Research and News
FlexBar
"Tyler Twist" FlexBar Exercise Featured in New York Times
Aug 26th
The New York Times ran a story on the “Tyler Twist” exercise using the Thera-Band FlexBar on August 25, 2009. A recent study found this novel FlexBar exercise led to significant improvements in tennis elbow patients compared to traditional treatment. Lead researcher Tim Tyler, PT ATC was quoted in the article saying, “We couldn’t believe how fast and well the therapy worked. We were seeing improvements in five weeks, even three. It was crazy.”
Click here to see the exercise video, download the study & protocol, and to learn more.
New FlexBar Exercise: “Tyler Twist” effective for Tennis Elbow
Aug 12th
Tim Tyler PT, ATC from Pro Sports PT in Scarsdale New York, investigated a novel exercise using the Thera-Band® FlexBar for tennis elbow. “We know that eccentric exercise is very effective at treating tendinopathies such as tennis elbow,” said Tyler. His exercise, the “Tyler Twist” involves eccentric wrist extension, and was easily performed at home for 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Compared to patients receiving standard treatment, those performing the FlexBar exercise along with standard treatment had significantly greater improvements in strength and pain. “We had to stop the study early because we didn’t feel it was ethical that people weren’t getting better on the standard treatment protocol alone, so we gave everyone the FlexBar exercise,” said Tyler. His findings were presented in July at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and received attention from the international press. “Using the FlexBar for tennis elbow is not only clinically effective, it’s cost-effective as well,” added Tyler. He presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.
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 >
