At Bureta Physio in Tauranga and as Sports Physio's with local and International sports teams we spend a large amount of time strapping all sorts of injuries. To strap well follow the basic steps below and get practicing! Taping is both an art and a skill - if you want to learn from us visit our youtube channel to learn how to tape the ankle, knee, foot and other various joints 1.Anchors- Tape sticks better to tape than it does to skin so ideally always put on an "anchor" which is simply a piece of tape that is placed on loosely around i.e. the thigh that the other pieces will stick to at the top and bottom.Surface - Ideally shave the area to be taped 2.Ideally ensure there is no moisturiser or cream such as linemen on the area to be taped. 3.Reinforce - Overlap each piece of tape by 30 ' 50% so each piece is reinforced. 4.Safety- Ensure the person has no skin allergies or allergies to tape ' if so use an anti-allergic tape underneath. 5.Comfort - Your aim is to not get any creases in the tape in areas you put weight on ' such as under the foot as these will potentially cause blisters. 6.Your tape can get wet but pat it dry afterwards and ensure that it doesn't stay on for longer than 48 hours (unless it is kinesio taping which can stay on for up to a week). 7.Every piece of skin does not need to be covered in order to have a well strapped joint ' it simply requires applying the tape with tension at the right time then rub the tape well afterwards to heat it up and therefore ensure it is well stuck. 8. It is easiest to take tape off when wet. 9. Taping Rash - If you have been using tape everyday for a period of time and your skin is being irritated you can use a liquid such as Mylanta (anti-acid) and pat it over the area which helps settle rash or irritated area.
