Preventing Ankle Sprains: Brace vs. Tape

Working college basketball as an athletic trainer, very frequently I get asked, “What’s better? Should I get my ankles taped or braced?”  If you ask any basketball player with a history of ankle injuries, they most certainly prefer one of the two methods to keep their ankles stable and injury-free. However, while either method may keep the ankle in check, some believe that taping or bracing the ankles can cause injuries elsewhere in the body. So should you get taped for practice, game, or your next YMCA pick up game?

As ankle sprains are the most common athletic-related injuries¹, most of us have dealt with one at some point or another. For those of us with a history of lateral ankle sprains, adding the support of taping or bracing has been repeatedly shown to reduce the risk of future ankle sprains throughout the literature¹. Interestingly enough, there have been a good number of studies that have shown that folks with no history of ankle sprain see no difference in the rate of ankle sprain with support¹.

There’s also the discussion of whether or not restricting the movement of the ankle can negatively affect other joints, specifically the knee. The ankle absorbs force from the ground, and if taping restricts the ability of the joint to do so, it may be transmitted to the knee, risking further injury to the knee. However, while this is a common train of thought (and makes sense when considering a joint that’s supposed to be mobile is being restricted), there is very limited evidence available that supports or refutes this notion¹.

As a clinician, I prefer if athletes choose braces, as they’re more cost- and time-efficient over the course of a season. However, I’m a firm believer in the power of the mind, and if an athlete is convinced that tape is more effective for him/her… let’s tape you up!

-Chip Wintringham

Kaminski TW¹, Hertel J, Amendola N, Docherty CL, Dolan MG, Hopkins JT, Nussbaum E, Poppy W, Richie D; National Athletic Trainers' Association. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: conservative management and prevention of ankle sprains in athletes. J Athl Train. 2013 Jul-Aug;48(4):528-45.