To Tape or Not to Tape?

Written by Zack DiCristino

Outside trying to preserve skin, taping our fingers is a debated topic among climbers,

whether it is to prevent injury or offer protection when recovering from an injury. It makes sense

on the surface but how much does it really help? Recent research has shown that certain

taping methods are more or less effective in unloading the pulleys. “Circular” taping (a single

strip wrapped around the finger) has been shown to be “minimally effective” for unloading the

A2 pulley, the most commonly injured pulley in climbers. H-taping (YouTube it), however, has

been shown more promise than circular taping. In a 2007 study, H-taping was shown to keep

the finger-flexor tendons closer to the bone (thus decreasing stress on the pulley) in an injured

finger by 16% versus 2.8% with circumferential taping as well as increasing strength by 13%.

Should you tape to prevent injury if you are NOT injured? One study showed

“preventative taping” as a potential risk factor for injury (among other factors). Another study in

2000 showed that preventative taping did not significantly increase the load to failure of a

pulley (aka prevent an A2 pulley rupture). Tissues need appropriate loading to maintain their

health as well as become more resilient. It is mine as well as other colleagues’ opinion that

preventative taping does not allow for this ideal tissue adaptation that would allow pulleys and

tendons to handle more stress. Taping in this manner would act as a crutch. I do believe

however, short-term H-taping when recovering from a pulley injury is recommended to

decrease repetitive stress or offer some protection in case of a mishap.

In a nutshell, preventative taping may not be doing you any favors. H-taping,

specifically, can be part of an appropriate return-to-climbing plan for those recovering from

pulley injuries. That said, climbing modifications (hold, move, and terrain selection, intensity

and volume) would be the best practice!