Sports Injury Tape: Does It Prevent or Just Manage Injuries?

Whether it’s seen on professional athletes or weekend warriors, sports tape has become a familiar sight in gyms, on playing fields, and in rehabilitation clinics. From rigid strapping to brightly coloured kinesiology tape, the promise is often the same—support, stability, and injury prevention.

How effective is sports tape, really? Does it actually stop injuries from occurring? or is it more about managing existing pain and improving movement?

Let’s take a closer look at what sports taping does, when it helps and why it might not be the complete solution many believe it to be.

Different types of tape commonly used in sports.

What Is Sports Tape, and Why Do People Use It?

Sports taping refers to a range of adhesive tapes used to support joints, muscles, and soft tissues during movement. The most common types include rigid sports tape (used for joint stability), elastic kinesiology tape (used for dynamic support), and cohesive wraps (used to compress or protect an area).

Athletes often wear tape to feel more secure during high-intensity activities and sports, to reduce pain, improve posture and to psychologically "feel ready" to return to play. It’s frequently used in sports like AFL, rugby, basketball, CrossFit where the demands on the body are high and the risk of strain or injury is ever-present.

Clinicians and therapists may also use taping as part of rehabilitation plans, particularly when someone is recovering from an ankle sprain, shoulder instability, knee pain, or tendinopathy. In these situations, tape is applied with specific tension and direction to modify load, improve awareness, or reduce aggravating movements.

Can Sports Tape Actually Prevent Injuries?

The short answer is not reliably. While sports tape can offer temporary support and help reduce the risk of certain injuries—especially in people with a previous history of injury—it is not a substitute for strength, control, or proper biomechanics.

For example, ankle taping has been shown to help reduce the incidence of re-injury in athletes with chronic ankle instability. However, that effect is generally short-lived and often taping is only protective in the first 10minutes after it is applied. As the tape stretches or loosens during activity, its mechanical support decreases. In contrast, athletes with good ankle strength, proprioception, and balance tend to show lower injury rates, whether they’re taped or not.

Similarly, kinesiology tape may help reduce pain or improve feedback during movement but there’s limited evidence to show it can prevent injuries. Its effects are more neuromuscular than structural, meaning it may help improve awareness or posture temporarily but won't fix poor movement patterns or address underlying weaknesses.

An ankle with a common taping technique to support the outside structures of the ankle.

What to Consider When Choosing Sports Tape

There’s no single “best” sports tape, it depends on what is being used for. Rigid tape is best for bracing joints like ankles or thumbs. Kinesiology tape is useful for dynamic support or feedback without restricting movement. Elastic wraps or compression tapes are often used to reduce swelling or protect areas during contact sports.

The most important factor, however, is how it’s applied. Correct taping technique, based on your specific injury or movement pattern, makes all the difference.

That’s why we always recommend being assessed and taped by a qualified practitioner, especially if you’re dealing with ongoing pain or a previous injury.

How We Use Taping at Ares Strength Rehab

At Ares Strength Rehab, we use sports taping strategically, as part of a broader rehabilitation or performance plan. We don’t rely on it, but we do use it when it adds value.

For example, we might tape an athlete’s ankle in the early stages of rehab post-sprain to provide support while strength and control are being rebuilt, or we might strap a hypermobile thumb in a lifter to reduce strain during gripping movements while working on grip strength and stability long-term.

The goal is always the same: short-term support, long-term resilience.