How to Wrap a Stretched Tendon

Tendons are lengths of connective tissue that link your muscles to your skeletal bones. They stretch in response to stress placed on them, allowing your joints to shift within a limited range of motion. When a joint has been stretched beyond its normal range of motion or experiences sudden trauma (as in a collision), the tendon may tear or rupture, causing serious pain and injury. Wrapping a tendon immediately following an injury helps to temporarily stabilize the joint, preventing further injury and allowing the body's healing process to begin unimpeded.

Things You'll Need

• Underwrap
• Adhesive athletic tape
• Stretchable athletic wrap (Ace bandage)
• Non-stretch athletic tape

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Instructions

• 1

  Immediately halt movement of the injured tendon and surrounding muscles to avoid exacerbating the injury. Elevate the injured area and gather supplies to wrap the affected area.

• 2

  Apply a layer of underwrap above and below the tendon to prevent the adhesive athletic tape from sticking to your skin. (It is very difficult and painful to remove underwrap from bare skin.) Do not apply any adhesive tape or underwrap directly on the affected tendon.

• 3

  Lay a piece of adhesive athletic tape longitudinally along the injured body part, forming a line between the two anchors. Make sure the tape does not directly adhere to the injured tendon. Lay more underwrap on the injury if necessary.

• 4

  If the injured area is too small to secure with athletic tape, such as a finger, use a splint (a Popsicle stick works well in a pinch) to limit the range of motion.

• 5

  Finish the wrapping process by applying a layer of stretchable athletic wrap (such as an Ace bandage) along the entire injured body part, making sure that it is taut but not tight enough to cut off circulation to the injured tendon. Add a layer of adhesive athletic tape on top of the underwrap to anchor the athletic wrap (Ace bandage) to the injured area.

• 6

  Apply ice to the injured area for 20 to 30 minutes every two hours for the first 48 hours after the injury. If the area is still swollen, has grown more painful or gets worse in any way, seek medical attention immediately.