by Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS
I’m always looking for simple solutions that are easy, effective and check a lot of boxes. I look for interventions that can be applied in a variety of circumstances with great outcomes. I also love it when I can find a solution that helps people move past a common problem.
This is a big reason that I love kinesiology tape. It is simple to apply, easy to access, and can be used to improve posture, stability, motor control, pain, and swelling. And to make it even better, patients can apply many of the applications on themselves.
One nice application that checks a lot of these boxes is a figure 8 variation on the foot and ankle. It isn’t a true figure 8 because it doesn’t wrap around the back of the ankle, but it is a simple version of the traditional figure 8 ankle taping that many people learned years ago with rigid tape.
The reason that I like this technique is because it provides stability and motor control to the ankle. As I have described in a previous post, placing tape over the top of the ankle can do a lot to improve stability and help to prevent sprains. This application accomplishes that task in a different way than I have described previously.
The other perk of this technique is that it can help with motor control in the mid foot. Think of it as a postural application. In fact, I prefer to apply it in subtalar neutral so when they begin to pronate and flatten out, their brain will sense a stretch on the tape and return to neutral.
This tape application works well for over pronators, chronic ankle instability and it works especially well for those who have a combination of the two, oftentimes resulting in an impingement pain on the lateral side of the ankle where the lateral malleolus meets the talus.
Applying this technique is pretty easy and straight forward. Start by placing the foot into a neutral position in non-weightbearing. Tear the paper in the middle of the tape and pull enough paper back to expose a few inches of glue. Stick the middle of the tape on the bottom of the foot, directly over the arch. Then pull one end of the tape around the medial side of the foot and cross over the top of the ankle and angle it up as you move up the lateral side of the ankle. Repeat on the lateral side of the foot and you are set.
For more information on the figure 8 application, check out this video:
Leave a Reply