Research and News
Archive for February, 2011
Prehabilitation exercise for total knee replacement helps patients with severe end-stage arthritis
Feb 22nd
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“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).
For the past 4 years , Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville have been researching the effects of a “prehab” program for patients scheduled for total knee replacement surgery. Their exercise program features progressive Thera-Band resistance exercises performed over a period of 4 to 8 weeks before surgery. Last year, I featured Dr. Topp’s prehabilitation program in the Academy Blog after his publication in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Most recently, Dr. Topp’s colleague, Dr. Ann Swank was the lead author on a paper in the February 2011 issue of Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The article described the pre-operative outcomes of 71 patients with severe knee arthritis who had pain that didn’t respond to medication. The patients were randomly assigned to either a More >
Exercise program improves posture in swimmers
Feb 14th
Swimmers commonly suffer from shoulder pain due to the repetitive and overhead nature of the sport. A condition called “swimmer’s shoulder” has been characterized by shoulder instability, impingement and rotator cuff tendonitis. About one-half of college swimmers have shoulder pain that affects their training routine. Swimmers sometimes demonstrate alterations in posture such as forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulder posture (RSP). These postural changes are often associated with muscle imbalance of the neck and shoulder. Researchers wanted to find out if an exercise program could improve posture, strength, and shoulder function in collegiate swimmers.
28 swimmers were block-randomized into an exercise or control group based on their event. The exercise group performed an 8-week stretching and strengthening program, 3 times a week. Download the Swimmers Posture exercise protocol here. The strengthening exercises consisted of body-weight arm exercises using an exercise ball for support, while foam rollers were used to assist with the stretching exercises.
At the end of the training program, the training group significantly improved their forward head posture and rounded shoulder posture. Isometric scapular muscle (trapezius and serratus anterior) also improved significantly; however, the increase was not significantly different from the control group’s improvement. Self-reported pain and function did not change More >
Long term benefits from Thera-Band exercises for shoulder pain
Feb 9th
Last year, I reported on a study from Norway comparing elastic resistance exercises with shockwave therapy in patients with shoulder pain. In that 2009 study, the researchers reported on the outcomes of 194 patients randomly assigned to 12 weeks of exercise using elastic resistance or 4 to 6 treatments of radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment (RESWT). Their paper reported on the 18-week outcomes, finding nearly twice as many subjects in the exercise group significantly improved their pain and disability levels compared to the shockwave group (64% vs. 36%). In addition, there were no significant differences between the groups in function or range of motion. Download the exercise protocol here.
Recently, Engebretsen and colleagues provided their 1-year follow-up in the journal Physical Therapy. One year after the intervention, there was no significant difference between the groups: both the exercise and RESWT groups significantly improved in pain levels, disability, function, and range of motion. In other words, while the shockwave therapy was less effective than exercise in the short term, there were no long-term differences between the treatments.
The authors noted a greater tendency of patients in the exercise group to return to work and to require fewer additional treatments than the RESWT group. Unfortunately, the More >
Neck pain in office workers relieved with 2 minutes of Thera-Band exercise!
Feb 7th
Neck pain combined with shoulder pain is a common problem among desk workers, particularly those using a desktop computer. One study noted a 50% incidence of neck/shoulder pain over a 1-year period. Lars Andersen PhD and his colleagues in Copenhagen, Denmark, completed a randomized controlled trial of 198 office workers with neck/shoulder pain and tenderness to palpation. The researchers wanted to develop an “exercise program as simple and feasible as possible.”
They chose Thera-Band® elastic tubing with handles for an exercise routine using only 1 exercise for either 2 or 12 minutes. The subjects were randomly assigned to either a non-exercising control group, a 2-minute exercise group, or a 12-minute exercise group. The exercise groups performed a lateral raise exercise in the scapular plane to 90 degrees of abduction with elastic tubing. The exercises were performed 5 days per week (10 minutes and 60 minutes per week in the 2- and 12-minute groups, respectively) for 10 weeks. Female subjects started with Red Thera-Band resistance tubing, while the male subjects started with Green tubing. Both groups gradually increased their repetitions and resistance to Blue Thera-Band resistance tubing. The 2-minute group performed the exercise for one set to failure, while the 12-minute group performed 5 to 6 More >
28 New Thera-Band Academy Instructors Certified in Latin America
Feb 4th
At the 1st Train the Trainer meeting for Latin America held last week, 28 therapists and physicians from 6 countries became certified trainers for Thera-Band Academy. The meeting, held January 26-28, was hosted by the Thera-Band dealer, Equipos Interferenciales in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The intensive, 3-day training included the scientific and clinical application of elastic resistance, exercise balls, and progressive balance training. The attendees also learned how to use the Thera-Band Rehab and Wellness Station. Each instructor had to pass a written examination and complete an oral presentation of an exercise using Thera-Band products. Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela were represented. You can see photos of the training and some of their exercise presentations on our Facebook page.
The Thera-Band Academy supports 220 instructors from 45 countries around the world. Each presents professional workshops in their country using Thera-Band products. The instructors work with their local dealers to provide evidence-based hands-on workshops for healthcare and fitness professionals. Click here to search for workshops offered by Academy instructors.
