How to Apply an Ace Bandage to a Shoulder Injury
Shoulder injuries can be painful, but applying an Ace bandage to minimize movement can lessen the pain. With a little planning, an industrious individual can have a shoulder injury wrapped in no time.
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Things You'll Need
- Damp cloth
- Soap
- Water
- Dry towel
- 4-inch by 10-foot (or 6-inch by 10-foot) Ace bandage
- Circular foam padding
- Elastic tape
- White surgical tape, trainer's tape, or masking tape
Instructions
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Use a damp cloth and soap and water to clean the shoulder where you will be applying the Ace bandage. Dry the area completely with a towel.
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Have your patient place his fist on his hip to form a bicep on the same side as the injured shoulder. Have him flex his bicep.
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Wrap the bicep, starting approximately 2 inches above the elbow, two or three times with the ace bandage. Move up the arm about an inch each time you go around the arm.
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Place the circular foam padding on the ball of the shoulder. The shoulder should be cupped by the circle to relieve any tenderness. If the shoulder does not hurt to the touch and there is no tenderness, a circular foam pad is not needed.
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Wrap the Ace bandage over the circular foam padding and across the front of the shoulder.
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Continue wrapping the bandage around the chest and over the back. When you reach the injured shoulder again, wrap the Ace bandage over the shoulder and around the upper part of the arm, creating a figure eight.
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Cross the Ace bandage over the shoulder again. Continue this figure-eight motion until you reach the end of the bandage. Where the Ace bandage ends on your patient (shoulder, chest, or back) will depend on the size of your patient.
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Tape down the end of the Ace bandage with the elastic tape. Retrace the figure-eight shape you've made with the Ace bandage with the elastic tape to secure the bandage in place. Do this twice, and end the tape at the shoulder.
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Use two 4- to 6-inch pieces of white surgical tape (or trainer's tape or masking tape) to tape down the edge of the elastic tape on the shoulder.
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Check with your patient to make sure the Ace bandage is not too tight on the shoulder, the arm, or the chest. There should be no additional discomfort from the bandage, and mobility should still be possible.
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Tips & Warnings
The size of the bandage you use depends on the size of your patient. For small to average patients, use a 4-inch-wide Ace bandage. For larger patients, use a 6-inch-wide Ace bandage.
Always begin with a rolled up Ace bandage.
Smooth any wrinkles out as you wrap.
Check with your patient as you work to make sure the bandage is not too tight and there's no added discomfort. Your patient should be able to move his shoulder after you wrap it.
Buy at least two bandages. Wash one bandage while your patient wears the other. Ace bandages can become sweaty and irritating on the skin if they're not changed periodically.
Wrapping a shoulder injury may not help if the injury is severe. If the injury continues to swell or does not appear to be getting any better after a few days, call a doctor.
Do not wrap the injury too tightly. Wrapping an injury too tightly can disrupt blood circulation and cause joint stiffness.
