Introduction
If you are suffering from a sore arch, a sore heel, or any other foot-flattening related injuries, the following taping will probably give you immediate relief. At worst, you should experience a reduction in soreness.
When the foot flattens or pronates, it gets longer. Stop the lengthening and you stop the flattening. The goal of this taping is to lessen the lengthening of the foot, thereby stabilizing the foot.
Often this taping is used in conjunction with a Footbed, although by itself it is quite effective. However, prolonged use of taping tends to cause blisters and a softening of the skin. For people with healthy skin, tape can usually be left on for several days. Beyond that period of time, the skin starts coming off when you remove the tape. Once the soreness is better, a Footbed by itself is the better long-term solution.
Applying the tape
1. Use 1- to 1.5-inch, non-stretchy, cotton athletic tape. For a small foot, tearing the 1.5-inch tape into two 0.75-inch strips works well.
2. Place several strips of tape under the ball of the foot in a side-to-side direction and push up on the tape. This pushing stretches the foot sideways so that the tape will not be too tight. These strips give the other tape something to stick to. They do not provide support.
3. Relax the foot so that the arch is raised. Apply a strip of tape from under the ball of the foot to around the back of the heel, then crisscross the piece about mid-foot and end where you started. Repeat using several strips of tape. The goal is to stop the foot from lengthening by holding it in a raised-arch position.
4. Finally, anchor these lengthwise strips with side-to-side strips around the ball and arch of the foot. These strips are essential because they keep the lengthwise tape from slipping.