about 1 week ago - No comments
Female athletes are particularly susceptible to anterior knee pain and injury to their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This increased risk is thought to result from poor dynamic control of the hip and knee, particularly when the foot hits the ground. The inability to control hip adduction, knee valgus, and internal rotation in the transition from…
about 1 year ago - No comments
As women age, the transition to menopause often results in an increase in body fat and a reduction in muscle mass. This change in body composition is also associated with a decline in function and an increase in physical disability. German researchers evaluated the effectiveness of an exercise program for community-dwelling older females they developed…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
Neuromuscular training has long been performed in Europe as part of sports training and injury prevention. Neuromuscular training involves progressive balance training using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, and Balance Boards. Several studies have reported that proprioceptive exercises and training reduce injuries in athletes. Researchers in Hungary evaluated the effects of…
about 1 year ago - No comments
Survivors of cerebrovascular accidents (also known as ‘strokes’) are often left with residual weakness and disability. Exercise training after stroke is gaining acceptance as a standard of care as more research supports its safety and efficacy. This pattern resembles what we observed after cardiac rehabilitation became popular following heart attacks: exercise is an essential part…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
Unstable surfaces such as foam pads and air-filled disks have historically been used to increase muscle activation of the legs while performing a squat. Some believe that standing on an unstable surface requires more activation of muscle to maintain stability. Research featured on the Academy Blog has shown, however, that standing on unstable surfaces actually…
about 1 year ago - No comments
Several months ago, I wrote an entry about a study on the Thera-Band® Exercise Station by Dr. Juan Colado from University of Valencia in Spain, titled, Young women can gain as much strength using the Thera-Band® Exercise Station as training with free weights. At the time, the article was only published on-line; it’s now available…
about 1 year ago - No comments
NOTE: In the Academy Blog, I like to report on the most current research; however, I periodically come across references from years ago that are significant contributions to practice; and thus, “blog-worthy.” I’ve come across a few of these recently, so you might see a couple of ‘older’ references…but I’m sure it will be valuable…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
The overhead athlete’s shoulder must be strong, flexible, and enduring for optimal performance. Shoulder exercises for the throwing athlete must reflect the specific functional demands required both for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Head Athletic Trainer for the Boston Red Sox, Mike Reinold, DPT, ATC, CSCS, published a “current concepts” paper on preventive and rehabilitative exercises…
about 1 year ago - No comments
It’s been suggested that 25% of people over the age of 25 experience persistent knee pain (Peat et al. 2001); furthermore, it’s estimated that one quarter of adults with mild to moderate knee pain will develop severe or disabling pain within 3 years (Jinks et al. 2008). Several studies have shown that exercises with elastic…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
Patients undergoing total hip replacement often have weak hip abductor muscles before and after surgery. One of the most common hip exercises is sidelying hip abduction using an ankle weight. While this may be an effective exercise to activate the gluteus medius muscle, open-chain, non-weight bearing hip abduction is not specific to the function of…