Our knees have three parts – the thigh bone (femur), which meets the shin bone (tibia) and the kneecap (patella), which articulates with the femur and forms a joint called the patellofemoral joint.
Many active sportspeople experience pain in the patellofemoral joint due to excessive joint pressure from poor kneecap alignment.
Our Yokine physiotherapist Beth Vellios breaks down patellofemoral joint taping which is designed to support the patella, decrease pain and stress on the knee during sport or physical activity and correct kneecap alignment. It can be used for both the treatment and prevention of knee injuries, particularly those associated with high risk sports such as netball, basketball, soccer or football.
Basic PFJ taping (requires Fixomull and rigid tape)
Suitable for one time use eg. one game of sport.
1. Ensure skin is clean and dry (and preferably less hairy to avoid a free waxing!)
2. Have leg outstretched, with a rolled towel behind the knee.
3. Use a small strip of Fixomull to apply a gentle medial glide to the patella (outside to inside of knee).
4. Use a piece of rigid tape, approximately the same length as the Fixomull, to apply a glide in the same direction as previous.
5. Use another piece of rigid tape to slightly overlap the last piece of rigid tape, applying a medial glide again.
6. To secure the ends of the tape, apply a piece of Fixomull behind the knee (this is more flexible than rigid tape).
Advanced PFJ taping (requires Fixomull and Elastoplast sport [stretch] tape)
Suitable for 2-3 days, depending on the type of activity.
1. Ensure skin is clean and dry (and preferably less hairy to avoid a free waxing!)
2. Have leg outstretched, with a rolled towel behind the knee.
3. Use a small strip of Fixomull to apply a gentle medial glide to the patella (outside to inside of knee).
4. Starting at the outside of the knee, apply a medial glide to the patella with the stretch tape, then snip the top and bottom third of the tape once you reach the inside of the knee.
5. Estimate how much stretch tape will be required to reach behind the knee, back to the outside of the knee, then snip the top and bottom third of the tape again.
6. Fold the top and bottom third of the tape over each other behind the knee.
7. Bring the folded piece of tape behind the knee to the outside, and again apply a slight medial glide to the patella, finishing off on the inside of the knee.
8. Cut the tape and secure with a small piece of rigid tape or Fixomull if desired.
Contact your local Life Ready Physio clinic today for advice, guidance and treatment for your knee joint pain and sports taping. Our physiotherapists will develop an tailored treatment plan just for you, powering you to be symptom free and living your best quality of life!
