Who hasn’t suffered an ankle sprain? In the most severe cases, sprains can swell and bruise your ankle almost immediately. They are painful and prevent normal walking. Following a sprain, you may need crutches for a time because it is just too painful to bear weight on your ankle. Next time you suffer an ankle sprain, consider Kinesio Taping to decrease pain and increase your mobility. At Oasis Sports Medicine, Dr. Ehlers has years of experience in Kinesio Taping.
Kinesio Taping can help increase circulation to a swollen and bruised ankle. It will lift the skin and the superficial fascial layer to create space under the tape. This will lessen the pressure on the nerve endings in the skin layers, creating an immediate decrease in pain. The increased space also creates more area for the blood and superficial lymph to move. There often is a dramatic decrease in swelling and bruising with only one application of Kinesio Tape. Once the swelling starts to decrease and the bruising begins to dissipate, Dr. Ehlers can change the method in which he applies the Kinesio Tape. The goal is to offer support to the joint while allowing full range of motion. This makes it more comfortable for you to put weight on your ankle when you walk.
Dr. Ehlers can tape certain muscles to help prevent you from turning your ankle during everyday activities. By taping the joint area directly, the Kinesio Tape offers support and stimulates the position sense within the joint. This is the sense that allows us to know where our joints are in space. Improved position sense will help you to prevent re-injury during the recovery process.
Kinesio Taping also helps re-educate your muscles following an ankle sprain. It helps the muscles to remember how to contract, which can speed up the rehabilitation process. As you can see, there are many benefits of Kinesio Taping when treating a sprained ankle.
If you want to learn more about Kinesio Taping or see the benefits first hand, contact Dr. Ehlers at 760.635.7800.
