Foot & Ankle Strapping

Strapping is a temporary form of bracing applied to your foot, leg or knee to offload painful areas, muscles or tendons. As many conditions stem from placing too much strain on the surrounding muscles or tendons, strapping helps to reduce the amount of stretching and movement allowed in the area, while also providing pain relief. 

Our podiatrists usually recommend strapping for the beginning stages of an injury, and during sports and physical activity while the muscles or tendons are healing to prevent the injury from reoccurring. 

Strapping helps with a variety of conditions

Strapping can be used as a complementary treatment for the following conditions:

• Plantar fasciitis
  
• Achilles tendinopathy & tendonitis
  
• Heel spurs
  
• Ankle sprains
  
• Bone fractures
  
• Stress fractures
  
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome
  
• Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction
  

Ankle Strapping For Sports

One of our Brisbane podiatrists Vi McKay, has created a video showing you how to strap an ankle for netball or any other sport that requires a lot of jumping, running and quick changes in direction.

Types of Taping  

There are different types of tape that we recommend using for varying circumstances. 

1. Rigid strapping tape

This taping is commonly used to restrict and limit the motion of the joints for 24-72 hours. It works by: 

• Stabilising and supporting the injured area and preventing excessive movement 
  
• Providing pain relief by reducing the load on painful areas
  
• Facilitating optimal movement to enable the least amount of energy to be required by your ligaments, joints and muscles
  

It's commonly used on patients looking to get back into sports or physical activity following an injury. Our podiatrists may recommend strapping the injured area for the first couple of training or activity sessions to provide extra support while the muscles and joints regain strength. 

2. Kinesio tape (K-tape) 

This is a flexible tape that can also be made into a rigid tape. It is an excellent tape for providing proprioceptive feedback. This helps your brain to better sense and recognise your position and movement. This is helpful for chronic, long-standing injuries to provide better stability e.g. tendonitis and knee pain. 

Similar to rigid strapping tape, it works by:

• Providing proprioceptive feedback to your nerves. 
  
• Stabilising and supporting the injury site and preventing excessive painful movement 
  
• Providing pain relief by reducing the load on painful areas
  
• Facilitating optimal movement to enable the least amount of energy to be required by your ligaments, joints and muscles. 
  

As this tape has more flexibility, it can perform a lifting action when strapped and allows for improved circulation. This dynamically supports the area and will enable it to move more freely than rigid tape. It is often used in the management of:

• Muscle pain
  
• Swelling
  
• Tendonitis
  
• Preventing cramps
  
• Reducing muscle fatigue
  

3. Combination tape 

Our podiatrists often use a combination of both rigid and Kinesio tape to receive optimal results.

4. Hyperallergic tape

If you're allergic to band-aids or taping, we often use hyperallergic tape to avoid allergic reactions and allow you to still benefit from strapping techniques.

Allergies or conditions to discuss with your podiatrist

If you have any of the following allergies or conditions, please disclose them to your podiatrist as this may affect what kind of tape and techniques we utilise. 

• Zinc allergy 
  
• Allergies to adhesive glue 
  
• Any allergies or skin reactions to band-aids and strapping tape 
  
• Skin conditions 
  
• Skin hypersensitivity
  
• Diabetes or any neuropathies 
  
• Any altered sensation or loss of sensation in your feet 
  

Visit one of our Brisbane Podiatry clinics

If you would like to talk to one of our team, visit us at one of two Brisbane based locations, CBD & Newmarket.

Discover our other services & treatments

Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave is a new and advanced, non-invasive treatment for painful foot and leg problem like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints, knee pain & more.

Custom Orthotics

Custom foot orthotics are special shoe inserts that can help treat a number of common foot concerns. Our podiatrists recommend custom-made orthotics as these are designed specifically for your feet, helping to support the natural shape of your foot, and improve your overall posture and foot function.

PACT

Do you have a fungal nail infection? We recommend photodynamic therapy (PACT) as a great alternative to traditional nail lacquers and oral medications. It is a safe, effective, and pain-free treatment for your fungal nail issues.