May 10, 2018February 28, 2018 by admin
This article discusses capsulitis of the second toe taping and it’s benefits for accelerated recovery from this injury.
Capsulitis of the second toe can be quite problematic for those suffering from the problem. It can make walking excruciatingly painful and can also result in the dislocation of the affected toe.
Taping for capsulitis of the second toe is an extremely effective tool for treating this condition.
How Taping For Capsulitis Of The Second Toe Helps
Capsulitis of the second toe taping places the toe in a position that reduces the risk of further injury. It also allows the toe to recover when in non-weight-bearing positions like sleeping or sitting.
While taping the toe will dramatically reduce recovery time, for best results, it is imperative to combine capsulitis of the second toe taping with:
- The right shoes (You can find the best shoes for capsulitis of the second toe in this article)
- The right insoles for capsulitis of the second toe
- Other methods of treatment for capsulitis of the second toe
Inflammation control through taping, wearing the right footwear and orthotics will put you on the road to a quick recovery.
How To Tape The Foot For Capsulitis Of The Second Toe
The following two methods are the best way for taping the second toe for capsulitis.Both methods are easy to follow.
They use approximately the same amount of tape and apply the same principles. So choose the method that is easiest for you to implement.
You can also tape the third and forth toes through the ‘buddy taping for capsulitis’ method explained below.
Precautions for Capsulitis Of The Second Toe Taping:
Before taping the toe for capsulitis, it is important to clean the surface of the skin from moisture, cream or oils. This can be done by simply wiping the skin with a cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol.
Cleaning the area around the toe and underneath the foot will ensure that the kinesio tape forms a positive adhesive bond with the skin.
It is also important to understand that keeping the toe at an angle of 10 degrees below its normal position (relative to the ground) is the main principle behind this procedure.
The kinesio tape mentioned here is a breathable tape that has a particular amount of stretch to it.
This is important because we want to keep the second toe from stretching more than 10-15 degrees at any time during the recovery process.
Best Kinesio Tape For Capsulitis Of The Second Toe:
Capsulitis Of The Second Toe Taping – Method 1:
This method is extremely clean and will keep the tape in place for a longer period of time. It a highly effective way of taping the toe for capsulitis. To begin:
- Cut a strip of kinesio tape about 6 inches in length.
- Fold the tape along its length and then cut the tape along the crease that is formed. This will give you 2 equal ‘I-strips’ that are 6 inches long.
- You will then need to transform these ‘I-strips’ into ‘Y-strips’. To create the ‘Y-strips’, place the ‘I-strips’ one on top of the other. Make a 2 inch cut, longitudinally down the center of one end of these ‘I-strips’. This will give you 2 ‘Y-strips’.
- In order to apply the tape onto the second toe, tear the backing paper at the intersection of the ‘Y-strip. Make sure not to peel from the ‘arms’ of the Y-strip. This could cause the paper backing on to tear unevenly, causing a sticky mess.
- Place the intersection of the Y-strip at the bottom of your foot, under the base of the second toe.
- Then taking the ‘arms’ of this ‘Y-strip’, wrap each ‘arms’ around the second toe. Make sure that the ‘arms’ of the Y-strip, wrap neatly around the base of the second toe, like a tie around the neck.
- This next step is the most important step in taping for capsulitis of the second toe. The second toe needs to be positioned in such a way, so as to reduce pressure and excessive bending of the toe. In order to do this, place the second toe at an angle of 10 degrees below its normal position. You can do this by applying pressure at the top of the base of the second toe. That is, 10 degrees dorsi-flexed form the weight bearing surface -aka the ground.
- Then, applying 80% stretch to the rest of the kinesio tape, stick the tape to the base of the foot. The stretch in the tape will keep the second toe in this position, giving it ample time to heal in a stress-free position.It also ensures that the toe does not bend beyond a certain point, which could cause excessive strain to the 2nd metatarsal. This reduces the risk of dislocation. It is important to make sure not to apply any stretch at the ‘end’ of the tape. This will ensure proper adhesion of the anchor to the skin. Anchor the end of the tape to the using using no stretch.
- You can also add the second piece of tape in the same way by overlapping the first. This will place a stronger hold on the second toe, in case the first Y-strip does not limit the range of motion of the second toe enough.
- Follow this up by rubbing the top of the kinesio tape. This applies heat to the glue, ensuring proper adhesion to the skin.
Capsulitis Of The Second Toe Taping – Method 2:
This is a far simpler method for capsulitis of the second toe taping and it doesn’t require any fancy scissor skills.
The disadvantage of this method is that the strips are prone to losing adhesion due to being spread out across the foot.
Nonetheless, this is an effective method for capsulitis of the second toe taping.
To use this method to tape the second toe:
- Cut a strip of kinesio tape, about approximately 7 inches in length.
- Clean the second toe and the ball of the foot with a cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol. This will ensure proper adhesion of the kinesio tape to the skin.
- Cut this strip length-wise, into 4 equal halves (‘I-strips’) of the same length.
- Place the toe at and angle that is ten degrees below it’s normal resting position. That is, 10 degrees dorsi-flexed from the weight bearing surface (aka the ground).
- Remove the backing tape by tearing it at the center of the I-strip.
- Place the center of the ‘I-strip’ on the top of the base of the second toe and bring the two ‘arms’ down towards the base of the foot.
- Remove the rest of the backing tape and cross the ‘arms’ of the tape under the base of the second toe in the shape of the breast cancer symbol.
- Apply 50% stretch to the tape on each arm- enough to ensure that the toe remains in the aforementioned dorsi-flexed position. Make sure not to apply any stretch to the base/end of these strips when anchoring them to the base of the foot.
- Apply the remaining ‘I-strips’ over the toe, anchoring the ‘arms’ on the base of the foot as mentioned above. Only do this if the ‘I-strips’ are no holding the toe in the aforementioned dorsi-flexed position.
- When applying the remaining ‘I-strips’, make sure the anchored ends sit on the skin and not on the previous strip. This will ensure better adhesion of the tape to the skin.
If you’ve applied the kinesio tape properly to your second toe, you will notice that the tape will not allow your toe to stretch beyond 10-15 degrees. This will reduce inflammation in the area.
Buddy Taping For Capsulitis Of The Second Toe
Often times, capsulitis of the second toe can occur in the third and even fourth toes. In this case, you can tape the second, third and forth toes together in a method known as buddy taping.
In order to buddy tape the toes for Capsulitis, pick a method and follow the steps mentioned above. Then;
- Cut a half inch wide piece of kinesio tape – long enough to wrap around the affected toes. Make sure the affected toes are held together in the same position as the second toe mentioned above – 10 degrees dorsi-flexed from the weight bearing surface (the ground).
- Then wrap the piece of tape around the base of the affected toes. Wrap another strip around the top, just below the base of the toenails. This will keep all the toes in the a dorsiflrxed position in the same plane, thus preventing further injury while providing ample support for recovery.
How Long To Wear The Tape For Capsulitis Of The Second Toe?
For best results, try to keep the tape on until the pain resides. 6 weeks is an excellent starting point. If you continue to feel the pain, make sure to visit your doctor.
Conclusion:
Capsulitis of the second toe taping is an extremely effective way to reduce inflammation, risk of re-injury and consequent dislocation of the toe by supporting the second toe in an optimal stress-free position.
Capsulitis of the second toe taping provides best results when combined with the right footwear, orthotics and aggressive inflammation control.
