Research and News
Archive for March, 2011
Two exercises you need in every program…
Mar 29th
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Mike Reinold, PT, ATC, head athletic trainer of the Boston Red Sox, has a great blog with a lot of helpful hints on exercise and rehabilitation. He’s also a big fan of Thera-Band! His latest post features Thera-Band tubing with handles and band loops for two exercises that should be included in all exercise programs: shoulder and hip external rotation.
Intensive two-week exercise program benefits stroke survivors
Mar 28th
Patients suffering a stroke are often left with residual deficits in strength and gait. Depending on the severity of the stroke, patients are left with a wide range of disabilities. It was once thought that stroke survivors would never regain use of their paretic extremities; however, research continues to demonstrate the benefit of exercise after a stroke. Researchers in Norway were interested to see if a two-week, intensive exercise program for stroke survivors at least six months post stroke was effective and feasible. 12 hemiparetic patients (27-62 years old, average 46.5 years old) completed two weeks of group exercise for six hours a day at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. The patients exercised in groups of three or four patients supervised by one or two therapists (physical and/or occupational therapists). Their exercises consisted of transfers, weight-bearing on the paretic limb, and stepping exercises for 90 minutes. Balance activities including rocker board and foam balance exercise were performed for 60 minutes. Gait training and strength training exercises were performed for 75 minutes each. Strengthening activities included functional tasks and exercises for the ankle, knee, hip and trunk. Patients were pre-tested 16 days and three days prior to the intervention, and post-tested three More >
Exercise with TENS more effective for knee osteoarthritis
Mar 23rd
Knee osteoarthritis is a very painful condition that often limits activities of daily living (ADL). Several studies have demonstrated that therapeutic exercises, including exercise with Thera-Band elastic resistance products, can reduce pain and increase function in knee osteoarthritis patients. Knee osteoarthritis is also associated with inhibition of the quadriceps, which leads to poor knee extensor strength. This is referred to as “arthrogenic muscle inhibition.” In addition, quadriceps weakness is a primary risk factor for development of knee osteoarthritis.
Knee strengthening exercises with Thera-Band elastic resistance products have shown improvements in knee osteoarthritis pain and function (Topp et al. 2002). Unfortunately, knee arthritis patients may not be able to experience the benefits of therapeutic exercise since knee pain is often a barrier to exercise. Researchers wanted to find out if adding transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to a knee osteoarthritis exercise program was more effective than an exercise program without TENS. 36 patients were randomly assigned to exercise with TENS or an exercise group with a TENS placebo. The 4 week exercise program included stretching, strengthening, step-ups, balance training, and a wall-squat exercise with an exercise ball.
After the 4-week program, the patients using TENS had significantly higher quadriceps muscle activation than the placebo group. Both groups More >
Exercise program helps young females with anterior knee pain
Mar 22nd
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is characterized by pain around the kneecap that increases with prolonged activity or prolonged sitting. It is more common in females and is associated with weakness of the hip, particularly hip abductors, extensors and rotators (Prins et al. 2009). This weakness is thought to lead to biomechanical deficits at the knee, most notably an increased knee abduction torque, which may alter patellar alignment over the distal femur at the knee. In addition, researchers (Leetun et al. 2004) have found that athletes with weak hip abductors and extensors in pre-participation screenings are more likely to be injured.
Therapeutic exercise programs strengthening the ‘proximal’ musculature (hip and core) have been successful in relieving symptoms of anterior knee pain. One study (Thomee 1997) using Thera-Band® resistance bands reported that 85% of females with anterior knee pain returned to sports after a 12-week exercise program. Recently, a paper in the American Journal of Sports Medicine reported on the outcomes of an eight-week exercise program in a series of young females with patellofemoral pain syndrome. The progressive, three-phase exercise program included “Monster Walks” with Thera-Band® elastic resistance bands. Download the exercise protocol here.
After the eight-week exercise program, 17 out of 19 (89%) of the participants had More >
Physical Therapist-led Home Exercise Programs with Thera-Band® Bands Benefits Stroke Survivors
Mar 17th
A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the brain is deprived of blood flow from a brain blood vessel blockage or rupture. With the increased awareness of strokes and advances in treatment, the number of stroke survivors is expected to continue to increase.
Stroke survivors are often left with residual disability, usually in walking and locomotion. As part of a collaborative “LEAPS” project between rehabilitation researchers at Duke University and the University of Southern California, 5 community-based rehabilitation hospitals in Florida and California participated in a large NIH-funded stroke survivor study. According to the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this was the largest stroke rehabilitation study ever conducted in the United States.
Researchers wanted to investigate the effectiveness of high-tech robot-assisted treadmill training compared to home-based physical therapy exercises or “usual care” on the ability to walk independently. More than 400 patients were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: locomotor treadmill walking, home exercise program led by a physical therapist including Thera-Band® resistance band exercises, or a “usual control” group. The patients all had severe or moderate gait impairments. The protocol for the study was published in BMC Neurology in 2007, and specifically included a Thera-Band color-based progression. The More >
