In this weeks edition of the SportStrap “How to Strap” series, we are going to take a closer look at how to strap a knee.
The knee can take a lot of punishment during activity playing sport, and in particular contact sports. So a proper taping technique is important for both knee injury prevention and sport injury management in sports people and athletes.
One of the most common knee ligament injuries is the medial collateral ligament injury, where the inside ligaments of the knee can be strained or damaged.
I would like to share with you another video that shows a great technique for supporting the knee using Sports Tape, courtesy of highly experienced Sports Trainer, Cam Wray. Cam has worked with many first class rugby teams such as England, South Africa, Australian Universities, the Australian Barbarians, Canada 7′s, Argentina 7′s and the Qld Reds rugby teams. Enjoy!
How to Strap a Knee
As you can see from the video, Cam’s method is both simple and gives great support to the medial ligament. In this technique the knee is slightly bent at 10°, anchors are applied above and below the knee, and a series of basket-weave strips, criss-crossing the inside of the knee to give the medial ligament support and protection.
As well as using the correct knee taping technique, its also important to use quality supplies for the job, so lets have a look at what is needed.
What items do you need to Strap a Knee?
To strap a knee properly, you are going to need the following items:
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(alternative to shaving the knee area, and avoids skin reactions to the tape) |
(improves tape adhesion) |
Preparation to Tape an Knee
For optimum results when taping the knee, it is recommended to prepare the knee by doing the following:
- Shave off any hair around the area on the knee being taped.
- Cover any wounds with Non-Stick Wound pads.
Correct Tape Tension
Its also important for the athletes comfort and performance, that the knee is not taped to tight, in particular the anchors above and below the knee, as it will prevent the blood flow around the knee and restrict movement.
To strap a knee to the correct tension, two good tests to do is the pinch test (as mentioned last week), & also knee squats. If the anchors don’t restrict your movement or flexing of your calf and hamstring to much, then the taping tension is right.
More “How to Strap” Articles?
This article is the second of many of SportStrap’s “How To Strap” series. Other articles in the “How to” series can be found below:
- How to Strap an Ankle
- How to Strap a Shoulder (coming soon)
- How to Strap a Thumb (coming soon)
If you found this article helpful please complete the following:
- Subscribe to our Newsletter below to receive more “How To” articles as released.
- Leave a comment below, to let me know:
- Your experience with strapping a knee,
- Or any questions you have about strapping knees!
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Have a most outstanding day,
Cade Arnel
SportStrap.com.au ©2011
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Nothin’ like watching a strappin’ fella strap a knee!
Love the expertise!
I imagine you’d get a lot of YouTube hits on this.
Lina recently posted..Is Your Soul Dancing?
Hi Lina,
Glad you liked the video, Cam is very good isn’t he.
Wait till you see the shoulder video next week, great technique and some good viewing for the female audience…haha
Cheers,
Cade
What gets me, is they strap a damaged knee then keep on playing! How about strap it up and then take it easy for a while – just a mother’s suggestion
Jan Littlehales recently posted..Eat Drink Blog – Thank You
The knee is such a complex joint (probably second only to the shoulder) so knowing how to strap a knee properly to prevent further injury is a must know skill for a strapper. Or amateur athlete. It’s not a substitute for rest though. And once the cartilage in your knee is gone – it’s gone forever. It won’t grow back. So your bones are just going to painfully grind together. Ouch.
David Moloney recently posted..SugarSync Review – Dropbox with More Grunt
Hi David.
Yes the knee is a complex joint, one that takes a pounding while playing sport. Unfortunately knee injuries can happen very easily at high speed, so strapping can come in handy as a preventative measure.
Cam is very efficient, isn’t he ? A minute and a half and the player is under way again. What is the long term result of these injuries, I wonder ??
Harry Lynn recently posted..Learning Piano – My Learning Journey Part Four
Hey Sporty I enjoyed your great blog post on How to Strap a Knee. Excellent material Many thanks for publishing that advice, I believe that it basically answers my question.