A strapping culture: The psychological benefits of taping and bracing in sport and exercise.

Injuries are common for participants in sport and exercise. To help with the rehabilitation process, athletes often tape or brace the injured area. Athletes also continue to use tape and braces beyond rehabilitation periods, or without a prior injury for preventative reasons. However, the evidence for the benefits of taping and bracing beyond rehabilitation is mixed. So far research has struggled to identify clear physical (e.g., joint stability) benefits regarding the use of taping and bracing in sport and exercise. Research has started to demonstrate, though, that athletes consistently report improved confidence, support, and reassurance by taping or bracing an area of their bodies, regardless of whether the area is injured. These results have prompted further study into the psychological benefits of taping and bracing in sport and exercise. This study further explored the psychological effects of taping and bracing for athletes that do and do not tape or brace when participating in sport or exercise. Using previous research, a survey was developed to explore perceptions of the taping and bracing habits of athletes from a variety of sports and exercise (N=136). Independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were performed to test a number of research questions and hypotheses. The results indicated that participants who taped or braced reported psychological benefits to taping/bracing, regardless of a number of factors. Conversely, individuals who chose not to tape/brace didn’t expect taping/bracing to be effective. Hence, athletes may choose to tape or brace due to perceived rather than actual benefits. These results are discussed in terms of how misinformation may influence choices around use. Health care providers may also need to consider how taping/bracing affects athletes when assisting athletes to return to their sport or exercise