EAB – What is it and what it’s for?!

Elastic Adhesive Bandage or EAB is a fabric tape with an adhesive backing.  The elastic nature of the tape, as its name suggests, means it has a small amount of stretch or give. This means it is a great tape to fit to the contours of joints as you can manipulate it around corners and it conforms to the body easily and rolls on smoothly.

EAB takes several different forms and all are relatively lightweight. Some types of EAB are hand tear-able which is perfect when you are pitch side and don’t have time to fumble with scissors.   The light versions of EAB are also breathable and are really comfortable to wear.

My top uses for EAB are:

• Provide support to a joint (on its own as a light strap or as additional support – see next point)
• To finish off a tape job for extra support (particularly around the ankle, and because it is lightweight it does not prevent the player getting the foot back in the boot).
• Assist in compression to reduce swelling and helps to protect the injured area
• Prophylactic protection (around the head in rugby to protect the ears)
• As a general purpose tape to use as lineout lifting straps or to hold rigid tape in place

EAB is one of our most favourite tapes here at Sport Strapping NZ, purely for ease of application. You can have a pretty secure tape job completed in a matter of seconds which can be vital when you have a player down mid game and needing to get back into the action. It is a must have for all tape supply kits! EAB can be purchased from a range of retailers including supermarkets, chemists and some physiotherapy clinics.

Finally, if you do want to learn more about taping and how to strap effectively, click here to trial Sport Strapping NZ for seven days!