How to properly wrap your knee with an elastic bandage

The textile industry today produces several types of compression knitwear for athletes and people who have suffered accidental or work-related injuries. But most often, joint fixation is required by athletes so that after an injury they do not leave sports, but quickly go through the rehabilitation period, restore the joint, continue training and participation in competitions. This is important for every athlete, not to lose courage, to know that you are in the ranks, even with a bandage on your elbow. After an arm injury, an elastic bandage on the elbow performs the functions of rigid fixation when the treatment situation requires it. To fix the elbow joint, elastic bandages and bandages are produced, designed for the left and right elbow, with varying degrees of compression. They are used when soft fixation is required.

The elbow joint is anatomically very complex. It includes three joints: brachioradial, humeroulnar, proximal radioulnar. All of them are fastened into one capsular connection and strengthened by two collateral ligaments - the ulnar and radial. Injuries or inflammatory joint diseases on the elbows are localized on the surfaces of three bones:

• brachial,
• ulnar,
• ray.

They provide several movements that are lost during injury or illness caused by excessive physical and motor stress, which usually happens in athletes of almost any sport. In case of injuries during training or during competitions, the coach, the sports doctor on duty, and the team members themselves should be able to apply first aid and bandages. Elbow injuries are complicated by the complex structure of its joints, when the arm is unable to perform motor functions. Therefore, as a rule, every athlete has elbow bandages in his backpack in order to bandage an injured elbow at the first opportunity.

Dressing methods

Various materials are used to bandage the elbow joint. The choice depends on the specific case and the nature of the injury. By properly fixing a certain area, you can reduce pain, facilitate blood flow to the joint, and reduce the load on damaged tissues. You can exert a compression effect on subcutaneous structures in the following ways:

1. Apply a tubular bandage. An elastic piece is wrapped around the damaged area and secured with clips or adhesive tape;
2. Use an elastic elbow bandage. A porous stocking made of aeroprene retains heat perfectly thanks to the air layer, provides compression, and allows the skin to breathe;
3. Caliper clamps. Reinforced with rigid plates, dense inserts, and special fasteners. They are worn in the postoperative period, for injuries of the ligamentous apparatus;
4. Splint for fractures. The detachable design consists of several layers of metal and fabric. The bending angle is limited by metal ribs with hinges;
5. Elastic elbow pad with magnet. Used as an independent therapeutic agent. The magnetic field easily copes with inflammation and reduces pain.

Elbow bandage: how to choose?

A bandage (orthosis) for the elbow joint is an orthopedic product for fixing the elbow joint, which is prescribed during treatment, rehabilitation, and also as a prevention of injuries and various inflammatory diseases. When using this bandage, the elbow joint is stabilized and the joints are unloaded during joint loads, dystrophic degeneration after injuries is stopped, and tissue healing processes are accelerated in the postoperative period. Wearing bandages allows you to return to your previous lifestyle in the shortest possible time. An elbow bandage is prescribed by doctors in the following cases:

• for bruises, sprains, injuries of the elbow joint and in the postoperative period,
• for arthrosis and inflammatory diseases of the joints (epicondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis),
• during physical activity during heavy work, which requires constant flexion and extension of the elbow joint (loaders, mechanics, seamstresses, etc.) and sports.

Main functions of the elbow brace:

• warms and has a massage effect, relaxes muscles and reduces pain
• relieves swelling and promotes resorption of hematomas
• provides rest to inflamed areas of tendons and soft tissues, which creates favorable conditions for recovery

RANGE OF ELBOW BANDAGES
Bandages for the elbow joint are divided depending on the rigidity of fixation:

• Rigid fixation is provided by models with hinges. They create the required angle for the movement of the elbow joint, which is determined and adjusted by the doctor.

• Moderate fixation is provided by models with silicone inserts that limit excessive mobility of the elbow joint.

• Elastic bandages provide easy fixation. When using them, the mobility of the elbow joint is maintained. They are indicated for people who experience significant physical activity, as well as for preventive purposes when playing sports.

A popular model of an elbow orthosis with easy fixation is the “kerchief” bandage. Used for injuries of the elbow and wrist joints to ensure rest and eliminate unnecessary movements.

Elbow orthoses are divided into adult and pediatric models.

A doctor (orthopedist) prescribes wearing an elbow brace. If pain occurs, be sure to consult a doctor for diagnosis and prescribing timely and correct treatment.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE SIZE OF AN ELBAR JOINT ORTHOSIS

It is important that the size of the orthosis is selected correctly. You cannot buy orthopedic products one size smaller or vice versa to grow.

As a rule, to determine the size it is necessary to measure the circumference of the elbow joint. It is important to know that orthoses from different manufacturers have different sizing tables.

The required measurements and size selection table are presented in the product cards on the Salamat website. Sales consultants at the Salamat orthopedic salon will help you choose the right size.

WHERE TO BUY AN ELBAR BANDAGE

You can always buy an orthosis for the elbow joint in the Salamat orthopedic salons or order it for delivery in the Salamat online store. Pay attention to attractive purchasing conditions and a wide range at affordable prices. Experienced sales consultants will recommend the model of bandage you need and select the required size.

Taking care of your family, the network of orthopedic salons "Salamat"

How to bandage the elbow joint - general recommendations

It is better to do the dressing in the morning, immediately after waking up. If you need to use a bandage during the day, before training, after surgery, then before the procedure you should take a horizontal position and completely relax your arm for 15-20 minutes. Wraps with elastic material begin from the narrow part of the limb to the wide one - from the wrist to the elbow.

