Injuries occur often in our lives, and they can be worse when they happen to areas such as the shoulder, which play a significant role in our daily lives. If you have suffered an injury to your shoulder, you likely have been advised to strap it. Shoulder strapping is an essential part of the healing process and can help reduce pain, speed up recovery, and prevent further injury. In this article, we will cover helpful tips on how to strap a shoulder.
Step 1: Prepare the Shoulder
Before strapping the shoulder, it is essential to clean and dry the affected area. Any dirt or moisture can decrease the strap's efficacy, causing friction and becoming uncomfortable or painful. Additionally, skin irritation may arise. If the skin is irritated, consider applying lotion or cream before strapping, which can soothe the skin and prevent further irritation.
Step 1.1: Apply Tape
The first step to strapping a shoulder involves applying tape. Cut a piece of tape to the desired length and apply it directly to the area that requires support. Ensure that the tape is not too tight, and it is not so loose that it slides off. Avoid any creases or wrinkles when applying the tape.
Step 2: Add Strips of Tape
Once the tape is secure, add strips of tape to the tape's ends, and then affix them to the surrounding healthy skin. If the tape is not secure, it won't provide the needed support. Always apply sufficient tension to the tape to ensure it is secure.
Step 2.1: Overlap the Tape
The strips of tape should overlap one another to create the added support the injury needs. The overlaps should be a bit longer than the width of the tape.
Step 3: Add More Strips
To ensure that the shoulder is adequately supported, add more strips of tape. They should be added diagonally across one another, with each strip overlapping the last. This method will create a criss-cross pattern of tape, providing adequate support to the shoulder.
Step 3.1: Ensure Comfort and Mobility
The strips of tape should be tight enough to create support but not so tight that the individual wearing the strapping experiences pain or discomfort. Additionally, individuals should still have mobility after the strapping is applied. If a person has restricted movement, it is likely that the strapping is too tight.
Step 4: Check the Strapping
After the strapping is applied and secure, it is essential to check the strapping's intensity by moving the shoulder carefully. Doing so can ascertain that the strapping provides enough support, reduces pain, and allows required mobility.
Step 4.1: Reducing Inflammation
Shoulder strapping can reduce inflammation caused by an injury, but it is equally essential to engage in other recovery-related activities such as applying ice or heat to the affected area, performing exercises or stretches, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
In conclusion, strapping a shoulder is essential for supporting an injury, reducing pain, and hastening healing. By following the steps and tips we have provided, you can effectively and comfortably strap a shoulder that has been injured. Be sure to first assess the severity of the injury and seek the advice of a medical professional who can determine whether strapping the shoulder is necessary.
