To Wrap or Not to Wrap ?

[Tiger1962]

Please settle a dispute I have with a friend: LOL

If you have any chronic injuries or weakness in any of your limbs, do you find it better to wrap it or not when you train? I have heard conflicting suggestions from both doctors and various instructors & friends who train.

Some say wrapping it (let's say it was an ankle or a knee, as an example) gives it stability and helps prevent it from turning. Others say that wrapping it compresses it and will make it numb thereby increasing the odds of injuring it again.

So, to wrap or not to wrap? That is the question !

[joesteph]

If you have any chronic injuries or weakness in any of your limbs, do you find it better to wrap it or not when you train? . . .

Some say wrapping it (let's say it was an ankle or a knee, as an example) gives it stability and helps prevent it from turning. Others say that wrapping it compresses it and will make it numb thereby increasing the odds of injuring it again.

When I did weight-training, Tiger, and that was for a twenty year period, I had a knee problem, tendonitis, that was handled by wrapping the knees and still exercising the legs. I made sure that I didn't wrap too tightly, so numbness wasn't a problem as I had proper blood flow.

If I didn't, the first stage would be pain after the legs exercise; the next stage from continuing not to wrap them would be pain during the exercise; I made sure I wrapped them to head off going to the third stage, pain whether I exercised the legs or not.

[tallgeese]

Wrap, tape, brace, whatever it takes- my advice is do it.

Support for injures can make a world of difference between re-aggrivating them and keeping them at a low burn. Generally, wrapping works best for joint injuires wehre it can add a bit of propreoceptive feel for the joint support. In the case of taping certain injuries, you are actually placing physical limtations of the joint, preventing over extension or flexion and thereby limiting the chance of getting hurt.

Make sure you're not dropping the circulation too much, but even if you do this the offended appendage will let you know soon enough to loosen it. Remember to be icing those naggers after training. I'm a huge fan of ibuprophen prior and post training as well. And, if things presist see a doc to get it cleared up on a more permenant basis.