Thumb Spica Taping
Sometimes a person will have to improvise in making a thumb spica in the case of an emergency. This is especially true in sports, where thumb injuries are common. In order to perform a proper thumb spica taping, a person must have enough knowledge of how thumb splints work. Basically, though, all that is required is that specialized tape be put onto the injury, put on the thumb spica itself, and tape it down. The technique of thumb spica taping is not hard for somebody who knows how to do it, but it is recommended only for those who know how to perform one. This type of taping is very important to know in the case of accidents, so we will discuss how to perform the procedure.
In order to perform a thumb spica taping, a person must know how much of the area is injured. Thumb injuries have a habit of having other areas near the thumb to be injured as well. Usually though, the affected area will be the wrist, and taping the area properly includes binding the wrist. This area is called the metacarpal-phalangial joint which, when binded, can provide a good amount of support for the thumb.
The first major step in thumb spica taping is the application of pre-wrap and anchor strips to the wrist and the area below the IP join in the thumb. The next step is to apply a type of material known as longitudinal stirrups to the radial side of the thumb. This part helps keep the thumb from moving. Once that part of the taping is done, the thumb spica itself can be added and taped down. Once the spica itself is taped down, the thumb spica taping procedure is complete.
This procedure of taping can also be applied to other broken body parts. Areas like the ankles, shoulder, or toes can be taped to help prevent them from moving too much. Variations of the same medical procedure can be used for those areas. This form of medical taping is a very useful thing to know how to do in the case of accidental injuries.
The technique of thumb spica taping can be improvised based on the materials on hand. All that needs to be done is to have the wrist and thumb taped around and together to keep them stable and taping down something to use as a splint. It does not have to be limited to thumb injuries, other injured body parts can benefit from this type of taping.