Research and News
Exercises
Guidelines for treating neck pain with Thera-Band Tubing
Jul 22nd
An interdisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians reviewed 11 systematic research reviews to develop a ‘toolkit’ for clinicians to apply the best evidence for treating neck pain. The “Cervical Overview Group” created a clinical practice guideline that includes a therapeutic home exercise program for neck pain. The full article was published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy in May, 2009. The 3-phase “Evidence-based Home Neck Care Program” includes the use of elastic tubing as an integral part of the home program.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Neck/Cervical Spine resource center to find more articles and exercises for neck pain.
Exercise with FlexBar may help treat tennis elbow
Jul 14th
KEYSTONE, CO – People with pain in the elbow or forearm from playing sports or just from common everyday activities, might be able to use a Thera-Band FlexBar and strengthening exercise to alleviate pain, say researchers who are presenting their study results at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, July 9th-12th.
Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a common condition effecting nearly three percent of the general population, not just those who play tennis. “Our study illustrated that a novel exercise, using an inexpensive rubber bar, may provide a practical and effective means of adding isolated wrist strengthening exercises to a treatment plan,” said lead author Timothy F. Tyler, PT, ATC, Clinical Research Associate, of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City.
The study randomized 21 patients with tennis elbow into two groups. Both received the wrist extensor stretching, ultrasound, cross-friction massage, heat and ice for treatment. The eccentric training group performed isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening using the rubber FlexBar (Thera-Band, Akron OH) while the standard treatment group performed isotonic wrist strengthening exercises. Three sets of 15 repetitions were performed daily as part of a home program with intensity increased More >
Mike Reinold on Thera-Band Loops for Knee Rehabilitation
Jul 5th
Mike Reinold, PT ATC, Rehabilitation Coordinator and Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Boston Red Sox has a great blog on rehabilitation and conditioning at www.mikereinold.com. He’s just finishing a 7-part series on his blog on patellofemoral rehabilitation for anterior knee pain. His most recent and last post discusses using Thera-Band resistance while performing leg press or squats:
“…do you still want to squeeze that ball between your knees and emphasize hip adduction and internal rotation? I would actually recommend just the opposite. I frequently use a piece of Thera-Band (or even those new [loops] that Thera-Band just started making) around the patient’s knees during exercise. This will require the patient to isometrically control the hip from adducting and internally rotating while performing mini-squats, wall squats, leg press, and other sagittal plane exercises.”
Read Mike’s article about “The Influence of the Hip and Foot on Patellofemoral Pain.” To learn more about the new Thera-Band Loops, visit the Thera-Band Academy website and check out professional instruction videos by Todd Ellenbecker, Sue Falsone, and Barton Bishop.
