Desiring to share more about rope bondage in the future, I feel that it’s important to first address safety issues in this separate post. Please don’t simply dismiss this post as the same old same old stuff you’ve heard a thousand times. Whether you are a novice or a rope connoisseur, safety should always be first and foremost in your mind.

Never think that their bondage play is light and therefore you don’t have to concern yourself with safety. This just isn’t true. Tying your lover to the bed post can go array if not done with safety in mind.  

Communication is essential when working with rope.

There is equal responsibility between both a rope top and rope bottom to effectively communicate with one another before, during and after any bondage scene. Before you play, flexibility, circulation issues, and previous injuries should be discussed. Also limitations and abilities should be covered. Just because someone is a regular play partner doesn’t mean that you know their current health and wellness. Therefore, these questions should always be asked prior to a bondage scene even if they are a regular play partner.

Other issues that need to be considered are emotional or mental sensitivities. There are often times more important than physical health during play. A bottom who has endured trauma in their life should always disclose this information so that their top is aware of their mental limits.  

During a scene, the rope bottom should always make their top aware of tingling or numbness in the fingers, hands, arms, legs, ect… In addition, a responsible top should always keep their eyes open for red, blue, or purple looking skin. These are all signs of restricted blood flow and should be addressed immediately by loosening or re-positioning the rope.

Another good practice is to have a five minuet rule where your rope bottom signals when they think they have five minutes left in a scene. At this point you start to remove the rope and end the scene.

Rope bottoms sometimes get into a head space where they are unable to communicate verbally. For times like these, a safe word signal should be agreed upon so the top will be aware that there is an issue.  

Placing the rope in the proper positions is another important aspect of safety.

All rope enthusiasts should be well aware of nerves and veins that are most at risk for compression injuries. Although every person is a bit different, there are some typical “hot spots” that should always be considered. As a rule of thumb, joints don’t like to be bound. When you hear of someone tying the wrists they are actually tying just above the wrist bone rather than across it.

An area of concern is the femoral artery. This artery runs up and down the inside of the thigh and should never be compressed. Tingling, numbness, the sensation of a limb falling asleep, are signs of impaired circulation. In addition, discoloring of the skin in blue, red or purple is a sign of loss of circulation.  

More a risk than loss of circulation is injuries from nerve compression.  Nerve compression can cause temporary or permanent loss of mobility in a limb. The most common place for injuries to occur is in the arms. Running down the length of your arms are three major nerves that can be easily compressed during a typical bondage scene. Whenever your rope runs over the upper arms it should be readjusted throughout the scene to relieve the pressure and tension. It’s a good practice to periodically squeeze your sub’s hands to test for loss of strength. In addition, shooting pain or burning is also a sign of nerve compression and should be spoken of immediately.  

When using rope, remember that it’ll tighten as you wrap and tie knots. As a rule of thumb you should always have two fingers of space between your bottom’s skin and the rope; always readjust as necessary. Also the knots you choose to use should never slip or cinch tight when pulled against. The number one place to never bind is the throat. Death by asphyxiation can occur from this practice.

Another area of safety to be aware of is muscle tear or strain.

To keep from pulling a muscle or being overly sore the next day, a rope bottom should adopt the practice of stretching before any bondage scene no matter how ‘vanilla’ it may be. To protect the bottom, a top should never over extend their limbs to achieve a position. The goal is for the rope to work with your lover’s body rather than against it.  All bindings and positions can be modified to work with your partner.

Although it may seem trivial and unnecessary, always keep a pair of safety scissors close at hand just in case a quick release is needed. Because I tend to use a lot of rope and scissors can take some time to cut through the wraps, I prefer to keep rock climbing safety knife nearby.

After care is also an aspect of safety.

During intense scenes the bottom’s body will undergo a wide array of stress and strain. Often times when a bottom is released from rope bindings they will be off wobbly and off balance. Always remove the rope slowly and provide the support needed for them to be in a comfortable position while their body recovers and they regain their bearings. A top should comfort their bottom and offer juice or a light snack after a scene. Tenderly touching and caressing your bottom is a great way to connect and build confidence between a top and bottom.

When exploring rope bondage it’s best to build a solid base of knots and floor work to ensure that your journey is successful and fun. Although the attraction to suspension is well founded, don’t jump into it too quickly. Allow yourself time to learn knots and how the rope and body react to each other before stepping up to this level. The building blocks are essential to build your confidence and ensure your playmates safety.

This post is simply an overview of all there is to know about bondage safety and nerve damage. I strongly suggest that as you build your way up into more advanced bindings, learn all you can about safety and the physics involved. The most helpful resource that I’ve found thus far is Esinem The Art and Practice of Shibari. Their Web Site has a wealth of information about all things rope bondage.

Rope is extremely appealing and erotic. The way it wraps around the body can be breathtaking. Explore, play, have fun, but most of all be safe!