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Active Aging Today Series: Thera-Band Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis and Replacement
Dec 28th
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Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis and Replacement by Dr. Phil Page
Hip osteoarthritis and replacement are often associated with residual weakness of the hip muscles. Thera-Band Resistance Bands and Stability Trainers are often used for hip osteoarthritis programs both before and after hip replacement. Download and read the article with exercises here.
REFERENCE: Page P. Exercises for people with hip osteoarthritis and hip replacement. Active Aging Today, 1(4), 2010. Available online here
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Hip Osteoarthritis Resource Center here
Active Aging Today Series: Thera-Band Exercises for Fall Prevention
Dec 27th
Human Kinetics Publishers has created an online community for active aging professionals. I provide a regular feature for their online journal, Active Aging Today, on special populations. Each article provides a review of the literature around a condition associated with older adults as well as a set of practical exercises using Thera-Band products. Each day this week, we’ll be featuring a different article from the previous year:
- Monday: Fall Prevention
- Tuesday: Hip Osteoarthritis and Replacement
- Wednesday: Muscle Imbalance Syndromes
- Thursday: Frozen Shoulder
- Friday: Plantar Fasciitis
Exercises for Fall Prevention by Dr. Phil Page
Falls are a major issue in today’s aging population. Exercise can help reduce the risk for falls by addressing impairments in physical function. Thera-Band Resistance Bands and Stability Trainers are often used as part of a well-rounded fall prevention exercise program. Download and read the article with exercises here.
REFERENCE: Page P. Exercises for fall prevention. Active Aging Today, 1(5), 2010. Available online here
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Fall Prevention Resource Center here
Rehabilitation for Shoulder Instability Update
Dec 2nd
Shoulder instability is a common cause of shoulder pain. Shoulder instability patients have been traditionally diagnosed from 2 groups: from traumatic, unilateral instability, resulting in surgery (TUBS), or atraumatic, bilateral multi-directional instability best managed with rehabilitation (AMBR). However, a new classification scheme suggests there are 3 groups of shoulder instability patients: 1. Traumatic structural; 2. Atraumatic structural; 3. Muscle patterning / non-structural. Traumatic shoulder dislocation (Group 1) is best managed through surgery. Atraumatic structural instability (Group 2), while best managed through rehabilitation, may improve with surgery after failed rehab. However, surgical intervention in Group 3 patients with non-structural instability often results in failure.
Jaggi and Lambert provide an excellent review of the examination and management of all 3 groups of instability. In their article, the authors describe physical therapy management of Type 2 and 3 shoulder instability, including biofeedback, postural taping, and rotator cuff strengthening with elastic bands and dumbbells. In addition, exercise balls and wobble boards serve as unstable surfaces to “enhance neuromuscular control at a reflex level. They emphasize that core stability is a vital component to rehabilitation of Type 3 (“muscle patterning”) shoulder instability. According to the authors, rehabilitation of Type 2 and 3 shoulder instability requires an average of 6 months of rehabilitation. More >
Knee osteoarthritis exercise with Stability Trainers reduces pain and increases strength and function
Nov 11th
Knee pain is common in older adults and usually results from osteoarthritis. Researchers at Nagoya City University in Japan investigated the effects of combined resistance and balance exercises in older adults with knee pain. 28 men and women (average 77 years old) were randomly assigned to either a control or exercise group. The exercise group participated in a 12-week program, while the control group was instructed to maintain their normal physical activity levels. Both groups were tested for muscle strength and functional fitness before and after the program. Their results were published in Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics.
The exercise program was performed once per week as a group, with at 10-minute warm-up, 20 minute resistance training, 40 minutes of balance training, and 10 minutes of cool-down. The exercise group performed the program 2 additional days per week at home. The resistance exercises consisted of 5 body-weight resistance exercises (hip flexion, hip extension, squat, heel rise, toe rise). The balance exercises were progressive challenges to the visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and muscular systems using Thera-Band Stability Trainers. The green (firm) and blue (soft) stability trainers were used to progress the levels of instability. The exercise group had an 88% adherence rate, More >
Exercise on unstable surfaces increases trunk muscle activation
Nov 4th
Unstable surfaces have become more popular for balance and stabilization training. Thera-Band® Exercise Balls and Stability Discs offer multiple options for unstable surface training. These unstable surfaces are thought to increase muscle activation and co-contraction, particularly for core stabilization training. Japanese researchers investigated the effect of unstable surface training on trunk muscle activity during common lumbar stabilization exercises in 19 healthy subjects. Their findings were published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.
The researchers used surface electromyography (EMG) to assess the “global” muscles: rectus abdominus, erector spinae, and external obliques, and fine-wire EMG for the deeper “local” muscles: transverse abdominus and multifidus. The subjects performed 5 lumbar stabilization exercises for 3-second holds, both on stable and unstable surfaces. The exercises were: prone plank on elbows, supine bridge, quadruped arm-and-leg, side bridge, and curl-up. EMG levels were normalized to maximal contraction.
The prone plank exercise on unstable surfaces (including an exercise ball and stability disk) produced significantly more muscle activity of all core muscles. High levels of oblique and rectus muscles were noted in both conditions for the prone plank exercise. The supine bridge exercise performed on an unstable surface did not significantly increase the activation of any muscle; the levels remained More >
