Should I strap to play sport?

“Strapping makes the joint weaker”

Strapping is often a topic that divides the sporting population.  Seen as a sign of weakness by some, a target by the opposition, or a necessity to play, opinions are wide and varied.

To know if strapping will work for you, you need to figure out why you are going to strap your particular joint.  The best reason to strap something is to reduce the mobility of the injured area.  Repeated episodes of rolling an ankle will be assisted by strapping, increased laxity in an MCL in your knee will benefit from strapping, or a history of a shoulder reconstruction will also find strapping worthwhile.

Strapping has also been demonstrated to improve joint proprioception. This is your body’s awareness of where your joint is in the space around you.  Improved proprioception recues the chances of reinjury, and improves the ability of muscles to coordinate the strength around a joint.

There are other reasons sometimes tossed up to have something strapped.  Some people postulate that you can facilitate muscle action through taping, especially kinesio tape etc.  Or that you can alter the neural input to certain areas through taping.  These theories are yet to be proven in proper research and as such, may be a bit hit and miss.

Kinesio Taping of the knee

If you are returning to sport following a significant joint injury, chances are that you will benefit from appropriate strapping.  How long you will need this joint to be strapped for will depend on the level of sport you play, and the severity of the injury you are returning from. In some cases, such as ankle and shoulder instability, there are types of braces and supports that perform the role of strapping and are a good alternative if you are allergic etc to strapping tape. 

If your club or sport doesn’t have anyone that can strap onsite, it can help to organise a time with a physio to get the strapping done before your game or to be taught how to do it yourself. 

If you are unsure whether a particular injury or complaint will benefit from taping, book in today to be assessed and have a personal management plan put in place that will involve taping if required.

Phil