:
- Compression: Helps manage persistent swelling (edema or lymphedema) after cast removal, especially in dependent positions. This encourages lymphatic drainage and facilitates tissue flexibility, which is vital for regaining range of motion.
- Bandaging: Provides gentle support to the wrist as it gradually regains strength and mobility. Light compressive bandages can assist with edema control and offer a sense of security during early mobilization exercises.
- Taping: Can be strategically utilized to support specific actions (e.g., gripping, wrist extension) during rehabilitation. Neuromuscular taping might enhance muscle recruitment around the wrist and forearm, or rigid taping can provide cautious support during the return to more demanding functional activities.

Kalina (Rotator Cuff Tear)

Impairments: Characterized by shoulder pain (often worse at night or with specific movements), limited active range of motion, significant weakness in arm abduction and external rotation, difficulty performing overhead activities, and tenderness over the affected rotator cuff tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis). Compensatory scapular movement is common.
Indications for Treatment:
- Compression: Aims to alleviate localized swelling and inflammation around the shoulder joint, which can contribute to pain and restricted movement, particularly during acute flare-ups or post-activity.
- Bandaging: Can be used to physically immobilize the shoulder in a protective position, to promote healing of the torn tissue, or to offload stress on specific tendons. This prevents further injury and supports the early stages of recovery.
- Taping: Provides dynamic support, enhances proprioception (body awareness), and allows for controlled movement during rehabilitation. Specific taping techniques (e.g., Kinesio taping) can facilitate proper scapulohumeral rhythm, reduce muscle fatigue, and provide sensory feedback for improved movement patterns without fully restricting range of motion.

Proper attire is critical to enable unrestricted movement, allowing full range of motion for both the practitioner and the 'patient,' ensuring visibility of anatomical landmarks, and promoting comfort during application techniques.
Skin Preparation:
- Avoid moisturizers: Ensures optimal adhesion of tapes and bandages. Moisturizers create a slick barrier, significantly reducing the adhesive properties of tapes and bandages, which can lead to premature detachment and ineffective treatment.
- Consider shaving: Areas intended for taping (such as ankle and shoulder) may benefit from shaving to prevent irritation, ensure maximum adhesion by allowing direct contact with the skin, minimize discomfort during tape removal, and reduce the risk of folliculitis or skin stripping.

Barton et al. (2014): Examined patellar taping for patellofemoral pain via systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on clinical outcomes and biomechanical mechanisms. Published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 48, Issue 6, pages 417-424.
Callaghan et al. (2008): Investigated effects of patellar taping on knee joint proprioception in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Findings available in Manual Therapy, Volume 13, Issue 3, pages 192-199.
Cowan et al. (2006): Explored the impact of patellar taping on myoelectric activity in stair-stepping tasks, published in British Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Volume 40, pages 30–34.
Crossley et al. (2009): Studied whether patellar tape mitigates malalignment and pain related to patellofemoral osteoarthritis in Arthritis Care and Research, Volume 61, Issue 12, pages 1719-1725.

Kaminski et al. (2019): Discussed prevention of lateral ankle sprains in Journal of Athletic Training, Volume 54, Issue 6, pages 650-661.
King et al. (2012): Compared compression garments to compression bandaging for breast cancer-related lymphedema, a randomized controlled trial published in Support Care Cancer, Volume 20, Issue 5, pages 1031-1036.
Hansdorfer-Korzon et al. (2016): Investigated compression corsets' benefit on breast cancer-related lymphedema in OncoTargets and Therapy, Volume 9, pages 2089-2098.
Mortimer & Levick (2004): Reviewed the critical role of the lymphatic system in chronic peripheral edema in Clinical Medicine, Volume 4, Issue 5, pages 448-453.
Nicolaides et al. (1980): Discussed intermittent sequential pneumatic compression for preventing venous stasis and postoperative deep venous thrombosis in Surgery, Volume 87, pages 69–76.

Nelson et al. (2014): Analyzed effectiveness in treating venous leg ulcers in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 5, Art. No.: CD001899, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001899.pub4.
Rooney et al. (2018): Discussed the synergy between compression therapy and exercise to enhance outcomes, published in British Journal of Community Nursing, Volume 23, Issue 7, pages 343-346.
Vicenzino et al. (2000): Investigated the effect of anti-pronation taping and orthotics on navicular height before and after exercise in Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Volume 30, pages 333-339.