Taping Tuesday: Week four - Patellofemoral medial glide

Welcome back to another week of our regular series Taping Tuesday. In week four, physiotherapist and resident Pilates guru Kaidee Arnold demonstrates how to do a medial glide tape of the patellofemoral joint.

This taping job is used to great effect in the treatment and management of Patellofemoral Joint Pain. PFJP is an extremely common musculoskeletal condition in which the patella does not glide correctly through the trochlear grove, resulting in pain and discomfort with movements such as stairs, squats and running.

Having watched the video above, it is important to note the following steps to performing a medial glide tape. They are:

• The Fixomul – As always ensure the tape is applied to clean dry skin and apply fixomul to prevent irritation of the skin. Starting from the outside and crossing medially, lay the fixomul down across the top of the patella (kneecap), applying a slight medial pull as you do.
• 1 -2 Medial glide tapes – Using the rigid tape, these should again run from the lateral (outside) border medially on top of the fixomul layer. As you lay these down ensure you apply a medial glide to the patella. Look for the “orange peel” or mottled skin effect, showing you’ve changed the position of the patella, rather than just the skin.
• Circumferential elastic tape – Here at Lifecare Cottesloe we prefer to lock the tape down with elastic tape. Apply a circumferential tape with the medial end attaching to the longer lateral end and laying down as you glide the patella medially. This step helps to maintain the integrity of the tape, especially in those contact or high impact sports. It is important to remember to lock off the elastic tape with a small strip of rigid.

Tune in next week for another instalment of Taping Tuesday and remember we are always here to assess, treat and tape your musculoskeletal concerns. Give us a call on (08) 9384 3269 or book an appointment online.