How To Do Just About Everything
A sprained ankle should be taped to give it as much support and rest as possible. The simplest ankle-taping method is called "the basket weave." If you're a guy you should probably consider shaving any hair around the ankles to avoid pain when taking the tape off.
Assemble the necessary equipment: a roll of 1- to 2-inch-wide athletic tape and a pair of scissors.
Wrap one piece of athletic tape under the heel of the foot and bring both ends up the ankle to either side of the leg. The tape should form a "U," like the stirrup on a horse's saddle.
Affix the tape to the skin just behind the knobby bone that juts out on either side of the ankle, pressing the tape firmly along the little groove behind the bone.
Wrap a second piece of tape around the base of the heel, bringing the ends of the tape along either side of the foot, heading for the toes. It should form a 90-degree angle with the first piece of tape.
Wrap a fourth piece of tape around the heel, running just above and adjacent to the second piece of tape, with the ends again heading for the toes along both sides of the foot. You now have the basic structure for the "basket weave" - overlapping pieces of tape that wrap around the heel, extend to the toe, wrap under the heel and climb up to the ankle.
Apply about eight more pieces of tape in this manner - four adjacent strips of tape that wrap around the heel pointing toward the toes, and four adjacent strips that wrap under the heel and head up the ankle. Alternating between strips that run along the foot and strips that run up the ankle will give you a weave that limits mobility and supports the entire ankle.
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Comments
jrmcdeath said
on 3/28/2008 Wow... you really want me to tape directly to my skin. I haven't had to have a tape job since high school and I know that you use prewrap. I would NEVER tape directly to my skin and I find it almost offensive that you are telling people to tape directly to their skin. This is not only dumb... but.... dumb. PEOPLE... DO NOT USE THIS METHOD... if you want a good ankle wrap, go to the people that know... the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society... they tell you how to do it right. Again, this method is simply DUMB!
http://www.aofas.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4253
jrmcdeath said
on 3/28/2008 Are you kidding me? Where is the prewrap. You are actually telling me to apply tape to the skin. This is absurd. Nice job. <--- Sarcasm... just in case you didn't' notice it.
iguazo said
on 2/10/2007 It works! I had been using the ankle brace my doctor gave me for a sprain (aircast) 2 days without noticing major changes, then I tried this method and I experienced a reducion of about 70% in the level of pain. Now I do not feel anymore the walk to the grocery shop(500m) away, like an impossible. I wish more doctors recommended taping.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 The photos above show how to tape the ankle to compress it during the healing process, not for competition. Much more lateral stability is required using sixes and eights around the foot and the ankle, as well as anchor tape, to ensure a safe return to sport and continued play.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 It is also a good idea to use some heel locks and a figure eight taping. This insures that the foot maintains its correct position and doesn't "roll" inward. I used the figure eight as an athletic trainer most often with volleyball players, who commonly roll their ankles. You want to make sure with the figure eight and with the stirrups to start on the inside of the leg (medial side) and pull the tape under the foot to the outside of the leg(lateral side). This prevents the foot from turning inwards. Also, if you do want to finish it up, always wrap from the bottom of the foot up towards the ankle, or it could "trap" the swelling in the toes. For guys with hairy legs, you will want to use pre-wrap so the tape doesn't stick to the legs. I hope this helps.