The bandage must be smooth, without folds or compactions. The most noticeable pressure should be near the elbow joint. The higher the compression stocking material rises along the elbow or forearm, the more the bandage is loosened.

The dressing material is gradually wrapped around the limb with tension. Each turn should overlap the previous one by 1/3. When fixing the elbow, the bandage is applied directly to the damaged area and the adjacent area, 15 cm above and below. Correct application of the bandage and its fixation will protect the limb from turning blue and will prevent damage to the skin.

How to properly wrap your knee with an elastic bandage

Bandaging is a simple therapeutic technique performed in many areas of medicine, which is aimed at preventing thrombotic complications that are severe for the body.
The effect of compression hosiery and bandaging of the lower limb is based on the creation of different pressure on the parts of the leg. The maximum impact is on the ankle and lower leg, the knee experiences less pressure, which reaches a minimum in the upper thigh. This effect promotes blood movement from bottom to top. The muscles located under the applied bandage are in greater tone and the vascular branches located in their thickness work more intensely.

If the bandage is applied only to the knee area, it tightens the intra-articular formations and promotes their anatomical integrity during loading. The compression effect provided by the bandage allows you to avoid injuries to the knee and other joints of the lower limb.

Bandages differ in composition by the class of material from which they are made:

· Bandages of low elasticity. Such a product can be stretched no more than 69% of its length.

· Bandages of medium elasticity. The degree of elongation is 70–140%.

· High elasticity bandages. The product stretches by more than 141% of the length of the bandage.

Highly elastic bandages are applied to the knee or other joints to reduce the tension of ligament and tendon formations during intense sports activities, after injury to the ligaments and menisci, arthroscopy, and during therapeutic rehabilitation exercises.

Contraindications

There are a number of conditions in which the use of any compression stockings, including elastic bandages, is contraindicated. Such diseases include:

1. Obliteration (closing of the lumen) of arteries in diseases such as atherosclerosis, Raynaud's disease, endarteritis.
2. Diabetes mellitus with the development of trophic and vascular disorders of 2–3 degrees of severity.
3. Inflammatory, infectious lesions of the skin at the site of application of the bandage.

Knee bandaging technique

The most common and effective method of applying an elastic bandage to the knee is the turtle bandage. This bandaging method is available in two versions:

• Converging bandage.
• Expanding bandage.

With the convergent version, the first two rounds of the bandage are applied below the joint, and the second two above. The lower and upper tours alternate until they come closer to each other in the middle of the joint.

With a diverging bandage, the first round is applied to the center of the joint, and each subsequent one is either higher or lower than the previous one. There are several general rules for the procedure:

1. It is correct to start applying a bandage at a distance of at least 20 cm from the damaged area.
2. Each subsequent round must overlap the previous one by 70%.
3. Bandaging should be done with moderate tension on the product. Try to increase the compression closer to the middle of the joint.
4. The procedure and the applied product should not cause pain. Release the tension if this happens.
5. Flexion and extension in the joint after compression should be performed in full, but with great effort. If the bandage slips from the application site, you need to repeat the technique with greater tension on the material.

Elastic compression during the rehabilitation period

Traumatologists at the Canon Clinic most often, along with other rehabilitation procedures, prescribe knee bandaging after an injury or surgery, such as arthroscopy. During this period, dosed physical activity on the joint in the form of exercise therapy is allowed and even recommended.

After applying an elastic product, exercise on an exercise bike, walking and running on a treadmill, and gymnastic exercises recommended by the attending physician at the Canon Clinic have an excellent effect.

It is necessary to combine physical activity with additional physiotherapeutic procedures:

• Electrophoresis of anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Acupuncture.
• Electromyostimulation.

Physiotherapy will promote intensive blood supply to the joint tissues, and exercises with an applied elastic product will correctly distribute the load and restore the function of the joint.

Basic rules for applying a bandage

When wearing a bandage or bandage of any type of ligament, the muscle fibers are reliably kept from stretching. This allows it to be used during sports, for prevention, and for elbow injuries. To prevent the tightening from causing discomfort, the elbow joint is bandaged according to the following rules:

• The elbow must be completely accessible to the bandager, exposed and pre-treated;
• The patient is positioned comfortably;
• The joint is completely immobilized;
• The hand is given a comfortable position for functioning;
• The patient's muscles are relaxed;
• In the process of applying the bandage, you should select the ideal degree of fixation.

When should a dressing be done?

The bandage will quickly lose elasticity if the first turns of the material were not sufficiently secured; the turns were carried out with varying degrees of tension. This bandage needs to be completely replaced. A bandaged elbow pad that is bandaged too tightly requires replacement if there is pain, swelling, cyanosis, or lack of sensitivity in the limb. Such symptoms indicate compression of the nerve, compression of blood vessels.

Joints are movable joints of bones. In case of injury, reliable fixation is required. Dressings are done for the purpose of warming, immobilizing a limb, holding a compress, and sealing an open wound. Fixation of the elbow joint can affect a separate area in the crook of the arm, the forearm, the thumb, or the entire limb. For simple, medium-stretch bandages, natural elastic materials are used. In some cases, a multilayer bandage made of aeroprene, cotton fabric, or lycra is recommended.