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Taping your adductor muscle can help to relieve pain and speed up recovery. While the effectiveness of taping adductor muscles has not been proven by medical studies, many people use this method to treat a strain or tear of the adductor muscle, which is also known as a groin strain. To tape your adductor muscle, you will need to apply tape to the inside of your thigh, with no tension at the base and increasing tension as you move up the leg.
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What You'll Learn
Adductor strain
Risk factors for adductor strain include previous hip or groin injury, age, weak adductors, muscle fatigue, decreased range of motion, and inadequate stretching of the adductor muscle complex. Biomechanical abnormalities, such as excessive pronation or leg-length discrepancy, can also contribute to the risk. The dominant leg is more commonly injured and is more likely to sustain a significant injury.
To treat an adductor strain, it is recommended to use anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®) or naproxen (Aleve®). Proper warm-up and stretching before physical activity can help prevent adductor strain. It is important to complete rehab and maintain proper conditioning, hip, pelvis, and trunk strength, flexibility, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.
Kinesiology tape can also be used to treat adductor strain. When applying kinesiology tape to the adductors, it is important to start by extending the knee and bringing the leg slightly outwards to stretch the adductors. The tape should be applied one hour before starting an activity, and any dirt, moisture, oils, and lotions should be removed from the skin before taping. The tape should not be worn for longer than seven days, and it is important to rub the tape several times after application to activate the adhesive. For areas that are particularly hairy, trimming the hair will help ensure the tape sticks better.
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Groin strain
A groin strain is an injury to the connective tissues that comprise the adductor muscles of the hip or thigh. This injury is common among athletes who participate in running-related sports, such as soccer, hockey, and football. It can also be caused by activities such as running, lifting, pushing, and pulling.
Groin strapping and taping can aid the healing process by applying compression to the area immediately after injury. This is part of the PRICE principles: protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Kinesiology taping is a popular method for treating sports injuries and can be used to support the body in healing from a groin strain. It can deliver support, stability, pain relief, and muscle relaxation to the injured area.
To apply groin strain strapping, start on the inside of the thigh and wrap once around the thigh, applying tension across the front and upwards of the groin. Pass the bandage around the back of the waist and around to the front. Then, pass the bandage around the back of the thigh and around the groin once more, applying tension to the front and upwards on the groin. Again, pass it around the back and repeat this process as required or until the bandage runs out.
- Put your groin on stretch by sitting down with your knee bent and then allowing the knee to drop to the side.
- Measure the tape down the length of your groin/adductor.
- Cut the tape into an I strip and round the edges.
- Rip the ends of the I strip and remove the backing paper from one end, revealing a small tab.
- Lay the base of the I strip down with 0% stretch to the top of the adductor.
- Apply the rest of the tape down the length of the groin/adductor with 0% stretch.
- If there is a specific point of pain, measure and cut another short strip of kinesiology tape.
- Rip the backing paper into 3 and remove the middle section.
- Stretch the tape to 50% and apply the tape directly over the point of pain.
- Stick the ends of the tape down with 0% stretch.
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Kinesiology tape
Before applying kinesiology tape, ensure that you have thoroughly cleaned the skin to remove any dirt, moisture, oils, or lotions. For best results, trim any hair in the area to ensure the tape sticks effectively.
The following method can be used to tape the adductor muscle:
- Cut two strips of tape long enough to reach from the bottom of the knee to the inside of the thigh, up to the groin.
- Place the base of the first strip of tape on the inside of the knee, slightly below the kneecap, without stretching the tape.
- Run the tape with light tension along the leg, over the muscle belly, up to under the pubic bone.
- Apply the second strip of tape in the same way, but ending slightly higher on the inner thigh.
- Rub the strips well to activate the adhesive.
- For added fixation, place an additional strip of tape below the knee, without stretching, over the base of the other strips.
It is important to note that taping should not be done in cases of pregnancy, open wounds, broken bones, allergies, skin diseases, or the use of certain medications. Always consult a medical professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
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Preparation
Before you begin, it is important to note that the effect of taping is not considered proven. The statements and articles are based on subjective experience and application reports from customers, patients and therapists.
If you are experiencing severe groin pain, you should seek medical attention. For minor groin injuries, targeted treatments like taping can be used to relieve pain and speed up recovery.
To prepare for taping an adductor muscle strain, you will need kinesiology tape, or a 7cm or 10cm elastic or elastic cohesive bandage, and 2.5cm non-stretch zinc oxide tape.
Firstly, ensure the area is free from dirt, moisture, oils and lotions, as these can prevent the tape from sticking properly. You should also avoid using lotions or moisturisers after taping, to prevent the tape from peeling. For areas that are particularly hairy, trim the hair to ensure the tape sticks.
It is recommended that you apply the tape 1 hour before starting an activity. To keep the tape from peeling off your skin, you can wear snug-fit shorts over the taped area.
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Aftercare
The tape should last 3-5 days. During this time, it's important to keep the taped area dry—pat it gently after showering, and avoid using a hairdryer. The tape is heat-activated, so no need to apply additional heat.
You can wear snug-fit shorts over the taped area to prevent the tape from peeling off. Avoid clothing that might catch and peel the tape.
It's important to rest the affected area for about two weeks. Refrain from activities that have caused you groin pain, or consider changing the way you perform them.
The tape will support the muscles during rehabilitation and help prevent further damage to the injured muscle.
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