1. Unit 8: Taping and Bandaging

2. Equipment Terms
Protective Equipment: Specialized sports equipment that is used to protect athletes from injury.
NOCSAE: The National Operating Committee for Safety of Athletic Equipment- a United States Federal Government agency responsible for testing and certifying the effectiveness of protective sports equipment.

3. Tape Terms
Athletic Tape: Adhesive backed cloth tape that is applied to athletes to prevent or support injuries by preventing or restricting undesired joint motion.

4. Tape Terms
Bandage Scissors: Special scissors with blunt ends that are used to cut tape and bandages from athletes after use without cutting and injuring the athlete’s skin.
Lightplast: A stretchable elastic tape that can be torn by hand. Most often used to hold bandages in place or secure protective padding.

5. Tape Terms
Elastikon: A heavy-duty, tough elastic tape that cannot be easily torn by hand, most often requiring bandage scissors to cut. Most often used to restrict unwanted joint range of motion or provide assist and support to injured muscles and tendons.
Heel and Lace Pads: Foam or polystyrene pads that are usually coated with Vaseline or skin lube and applied to the athlete’s heel and lace areas when taping the ankle. Designed to reduce friction in the heel and lace areas in order to prevent blisters due to tape rub.

6. Tape Terms
Tape Base: Sometimes referred to as “Tuff-skin” or “QDA”, a sticky adhesive spray or liquid that is applied to the athlete’s skin prior to the application of athletic tape, bandages, or pre-wrap. It helps to keep the tape or bandage in place by preventing slippage while also offering some skin protection.

7. Tape Terms
Pre-Wrap: Non-adhesive foam under-wrap that is applied prior to the application of athletic tape to protect the athlete’s skin from tape irritation.
Skin Lube: A petroleum based product similar to thick Vaseline that is applied to heel and lace pads or skin areas in order to reduce friction and prevent blisters.

8. Taping Terms
Anchor: A strip of tape, usually applied first in a taping procedure that provides a base for other strips of tape to attach to on the body.
High “C”: Describes the tape strip as having an increased angle as it’s applied; used where the body part has high degree of taper (i.e. more proximal on the lower leg)

9. Taping Terms
Low “C”: Describes the tape strip as having a low angle as it’s applied; used where the body part has a low degree of taper (i.e. more distal on the lower leg)
Middle “C”: Describes the tape strip as having a moderate angle as it’s applied; used where the body part has a moderate degree of taper (i.e. middle 1/3 of lower leg)

10. Tape Terms
Overlapping Strips: Tape that is applied so that it overlaps the previous strip by ½ the width of the tape

11. Injury Terms
Shin Splints: A non-medical, catch-all term that refers to pain in the anterior portion of the lower leg; sometimes referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome
Hamstring Strain: an injury to the muscle on the posterior thigh involving stretched or torn fibers; also known as a “pulled muscle”

12. Injury Terms
Quadriceps Strain: an injury to the muscle on the anterior thigh involving stretched or torn fibers; also known as a “pulled muscle”
Quadriceps Contusion: an injury to the muscle on the anterior thigh involving crushed muscle fibers and internal bleeding; also known as a bruise or a “charlie horse”

13. Injury Terms
Groin Strain: An injury to the hip adductor muscles located on the medial side of the upper thigh; also known as a “pulled” groin
Hip Flexor Strain: An injury to the muscles that produce hip flexion located on the anterior hip and thigh; also referred to as a “pulled” hip flexor

14. Bandaging Terms
Ace Bandage: An elastic woven cloth material available in a variety of lengths and widths that is used to wrap an athlete’s injured joint or muscle in order to provide compression, support, or somewhat restrict undesired range of motion.
Shoulder Sling: A method of restricting range of motion and/or to immobilize an injury to the upper extremity

15. Bandaging Terms
Hip Spica: The ace bandage wrapping procedure for groin and hip flexor injuries
Shoulder Spica: A figure-8 pattern complete with an Ace/elastic bandage to minimize movement of the shoulder (ball-and-socket joint)

16. Bandaging Reasons to apply ace bandages; Provide injury compression
Reduce injury swelling
Stabilize to prevent further injury
Makes the victim feel better

17. Shoulder Spica Technique
Position athlete like a teapot: arm on injured side is bent with hand near waist; opposite arm abducted
Bring wrap up and across proximal humerus then medial towards center of chest, around chest under opposite arm and back up athlete’s back to injured arm
Spray upper arm (and possible chest) with QDA or adherent
Wrap is looped around upper arm and back down around chest is a figure-8 pattern
Use 6 inch double-length elastic wrap, anchor it to upper arm in a down and inward motion
End wrap on injured upper arm and secure with elastic tape or a ‘C’ pattern with white tape

18. Commercial Shoulder Sling Use
Have athlete stabilize arm close to trunk
Check circulation in fingers
Open up pocket of sling and detach the shoulder strap.
Slip pocket under and around to catch the injured elbow and forearm
Bring strap behind back and over uninjured shoulder then re-attach to pocket
Gently adjust and position sling so that elbow and forearm are cradled and lifted
Check fingers again for circulation

19. Ace Bandage Shoulder Sling
Have athlete stabilize arm close to trunk
Continue wrap down back at angle to catch the injured elbow and bind elbow to trunk
Check for circulation in fingers
Continue circulars around trunk to secure elbow and arm
Anchor 6 inch double-length elastic wrap to athlete’s injured wrist, pulling wrap in outward and upward direction
End sling by tucking end into the circulars that hold arm to trunk
When anchor is secure to wrist, pull wrap up and over uninjured shoulder
Fingers of injured arm should remain exposed for circulation check

20. Quad Wrap A 6-inch ace bandage is most commonly selected
The athlete stands with their weight supported by their non-injured leg, knee straight
The athlete puts slight pressure on the toes of the injured leg with their heel lifted off the ground

21. Quad Wrap The knee of the injured athlete is bent 15-30 degrees
The athlete’s thigh is sprayed with QDA or Tuff-skin
The wrap is started distally, just proximal to the knee
The wrap angles up, around, and then angles back down the leg in continuous spirals

22. Quad Wrap
Approximately ½ of the stretch is pulled out of the wrap as it is applied
The wrap overlaps the previous spiral by approximately 1/2 the width of the wrap
The wrap progresses proximally and ends in the proximal 1/3rd region of the upper thigh
The wrap is secured with athletic tape applied over the end of the wrap in low, middle or high ‘C’ angles

23. Quad Wrap
The athlete’s leg is checked for any signs of circulatory impairment and comfort