Bandage Wrapping - Bandaging Techniques

A bandage is a material used to provide support either to a medical dressing or an injured part of the body. Bandages, ranging from cloth strips to specialized bandages used for a particular body part, are important components of your first aid kit. Very often the word bandage is used to refer to a dressing used on a wound. There are various bandaging techniques, each specifically targeting a particular area or a particular type of ailment.

Bandage Wrapping
Bandage wrapping is the process wherein a circular role of bandage is firmly rolled around the limb, most often to support dressing, or stop bleeding. To wrap the bandage on the limb, hold it transversely in the hand, and start rolling it around the limb with the outer side of the bandage roll applied to the inner side of the limb. The bandage has to be rolled from the inner side to the outer side. Though rare, in some cases, it is rolled upwards from below. The pressure on the part of the body being bandaged should be uniform. Once the rolling is done, the end of the bandage can be secured either by applying a safety pin or by giving it a slit and tying it around the limb.

The various reasons for applying bandages are:

• Bandaging helps the dressing to stay firmly on the wound.
• Bandaging is an effective technique to support a hurt joint.
• Bandage wrapping helps to reduce swelling.
• In case of a wound, bandaging helps to stop bleeding.
• Bandaging helps to restrict the movement of an injured body part.

Bandaging Techniques
The use of various bandaging techniques are determined based on the reason for which bandaging is required. The three most commonly used techniques of bandaging are spiral technique, ascending spica technique and diverging spica technique.

Spiral Bandaging
Spiral bandaging is the simplest of the roller bandaging techniques. While rolling the bandage, in this method, the turns are done in spiral method, wherein each turn covers the two-third part of the preceding turn. Spiral technique of bandaging is most often used on body parts with uniform circumference, such as leg or forearm.

Diverging Spica or Reverse Spiral Bandaging
Diverging spica technique is most often used on body parts with varying circumference. Although the turns are made in spiral direction in this technique, the bandage is reversed on itself so that it stays firm on body parts with varying perimeters. Once the bandage is secured, after a few spiral binds, the bandage is rolled with the thumb being placed over the lower border of the bandage on the outer side of the limb. Eventually the bandage is reversed downwards, and after passing it over the fixed thumb it is carried to the opposite side from under the limb, and rolled in reverse spiral technique above the preceding bandage wrap.

Ascending Spica or Figure Eight Bandaging
Ascending spica is considered to be the most useful roller bandaging technique. In this method, the bandage is alternately passed upwards and downwards over and under the limb, roughly resembling the figure 8 with each double turn. This bandaging technique is most often used over the joints, in case of problems such as joint sprains.

Basic knowledge about how to wrap bandage in various techniques, and the utilization of each of these techniques, can prove to be of great help in situations of emergency. Most often, we tie the bandage in circular method, wherein each turn covers the preceding turn, until the bandage is firmly secured, but the above mentioned bandaging techniques prove to be much more effective, when it comes to a speedy recovery.