Definition
A tape bandage is an adhesive bandage that is applied to the skin from the outside and is intended to fulfill several tasks. Tape bandages are mainly used in sports medicine and orthopedics. Their field of application includes therapy but above all the prevention of sports injuries of joints, bones and soft tissues.
General information
A conventional, conventional tape bandage is a firm, inelastic adhesive strip that is stuck to the skin. Adhesion must be very tight and must be done by a professional sports therapist or under professional supervision. The inelastic bandages have the effect of restricting individual movements of the joints depending on the direction of adhesion.
This can have a beneficial and gentle effect in sports. Other muscle areas and joints are now more stressed and involved. Through the skin, a tensile force is transferred to the glued joint, which supports movements.
In addition, the tape bandage acts to compress, splint joints and bones and to increase the self-perception of one’s own movements. For compression, the tape bandage can be applied tightly to the skin in an acute accident situation. It has such a compressive effect that no severe bruising or swelling can form in the soft tissue.
The tape bandage is used for splinting in the therapy of bone fractures. Through tight fixation from the outside, the bone can be immobilised and splinted by the surrounding structures. For example in the metatarsus the tape bandage is often used for this purpose.
An essential effect of the tape bandage consists in the improvement of the own movement perception, called “proprioception“. When muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints move, the tensile force is transferred to the skin. One perceives the movements more strongly and pays more attention to them.
Particularly with fast, strong movements, the increased perception slows down the movement and protects against injuries. As a result, the joints are stabilized and ligament and muscle strains occur much less frequently. However, the taut tape slightly limits movement.
There are significant differences to plaster or kinesiotape. In plaster the movement is completely prevented. Kinesiotape, on the other hand, has no influence on movement.
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