How To Tape A Knee In 4 Techniques - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeFour Techniques for Knee Taping

Medically reviewed by Angela M. Bell, MD, FACP — Written by Kirsten Nunez — Updated on August 1, 2025

For stability and support
For pain relief
Tape removal tips
Takeaway

The way you tape your knee depends on its purpose, whether it’s for a specific medical condition, stability, or pain relief. The type of tape you use can also affect your technique.

Woman running in the rain with taped knee — Source: Stocksy

Knee taping is a practice that’s used to relieve knee pain. It’s also done to improve knee support, which may treat and prevent various injuries.

The practice involves applying special tape around the knee. The tape is placed on specific locations to help manage pain by controlling muscles and joints.

If you’d like to try knee taping, consult a physical therapist or sports medicine doctor first for a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Taping is supplemental to other treatments, which may include therapeutic exercise and NSAIDs. In addition, there are many types of knee taping techniques, and each technique has different benefits depending on the injury.

A method that works for someone else might not work for you, even if you have the same knee issue.

This article reviews four common taping techniques, along with supplies and tips.

How to tape a knee for stability and support

Knee taping is often done to improve knee stability. It can help minimize pain and excessive range of motion during physical activity.

Usually, the techniques below are used to treat issues like overuse injuries or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). PFPS refers to pain in or around the kneecap (the patella) and the groove it slides in, located on the thigh bone (the femur).

Knee taping can also help prevent future injuries by enhancing knee stability.

The taping should be tight enough to support the knee, but not tight enough to cut off circulation.

With kinesiology tape for full kneecap support

Kinesiology tape is a very stretchy sports tape. It’s thought to provide support by stabilizing joints and muscles. Many brands of kinesiology tape are available on the market.

In the following method, kinesiology tape is used for full kneecap support. This is ideal for pain around your patella (kneecap) in the front of your knee. The condition, also known as “runner’s knee,” may be caused by overuse or patella tracking disorder.

Supplies you will need:

kinesiology tape
scissors
clean skin

Taping instructions:

Measure from the tibial tubercle (bump under your kneecap) to your quadriceps tendon. Cut two tape strips of equal length. Round the ends to minimize peeling.
Sit on a bench and bend your knee. Peel the first inch of one strip. Secure outside the tibial tubercle without stretch.
Stretch the tape to 40%. Wrap the tape around the inner knee, following its natural curve. Secure the end without stretch. Rub the tape to activate the adhesive.
Repeat with the second strip along the outer knee, crossing the ends to form an X.
Cut a strip of tape long enough to wrap under the kneecap. Straighten your knee slightly.
Peel the tape from the center. Stretch to 80% and apply under your kneecap. Wrap the tape along your hamstrings and secure the ends.

Kinesiology tape can stay on the skin for 3 to 5 days. Check the product’s packaging for specific details.

Watch this video of John Gibbons, a registered osteopath, demonstrating how to tape for full kneecap support

Watch this video of Burke Selbst from Focus Physical Therapy tape a knee for stability while skiing

With the McConnell taping technique

Like kinesiology taping, the McConnell technique is used to improve knee stability. It’s designed to manage patella tracking disorder and pain by increasing structural support.

Supplies you will need:

2-inch wide adhesive gauze (to protect your skin)
1 1/2-inch wide rigid non-elastic medical tape
scissors

Taping instructions:

Always start with clean skin. To use the McConnell knee taping method:

Cut two strips of adhesive gauze and one strip of rigid tape. The strips should be long enough to cover your kneecap, about 3 to 5 inches.
Sit on a bench. Extend your knee and relax your quadriceps. Place both strips of adhesive gauze over your kneecap.
Secure the non-elastic tape on the outer edge of the kneecap. Pull the strip toward the inner knee. At the same time, push the soft tissue on the inner knee toward the kneecap.
Secure the end of the tape on the inner edge of the kneecap.

Typically, this tape can stay on the skin for 18 hours.

Depending on your sport and symptoms, the rigid tape may be applied in other directions. A physical therapist can help you determine the ideal option.

Watch Dr. Ray of Bradford Family Chiropractic applying the McConnell taping technique to treat lateral knee pain

How to tape a knee for pain relief

If you have knee pain, taping may help. The following techniques are designed to manage specific types of discomfort.

For medial knee pain

Medial knee pain occurs on the inside of your knee. Inner knee pain has many causes, including:

patellar tendonitis
meniscus tear or sprain
MCLinjury

Supplies you’ll need:

kinesiology tape
scissors
clean skin

Taping instructions:

To apply the tape:

Cut one 10-inch strip of tape. Round off the ends.
Sit on a bench, with your knee bent to 90 degrees.
Peel the first inch of tape. Secure below your inner knee, on the upper part of your calf muscle.
Stretch the tape to 10% and wrap it along the inner knee. Rub the tape to activate the adhesive.
Cut two 5-inch strips of tape. Round off the ends. Peel one strip from the center, stretch to 80%, and apply diagonally on the site of pain. Secure the end.
Repeat with the second strip to create an “X.”

