How to Wrap and Tape a Knee

After a knee injury, there are several things you can do to help mitigate the effects of the injury and keep it from getting worse. Taping and wrapping your knee are two of the most important things you can do to help heal your knee after it has been injured. Elevating and icing your knee are also helpful. Taking anti-inflammatory medication will aid in reducing the swelling of an injured knee, and painkillers can help you manage the discomfort.

Things You'll Need

• Sports tape
• Razor
• Elastic bandage

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Instructions

• 1

  Shave your leg before applying tape to it. Hair will reduce the adhesiveness of the tape, and taking it off will be painful. Use a razor to shave your upper calf, knee and lower thigh.

• 2

  Wrap sports tape around your upper calf up to, but not over, your knee. Wrap the tape around your upper calf several times before moving the tape behind your leg to your thigh.

• 3

  Wrap sports tape around your lower thigh. Your knee should be able to bend slightly when you are finished. Do not wrap the tape directly over your knee--this will stop the slight motion that you will need.
  Also, do not wrap the tape so tightly that it cuts off blood circulation.

• 4

  Wrap the elastic bandage around your knee in the same fashion as the tape. You can cover your knee with the elastic bandage because it is flexible enough to allow your knee to move. Do not wrap the bandage too tightly.