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A popular athletic adhesive helps relieve pain associated with a sprained ankle.
Gold, silver, and bronze weren’t the only colors decorating Beijing Olympians. Some athletes wore Kinesio Tex Tape in strips of pink, blue, and black. This adhesive is popular because it speeds healing without limiting range of motion, says Amol Saxena, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist in Palo Alto, California. “The tape pulls up the skin slightly, allowing more blood to flow to the injured area,” he says. He teaches runners, including bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, how to put it on themselves. The tape ($14.95 per roll at kinesio-tape.com) can last five days, even in the shower. Saxena thinks black sticks best to sweaty skin.
Below is the method to combat an ankle sprain; see also Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee and shinsplints.
1. Cut a piece of Kinesio tape to reach from the inside of your ankle, around the bottom of your heel and up the outside of your leg.
2. Cut a second piece of tape measuring from the inside of your ankle, around the back of your heel and halfway down the outside of your foot.
3. Round all edges.
4. Remove the backing from the first piece of tape. Place, but don’t stretch, the tape on the inside of your ankle, wrap around the back of your heel and down the outside of your foot. Rub tape gently to secure to foot.
5. Remove the backing from the second piece of tape. Place it on the inside of your ankle, right over the bone, and wrap it around the back of your heel and down the outside of your foot.
6. Apply additional tape in the same order for more stability, as needed.
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