Shoulder Strapping Techniques - Two Techniques to know

Protecting your shoulder joint is important – especially if you play a sport that involves high-speed arm rotations. Learn how to strap a shoulder to help minimise injury  and relieve pain.

Your shoulder joints are particularly susceptible to injury. This is because, in comparison to your hips and knees, your shoulder has an extremely large range of movement but relatively small joint surfaces.

These features make your shoulder joint inherently unstable and often in need of extra help. Massage, muscle balancing training and following effective shoulder taping techniques are just a few ways you can stabilise your shoulder.

The shoulder joint is prone to injury due to its large range of motion, small joint surfaces, and natural instability. Shoulder strapping supports the joint and helps manage these risks.

• Improves stability by reinforcing soft tissues and limiting excess movement
• Reduces pain by easing strain on injured structures
• Helps reduce the risk of further injury by restricting harmful positions
• Enhances proprioception (body awareness), improving control
• Supports recovery while allowing safe movement
• Boosts confidence during activity or sport

Learning how to tape a shoulder properly is key for effective shoulder strapping and helps in understanding how to support your shoulder during activity.

If you experience shoulder pain, it’s likely to be a result of one of these three common shoulder injuries:

1. Rotator cuff strains. Your rotator cuff refers to the group of muscles and tendons around your shoulder joint. When you play cricket, baseball or swim you can overstretch or tear the rotator cuff muscles during a high speed arm rotation.
2. Dislocated shoulders. Colliding with someone in a contact sport or falling hard on your shoulder can cause your humerus (upper arm bone) to pop out of your shoulder joint and result in a dislocated shoulder.
3. Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries. Your AC joint is where your collar bone and shoulder blade meet at your acromion. AC joint injuries are usually caused by falling onto an outstretched arm or colliding with someone during sport. 

When the correct techniques are followed, shoulder strapping can:

• Help create more joint space, which can improve mobility and reduce compression within the shoulder joint
• Relieve stress and pain by supporting injured structures and limiting aggravating movements
• Take pressure off strained muscles, helping speed up recovery and avoid further injury
• Lengthen out cramped or tight muscles, promoting better flexibility and more comfortable movement

Understanding these benefits highlights why shoulder strapping is useful for both injury management and how to help prevent further shoulder injuries.

Proper shoulder strapping helps relieve pain, support muscles, and prevent further injury. To do it:

1. Prepare the Materials: Adhesive tape or elastic bandage, scissors, and clean skin.
2. Position the Arm: Keep the shoulder slightly elevated and relax.
3. Apply Anchor Strips: Secure tape around the upper arm and shoulder.
4. Wrap for Support: Use a figure-eight or X pattern to stabilise the joint.
5. Check Comfort: Ensure it’s snug but not too tight; adjust if needed.

Try these simple Kinesio taping techniques to support and stabilise your shoulder. It’s best to have someone help for accurate placement. Follow these steps and learn how to strap a shoulder:

Stabilise your shoulder with Kinesio tape

Stand up straight and hold your shoulders slightly back and down.
Ask your helper to:

a. Mark out three reference points on the sore shoulder side:
i. The top of your AC joint.
ii. The bottom angle of your shoulder blade.
iii. Just next to your spine, diagonally in line with the first two points.
b. Take a full strip of Elastoplast Kinesio Tape and anchor it on the third reference point.
c. Stretch the strip up towards the first reference point, secure it and smooth down the rest of the strip.
d. Take another full strip of kinesio tape and anchor it on the skin just above the third reference point.
e. Repeat step (c).

Kinesio taping for rotator cuff strains

Stand up straight and slightly tilt your head away from your sore shoulder.
Ask your helper to:

a. Take a single length of Elastoplast Kinesio Tape and anchor it on the side of your shoulder, just past the bony top and slightly towards the front.
b. Stretch the strip towards your back, secure it just before your spine and smooth down the rest of the strip.
c. Cut another single length of kinesio tape in half short ways with rounded corners
d. Holding the ends of one half with both hands, stretch out the middle.
e. Apply the middle across the first strip about a third of the way towards the spine and smooth down the ends.
f. Repeat step (d).
g. Apply the second half one centimetre parallel to the first half and smooth down the ends.