Watch Dr. Josh Jagoda from San Diego Spine and Sports Wellness demonstrate patellar tendon taping

For anterior knee pain

If you have pain in the front and center of your knee, it’s called anterior knee pain. It’s commonly caused by patellofemoral pain syndrome or knee arthritis.

Often, the first technique mentioned in this article (for full kneecap support) is used for this issue. But you can try a similar method with pre-cut Y-shaped tape, which you can purchase online or at your local pharmacy.

Supplies you’ll need:

clean skin
1 long Y strip
1 short Y strip

Taping instructions:

To apply the Y strips:

Cut the long Y strip to 1 to 2 feet. Sit on the edge of a bench, with your knee bent.
Peel the first inch of tape. Secure in the middle of the thigh. Split the Y and remove the backing.
Stretch the tails to 25 to 50%. Apply on each side of the kneecap. Rub to activate the adhesive.
Peel the first inch of the small Y strip. Secure on the outer side of the kneecap, split the Y, and remove the backing.
Stretch the tails to 50%. Apply the tails above and below the kneecap. Rub to activate.

Watch Dr. Page, from Performance Health Academy, demonstrate how kinesiology tape can be used to tape the patella and treat anterior knee pain

How to remove kinesiology tape (and other tape)

Knee tape adheres quite well. Here are some removal suggestions when it’s time to remove it.

Tips for removing kinesiology tape

To comfortably remove kinesiology tape:

Apply oil. Baby oil or olive oil can loosen the adhesive. Rub oil on the tape, wait 15 to 30 minutes, then remove it in the shower.
Remove it slowly. Avoid removing the tape too fast, which may irritate or damage your skin.
Roll away the tape. Roll the tape back on itself. Compared to pulling, rolling is less painful.
Move in the direction of hair growth. This minimizes irritation to your skin and hair follicles.
Tug the skin. While peeling the tape, use your other hand to tug the skin in the opposite direction. This is said to decrease discomfort.

Other types of tape

Your physical therapist might recommend other types of supplies, like adhesive gauze tape. Try the above tips if you have difficulty removing these types of tape.

You can also:

Take a warm bath or shower. Like baby oil, warm water may help break down the adhesive.
Apply lotion. This can help loosen the sticky backing.
Apply ice. Try applying an ice pack to release the tape.

What to know about allergic reactions to kinesiology tape

Most types of kinesiology tape are hypoallergenic and latex-free. For that reason, skin irritations are usually caused by over-stretching the tape when applying or excessive friction on the skin.

That said, if you’re using kinesiology tape for the first time, you might try applying a test patch. Cut a small strip and apply it to your arm or leg. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes. If it starts to itch or you notice any other types of sensitivity, remove the strip and notify your doctor or physical therapist.

Allergic reactions to kinesiology tape are rare, but they can occur.

The takeaway

Knee taping is used to manage pain and improve support. It can enhance your exercise ability, whether you’re recovering from an injury or feeling discomfort. It should provide support and not constrict blood flow.

Since there are many ways to tape a knee, it’s best to consult a professional. They can show you the best technique and application for your symptoms.

When combined with a therapeutic exercise program, knee taping can help you find relief.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Andrýsková A, et al. (2020). The guidelines for application of kinesiology tape for prevention and treatment of sports injuries.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7349891/
Beam JW. (2017). Orthopedic taping, wrapping, bracing, and padding. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.
Campolo M, et al. (2013). A comparison of two taping techniques (kinesio and McConnell) and their effect on anterior knee pain during functional activities.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3625789/
Gaskey R. [Bradford Family Chiropractic]. (2018). McConnell tape knee pain from iliotibial band [Video file].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyrZSMUQ8Ok
Gibbons J. [John Gibbons]. (2016). Kinesio tape: Full knee self-support technique for patella femoral pain [Video file].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1irQ_63dG4
Page P. [Performance Health Academy Network]. (2016). Kinesiology taping technique for anterior knee pain [Video file].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOgx85E-HF8
Patellofemoral pain syndrome. (2024).https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/
Selbst B. [Focus Physical Therapy]. (2019). Learn knee stability kinesiology taping for skiers [Video file].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2os-LUb5-g

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Medically reviewed by Angela M. Bell, MD, FACP — Written by Kirsten Nunez — Updated on August 1, 2025

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How to tape a knee for stability and support

With kinesiology tape for full kneecap support

With the McConnell taping technique

How to tape a knee for pain relief

For medial knee pain

For anterior knee pain

How to remove kinesiology tape (and other tape)

Tips for removing kinesiology tape

Other types of tape

What to know about allergic reactions to kinesiology tape

The takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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