Ankle Strapping for Sprain: A Guide to Preventing Further Injury 

Ankle strapping for a sprain offers tailored support and stabilizes your ankle joint to lower the risk of reinjury and further harm. It is an effective option for a low-cost, short-term solution. With strapping, you gain immediate stability and improve your ankle awareness. However, prolonged use can result in long-term drawbacks, and you will need to reapply each time you use fresh tape.

Strapping is great for applying a custom fit and is best used right after a sprain or injury. Strapping will keep your ankle in place, preventing further damage and allowing it to heal. You can switch over to a brace later on for ongoing protection and prevention. An ankle brace is reusable and easier for everyday wear, and both options reduce the risk of sprain by 50-70%.

Pros and Cons of Ankle Strapping

Ankle strapping for a sprain is not a quick remedy, but it delivers meaningful improvement during the early healing period. Let’s examine some pros and cons of ankle strapping to help you decide if it’s suitable for you.

Feature Pros Cons
Support Ankle strapping locks in stability to limit side-to-side movements. Helps reduce sprain recurrence. Tape can loosen with sweat or movement and may need to re-taped mid-activity.
Comfort & Feel Helps to boost your ankle's proprioception for better balance. Strapping might feel restrictive or can irritate skin if applied too tightly.
Cost & Convenience Tape is cheap upfront and is customizable to your liking. The ongoing cost and the time needed to apply may not fit into your daily life.
Healing Impact Provides compression to ease swelling and promote blood flow and provides pain relief. There is a risk of cutting off circulation if it is too tight.

In short terms, if you are an active person, ankle strapping will give you support and stability while you’re recovering, but it’s not going to be an overnight fix.

Strapping or an Ankle Brace

If you’ve ever looked at a shelf in a store and seen several types of braces and straps, you know it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each has its own purpose with its own benefits and setbacks. They are both great choices for a sprain, so let's look at them a little more.

Strapping: This option allows you to customize the support to the area where the ankle hurts the most. You can adjust the tightness and where the straps are positioned to get just the right fit. They can also be a little less bulky than some braces and fit in most shoes. Some studies suggest that strapping enhances joint awareness better than ankle braces do.

Ankle Brace: They are adjustable without having to redo the application all over, like you would with strapping. They are reusable and can be a bit more costly up front, but they do not have to be replaced after each use, so you can save money in the long run. Some research has shown that braces can prevent reinjury a little better than strapping. This is especially true for sports with high injury risks, such as basketball. Braces are also easier to put on and take off when compared to strapping.

While the choice of strapping for a sprain or using an ankle brace, you might try strapping for the first week or two and then transition to a brace for preventing reinjury. Neither of these options will cause long-term ankle weakening when paired with strengthening exercises. Remember to use the R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevate) method for the first week or so and stay off your ankle as much as possible.

How to Strap Your Ankle

You will need athletic tape, pre-wrap foam, scissors, and heel pads. Sit comfortably with the injured foot at a 90-degree angle; your skin should be clean and dry. Place the heel pads so that they are protecting any bone areas, then wrap the pre-wrap from mid-foot up to the calf. Once it is all wrapped, tear two 8-10-inch strips and wrap them snug around your lower calf about 2-3 inches apart.

Next, you’re going to cut three strips that are about 18 inches long. Use the inside of your calf as the anchoring point and pull the tape under the foot arch and up the other side to the top anchor point. You want to overlap each time by about half to ensure support and that the tape sticks properly. Then wrap over the top of the foot, starting from inside the ankle, and go around the back and under the arch. Apply two layers, overlapping by about half to get that secure fit for the best support and stability.

Now you want to get that heel lock, so anchor at the shin and go down to the ankle bone, loop it under the heel, and go up the other side. Perform two passes to make sure everything is locked in place. Finally, apply one last anchor strip to seal up any loose ends. Apply a few horseshoe-shaped strips around the heel for extra support and stability. Test for over-tightness by wiggling your toes and watch for tingling or numbness.

Wrapping It Up

We’ve discussed the pros and cons of ankle strapping for a sprain and ankle braces as an alternative. Check out this ankle brace with straps that provides the support of taping in a reusable brace. It gives you the best of both options, and it’s easy to put on and take off without any help. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but it’s always best to talk to your doctor or physical therapist. They can advise you of the best options, and they can give you a customized plan.

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