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Knee osteoarthritis exercise with Stability Trainers reduces pain and increases strength and function
Nov 11th
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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 More >
Thera-Band helps 71 year old power lifter
Nov 8th
The November 2010 issue of Training and Conditioning describes how a physical therapist helped a 71 year old powerlifter recover from total shoulder replacement using Thera-Band resistance bands.
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 >
Case Study: Thera-Band® prehabilitation for total knee replacement effective
Nov 2nd
Thera-Band® exercises for knee osteoarthritis using have been shown in several studies to reduce pain and increase strength and function (Thomas et al. 2002, Topp et al. 2002). Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville have been investigating the role of exercise in knee arthritis patients for several years. Most recently, they have researched the effects of “prehabilitation,” which are exercises performed before total knee replacement surgery. The results of their program have been published in several articles and featured on the Academy blog.
Dr. Topp’s colleague, Dr. Kent Brown recently published a case report on a 69 year old patient who underwent two separate total knee replacement surgeries. Her first surgery on the right knee was preceded with “usual” care (no prehab), while her left knee replacement was preceded by 4 weeks of prehab. The prehab program focused on knee strengthening exercises using Thera-Band resistance bands.
After prehab, the patient had significant improvements in function and strength before and after her left knee surgery compared to her previous non-prehab right knee replacement. The authors suggested at an extended period of prehab (greater than 4 weeks) would have resulted in even more improvement. This case study supports the effectiveness More >
Proprioceptive training reduces injury rates and recovery time in female soccer players
Oct 28th
Proprioceptive exercise training has been shown in several studies to reduce soccer injury rates. Unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, and balance boards can be part of an effective proprioceptive training program. Several studies have shown reductions in ACL tears and ankle sprains which are considered “non-contact” injuries. German researchers hypothesized that the same preventive effects of proprioceptive training may apply to other lower extremity injuries, namely hamstring, patellar tendon, and Achilles tendon injuries. They implemented a multi-station soccer-specific exercise program involving jumps and balance training on a wobble board with the Premier League female soccer team, Bayern Muenchen. Their results were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
At the end of the 3 year intervention, non-contact hamstring injury rates were significantly reduced 64%, from 22.4 to 8.2. Patella tendon injuries were reduced by 67% (3 vs. 1) and achilles injuries reduced by 100% (1.5 to 0). The mean time lost to injury for the players also significantly decreased from 14.4 days to 1.5 days. In addition, the researchers identified a dose-effect of the training: the more time spent balance training, the lower the rate of injuries.
This study suggests that implementing soccer-specific proprioceptive training can reduce non-contact and More >
