Easy Ankle Taping for Parents

Ankle taping is a skill that requires practice to perfect. Parents don’t always have the time to practice to be able to tape ankles that don’t cause blisters, aren’t too tight or too loose, or are otherwise painful yet provide an acceptable level of support.

I have created a video to show parents how to easily tape an ankle, with minimal supplies you can get online, that can be done when an athlete doesn’t have access to an athletic trainer or when a brace will not be sufficient.

Why tape an ankle?

Taping an ankle provides a level of mechanical restraint against any unwanted forces, like stepping on an opponent’s foot on the basketball court or stepping in a hole on the soccer field. But, there is no evidence that taping will prevent an ankle injury, but rather it can reduce the severity of injury or recurrence of injury.

This is why it is so important that the ankle be adequately strengthened and stressed after an injury to prepare it for return to sport.

Ankle taping can also aid in proprioception because the nerves in the lower leg are activated by the pressure of the tape and relay back to the brain where the foot and ankle are in space. That can also increase the confidence level of the athlete returning after injury.

Why tape over a brace?

There are times when ankle taping may be preferred over other devices:

When a brace won’t fit into a shoe, like a soccer cleat.
When an athlete doesn’t like the fit of a brace and refuses to wear it.
When the sport demands/equipment won’t allow it, like in gymnastics or diving.

I have also written a more detailed article on bracing versus taping an ankle. You can read more about it here.

This particular method of ankle taping isn’t too bulky and can also be used under off the shelf ankle braces for more support.

Athletic trainers who have been taught to tape ankles and have hours and hours of practice and will use a number of supplies and techniques to tape an ankle. I’m going to show you as a parent how to do this taping with minimal supplies to make it easy for you.

Supplies

You can find these supplies on Amazon, or if you need supplies to tape 1-2 times, you can pick them up at your local pharmacy or sporting goods store. These supplies will be listed on my Amazon list or individually linked above.

Foam pre-wrap and white athletic tape are traditionally used to tape ankles, but the addition of 2 inch stretchy tape will make it easy for you to get good angles that won’t dig into the skin of the athlete and cause blisters.

Typically, athletic trainers will also use what are called heel and lace pads, which are small foam pieces with a smear of a lubricant, like petroleum jelly, to protect sensitive areas like the front of the ankle or over the Achilles and heel. This particular taping will not need the heel and lace pads.

Where to tape

You can use the end of your kitchen counter or island, or the bench or bleachers at the field or court for your athlete to sit on while you tape the ankle. You will notice in the video that we used a kitchen island which allowed the athlete to be able to fully extend his knee and keep his ankle at 90 degrees, both of which are important to being able to tape an ankle well.

Removing the tape

Some athletes will get antsy and decide to peel the tape apart as soon as practice is over. However, I recommend using quality bandage scissors or a special device made to remove tape called a “shark” to remove the tape. When sharp, both the scissors and “shark” are safe and easy to use to remove tape. Be sure they are only used for removing tape so they stay sharp.

Practicing

If your tape job isn’t very good the first time, don’t worry. It takes athletic trainers hours of practice to perfect their taping. Keep practicing! I have eliminated some of the more difficult skills needed to help you be successful in taping.