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 7 months ago - No comments
Patellofemoral pain syndrome results in chronic anterior knee pain, and is often associated with delayed and reduced activation of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle. Therapeutic exercise is often prescribed to help improve the strength and onset timing of the VMO. Patellar taping is also used in managing anterior knee pain, and is often worn…
about 8 months ago - 1 comment
Exercises with Thera-Band elastic bands have been shown effective at improving strength and function in knee osteoarthritis patients before total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues have published several research papers on their “prehabilitation” pre-operative exercise program using Thera-Band that benefits total knee replacement patients before and after surgery. Knee osteoarthritis…
about 9 months ago - No comments
Elastic resistance is often prescribed as part of a rehabilitation program for anterior knee pain (patellofemoral pain syndrome), but its overall efficacy remains unclear. I recently published a systematic review of the topic in the journal, Sports Health. Eight studies using elastic resistance training met the criteria for the review. The exercises typically involved strengthening…
about 11 months ago - 1 comment
“Prehabilitation” refers to exercise performed before surgery that helps reduce functional decline after surgery. The theory is that a higher level of function pre-operatively will provide a higher level of function post-operatively, thus shortening the rehabilitation process. Prehabilitation exercise has been shown effective at preventing functional decline in frail elderly individuals (Gill et al. 2002).…
about 1 year ago - No comments
Thera-Band® exercises for knee osteoarthritis using have been shown in several studies to reduce pain and increase strength and function (Thomas et al. 2002, Topp et al. 2002). Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville have been investigating the role of exercise in knee arthritis patients for several years. Most recently,…
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 - No comments
Total knee replacement is becoming more common for treating advanced knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville continue to research the effects of “prehabilitation” by providing exercises before total knee replacement surgery. He presented his current results at the 2010 Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting. “Pre-operative exercises for…
about 1 year ago - No comments
Meniscus tears in the knee are relatively common, particularly in middle-aged athletic individuals. Arthroscopic surgery is often performed to remove damaged cartilage. Surprisingly, some orthopedic surgeons do not prescribe physical therapy after knee arthroscopy, feeling patients can recover on their own with a few simple exercises. Unfortunately, this may lead to long-term deficits in strength,…
about 2 years ago - No comments
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears occur in about one in every 3000 Americans; 80% of these injuries are non-contact, often requiring surgical reconstruction. Female athletes have a higher incidence of ACL injury, likely due to biomechanical differences compared to males. Research has focused on exercise programs that help improve these biomechanics in order to prevent…