There are a number of common rope-related risks.  One of the most important to understand  is how the pressure of rope on the body — or the positions that a body might be held in during a tie — can impact and even damage nerves and blood vessels.

Nerve damage is insidious. It can happen almost instantly or can build gradually over time, with multiple small injuries building to something more serious. It can take months to heal, or years, or it may never fully heal. Therefore, it is important that everyone involved recognize that this risk is always present, and that even if both Top and bottom do what they can to reduce the risk, nerve injury may still occur.

Both Tops and bottoms need to learn as much as they can about:

• The various types of nerve injuries possible during rope bondage.
• How best to mitigate the risks.
• How to recognize when something is wrong.
• How to respond to issues and injuries, should they occur.

It’s also important that bottoms learn as much as they can about their own bodies and capabilities so they can help Tops understand how to tie them in ways that meet the bottoms’ specific needs while reducing the risk to a level that both are comfortable assuming.