Your Questions

Which is the best sports tape to use?

The best sports tape to use depends on the circumstances.

To restrict joint movement, use a rigid strapping tape. The size that you need to use depends on the area you are taping. For example, for preventative ankle taping, use Rigid Strapping Tape 38mm or 50mm for large joints. For treatment such as an injured ankle, elbow or finger, use a 25mm or 12.5mm. For treatment on an injured shoulder, knee or foot use a 50mm. You can find details of all these products in the product area.

To compress and support joints or muscles, use an elastic adhesive bandage. For strong compression when returning from injury (e.g. sprained knee) use an Elastic Adhesive Bandage 75mm over rigid tape. For initial compression (such as an ankle sprain) use an Elastic Adhesive Bandage 50mm. You can find details of these products in the product area.

What are the most common sports injuries?

There are 5 common sporting injuries:

  • Excessive strains - a strain to the muscle or tendon can happen when the muscle is over stretched or excessively worked. This can cause the muscle to swell or fibres to rupture as in a torn hamstring. It may be painful and difficult to move or walk. Strains usually take one to six weeks to heal.
  • Bruises - a direct blow to the muscle tissue can result in bruising or cuts such as in a corked thigh.
  • Tendonitis - (inflammation of the tendon) this can happen after excessive overuse. Often this is due to poor equipment or preparation, such as in tennis elbow.
  • Dislocation - this happens when a joint is injured and one or more bones are displaced from their normal position such as a disclocated finger or shoulder.
  • Sprains - this is an injury to a ligament and is caused by a sudden overstretching such as in a sprained ankle. It may be painful and difficult to move or walk.

What is the best way to tape the knee?

You can use this website to find information on how to tape the knee, to start with, visit the simple taping steps page to find out how to prepare the skin, where to apply the tape, how tight the tape should be and how much to apply. You can then use our Interactive Assistant to find taping steps specifically relevant to the knee.

> Visit the simple taping steps page.

> Visit the interactive assistant page.

How do I manage a serious injury?

Serious injuries, such as head, neck and abdominal injuries, need to be managed by a professional and calling an ambulance will normally be the first priority. Relevant First Aid or Medical training is required before a person can safely offer help in life-threatening injuries.