SportMedBC Tutorial: Mastering Wrist Taping for Sports and Safety

Summary

This tutorial demonstrates how to perform a wrist taping technique to prevent hyperflexion while keeping the thumb free. It covers the use of adhesive spray and pro wrap to prepare the skin, applying anchor strips around the wrist and fingers, and stabilizing the wrist with diagonal tape strips. The wrist is slightly extended to provide support against hyperflexion, while ensuring proper circulation and comfort. The video provides detailed instructions on positioning, tape application, and safety tips to ensure effective stabilization without restricting finger movement.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ensure the athlete's hand is in an open position for the tape job to be most effective.
• 😀 Apply a light layer of adhesive spray (e.g., Tough Skin) to increase tape adhesion and protect skin.
• 😀 Use Pro wrap around the athlete's arm to protect hair and enhance tape adherence, with a small hole for the thumb.
• 😀 When applying the first anchor, make sure it's placed with moderate tension over the Pro wrap, without restricting circulation.
• 😀 Place the second anchor just below the knuckles, avoiding covering the knuckles to allow finger mobility.
• 😀 Always use 1.5-inch athletic tape for the anchors, ensuring that the tape follows the wrist’s anatomy to prevent hyperflexion.
• 😀 For wrist stabilization, apply a straight strip with firm tension from the fingertips down towards the forearm.
• 😀 Apply diagonal strips crossing from pinky to thumb and vice versa to enhance support against hyperflexion.
• 😀 Overlap tape strips slightly to ensure a stronger surface area for stabilization.
• 😀 After applying the stabilizing strips, ask the athlete to gently flex their wrist to test if the tape job provides enough support.
• 😀 Close the tape job by overlapping the final strips and securing them around the wrist, ensuring the thumb area remains free.

Q & A

Why is the thumb left free during the wrist tape job?

The thumb is left free to allow for a natural range of motion in the thumb, while the rest of the wrist is stabilized to prevent hyperflexion.

What is the purpose of using spray adhesive or tough skin before applying the tape?

The spray adhesive or tough skin increases the contact of the tape on the skin, ensuring better adhesion and stability throughout the tape job.

Why is pro wrap used in this tape job?

Pro wrap is used to protect the athlete's arm hair and provide a barrier between the skin and the athletic tape, which helps prevent discomfort and irritation.

How should the first anchor tape be applied?

The first anchor should be placed half of the tape's width over the pro wrap on the forearm, ensuring it is snug but not tight enough to restrict circulation.

How should the tape be applied to avoid restricting finger movement?

When applying the anchor near the knuckles, avoid covering the knuckles themselves. Keep the hand wide open to ensure the fingers retain full range of motion.

What is the significance of positioning the tape at a slight angle towards the fingers?

Positioning the tape at a slight angle towards the fingers follows the natural anatomy of the wrist, allowing the tape to provide better support while preventing hyperflexion.

Why is the athlete's wrist slightly extended during the tape job?

The wrist is slightly extended to shorten the muscle tendons, which helps in stabilizing the wrist and limiting its movement to a neutral position, preventing hyperflexion.

How do the diagonal tape strips contribute to the stability of the wrist?

The diagonal strips, applied from pinky to thumb and thumb to pinky, cross over each other to create a stronger, more supportive structure that helps prevent wrist hyperflexion.

What should be checked after applying the tape to ensure it provides adequate support?

After applying the tape, ask the athlete to attempt wrist flexion. If the wrist cannot flex beyond the neutral position without pain, the tape job is effective.

What is the final step in the wrist tape job?

The final step is to close off the X strips with additional anchor strips, ensuring the tape job remains secure. These should be overlapped by half and angled to follow the wrist's natural movement.