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High School Javelin Thrower uses Biofreeze
May 26th
Read the story here from the Washington Observer (PA)
New book helps develop “Effective Functional Progressions in Sport Rehabilitation”
May 20th
Developing functional exercise programs for athletes is sometimes difficult, particularly for rehabilitation professionals without much experience in their patients’ sport. Human Kinetics recently released the book, Effective Functional Progressions in Sport Rehabilitation by Todd Ellenbecker, Mark De Carlo, and Carl DeRosa. The book is divided into 2 parts. Part I provides the benefits and guidelines for developing successful sports rehabilitation programs, while Part II reviews functional progressions for 3 body regions: upper extremity, lower extremity, and trunk.
Functional Exercise Progressions
Each regional chapter reviews relevant functional anatomy and describes appropriate functional tests with normative data. The normative data can be used to set goals for the athletes’ rehabilitation, which can be very helpful to practicing clinicians. Exercises are grouped into specific progressions and labeled with different stages in the progression. The exercises start with isolated, joint-specific exercises and progress to more functional movements. Some exercises also include “Pearls of Performance,” which provide additional hints on performing and progressing the exercise. The 3 chapters also include interval programs that provide specific exercise protocols for returning to sports such as tennis, baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. The exercises include easy to use and convenient equipment such as elastic tubing, dumbbells, and exercise balls, making them More >
Turn Evidence into Practice for Home Exercise Programs
May 18th
by Phil Page PT & Dana Mackison DC
Recently, the term ‘active care’ has been used to describe rehabilitation that makes the patient an active participant in the process. In contrast to ‘passive care’ that includes modalities and manual techniques, Active Care emphasizes self-management techniques such as exercise and behavioral change. While both active and passive techniques have their place in rehabilitation, the ultimate goal is to empower the patient to take responsibility for their own care, rather than relying on the clinician.
How to Empower your Patients
Patient empowerment is accomplished by avoiding passive modalities, minimizing unnecessary visits, providing patient education, and helping the patient develop self-management strategies for preventing exacerbations. A patient-centered approach promotes a “team” approach where patients are active participants and partners in the therapeutic process, responsible for making their own choices (Law et al. 1995).
The first step in empowering patients to take control of their care is to understand behavioral change, which is the key to adopting a healthy behavior or to stopping an unhealthy behavior. Home exercise programs and self-management strategies are most effective when behavioral factors are considered within the patient education. Research has shown that chronic low back pain patients who combine therapeutic exercise with a motivation program have More >
Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention & Performance Enhancement Screening for Professional Tennis Players
May 16th
by Todd S. Ellenbecker, DPT, MS, SCS, OCS, CSCS
For the last three years, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has provided musculoskeletal screenings to its players at the Italian Open in Rome Italy. Led by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gary Windler of Charleston, South Carolina, and physical therapist Todd Ellenbecker of Scottsdale, Arizona, these screenings consist of a series of musculoskeletal tests focusing on scapula and core stability, rotator cuff strength, and both upper and lower body flexibility and range of motion measurement.
Testing with Thera-Band Soft Weights
One of the key components of this program is the immediate follow-up of exercises for tennis players following their testing. Results are immediately tabulated and shared with the player, his coach, and physiotherapist, and often their personal strength and conditioning specialist. Based on the test results, players are given a series of individualized, tennis-specific exercises which utilize the Thera-Band® product line. These include Thera-Band elastic bands, tubing, and loops; Stability Trainers, Pro Series exercise balls, FlexBars, and Soft Weights. These products have been chosen due to their effectiveness as well as for their portability since professional tennis players travel most weeks of the year and need to have their exercise programs accessible to them at all times. Exercises to increase the strength More >
Top 10 Myths of Elastic Resistance
May 7th
by Phil Page, PT, ATC
1. There is very little scientific evidence on elastic resistance. FALSE! There are over 100 published randomized, clinical trials (the highest level of evidence) that have used elastic resistance. In addition, there are over 60 basic and applied studies that have been published to describe the scientific foundation for elastic resistance, including electromyographic (EMG) evidence and biomechanical analysis. The most comprehensive and updated list of these references is available at www.Thera-BandAcademy.com.
2. Isotonic or machine-based resistance is more safe & effective than elastic resistance. FALSE! The injuries and rates reported with using elastic resistance in the literature are as small if not smaller than using isotonic resistance. Scientific evidence proves that the resistance provided by elastics is very similar to isotonic resistance in physiologic response, strength outcomes, and patterns of muscle activation.
Thera-Band Torque, compared to isotonic weights
3. In contrast to isotonic resistance, the strength curve (torque at the joint) of elastic resistance is linear & ascending. FALSE! Many people confuse FORCE (resistance) with TORQUE (force x distance). This has led to the misperception that isotonic resistance is more “functional” to the strength capacity of muscles than elastic resistance. The FORCE produced by elastic resistance is linear and ascending, meaning that resistance increases proportional More >
