In this weeks article of SportStraps “How to Strap” series, I’d like to focus on preventing shoulder injuries, by taking a close at look at how to strap a shoulder.
One of the most common shoulder injuries is the acromioclavicular joint injury, or AC Joint injury, where the inside ligaments of the shoulder can be strained, stretched or damaged.
The shoulder, can take a lot of impacts, strains and dislocations from ‘over extension’ and collisions during contact sports.
The shoulder can also be subjected a lot of wear and tear after years of playing sports that involve lots of arm extension activity, which can stretch or weaken the shoulder joint and the surrounding ligaments.
So a proper taping technique is important for both shoulder injury prevention and sport injury management in sports people and athletes.
I would like to share with you a video that shows a great technique for strapping the shoulder using Sports Tape, courtesy of highly experienced Sports Trainer, Cam Wray. As I have mentioned previously, Cam has been a trainer 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. I hope you like it!
How to Strap a Shoulder
As you can see from the video, Cam’s method is both simple and gives great support to the AC Joint.
In this technique the arm is slightly bent, with the hand resting on the hip and tape is applied as follows:
- Anchors are applied both over the shoulder and around the bicep,
- Apply 2-3 basket-weave strips both direction, criss-crossing the point of the shoulder to give the shoulder ligament support and protection.
- Apply 2-3 corkscrew strips starting from the nipple area, up and over the point of the shoulder and wrapping around the arm.
- Finish off with Elastic Adhesive Bandage over and around the arm & shoulder, and around the upper torso.
As well as using the correct shoulder taping technique, its also important to use quality supplies, so lets have a look at what is needed to complete the job.
What items do you need to Strap a Shoulder?
To strap a shoulder properly, you are going to need the following items:
|
(protect the nipple by cutting a circular “doughnut like” disc to stick over the nipple) |
(improves tape adhesion) |
Preparation to Tape a Shoulder
For optimum results when taping the shoulder, it is recommended to prepare the shoulder by doing the following:
- Shave off any hair around the area on the shoulder being taped (Hairy guys only).
- Apply Pre-Tape Spray to improve Tape Adhesion.
- Cover the nipple with an adhesive foam ring for protection.
Correct Tape Tension
Its also important for the athletes comfort and performance, that the arm is not taped too tight, as it will prevent the blood flow down the arm and become uncomfortable.
To strap a shoulder to the correct tension, you simply need to take care to lay the Rigid Strapping Tape on the skin with little to no tape with tension.
More “How to Strap” Articles?
In the first two articles of the SportStrap “How to Strap” series, we have looked how to prevent both ankle and knee injuries with some great strapping techniques.
In case you missed the articles, you can find them here:
Next week, we will take a look at how to prevent thumb injuries, and in particular “how to strap a thumb”.
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 shoulder,
- Or any questions you have about strapping shoulders!
- Add your “Like” to the SportStrap fan page
Have a most outstanding day,
Cade Arnel
SportStrap.com.au ©2011
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Cam makes the whole procedure seem easy and effortless, and is very obviously VERY experienced at strapping. When I played football when a teenager I wish we had been able to access people of his experience level.
Harry Lynn recently posted..Learning Piano – My Learning Journey Part Four
The YouTube videos on How To Strap A Shoulder are really clever. Simple, but so useful and helpful. Well done.
Lina recently posted..WIN: $50 Hamper Gourmet Cookies, Made With Love.
Such a great site about information on how to strap a shoulder! Love how easy you explain it, and then show it with a youtube clip
Cheers
Lisa
Lisa Wood recently posted..It Was Not Meant To Happen That Way
Hi Cade, very relevant picture of Chris Judd – especially as he usually plays with two strapped shoulders – and the latest news is that he may need to reassess his shoulders. I think he had two shoulder reconstructions early on in his career. No doubt his physios know how to strap a shoulder. Cheers for the info and attention to detail – e.g shaving hair and applying the right tension.
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