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Thera-Band and Biofreeze for Sports Specific Rehabilitation
Jun 24th
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Dr. Barton Bishop, a member of the Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) published a feature article in PT Products magazine. He described how various products including Thera-Band® and Biofreeze® products can be used by clinicians for sport-specific rehabilitation. Read the story here.
Here are some excerpts from his article:
“It is obvious to most of us that pain is inhibitory—when we hurt, we don’t want to move. But pain also creates neurologic inhibition; pain will actually shut down the muscle and not allow it to work either properly, or at all. This is where topical treatments such as Biofreeze® can come into play. Research by Topp1 has shown that Biofreeze can reduce blood flow immediately after application, thus decreasing pain-causing inflammation. This is a great way to help an athlete play with less pain. Because it is extremely portable, fast-acting, and doesn’t stiffen an area like ice does, Biofreeze can be applied immediately before or during a practice or game.”
“This same idea of activating muscles based on their function and not their action should be repeated everywhere else in the body. The rotator More >
Power training with Thera-Band elastic resistance more effective for older adults
Jun 23rd
As we age, we lose muscle mass through a condition called “sarcopenia,” which is the age-related loss of muscle fibers. Sarcopenia can lead to decreases in strength and function in older adults, which can increase the risk for disability and injury.
Muscular power and reaction time are also important components of function and injury prevention for older adults; specifically, reduced strength of ankle dorsiflexion is associated with an increased risk of falls (Skelton et al. 2002; Whipple et al. 1987). In addition, decreased reaction time is associated with increased falls and motor vehicle accidents in older adults. Power training, which is essentially strength training performed at higher velocities, is becoming increasingly popular for older adult exercise programs. Many studies have shown that strength training exercises can increase strength and function in older adults, but few if any have examined effects of ankle power training on performance or injury prevention in older adults. In addition, few studies have directly compared elastic and isotonic resistance training programs.
Canadian researchers investigated the effects of power training with Thera-Band® exercise bands compared to machine-based resistance training for ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscles. They wanted to see if there was a difference in reaction time, movement speed, More >
Balance training improves risk factor for ACL injury
Jun 20th
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are often detrimental to an athlete’s season. Biomechanical analysis of the lower extremity suggests that cutting maneuvers increase the load on the ACL by increasing valgus and internal rotation forces when the knee is extended. While reconstructive surgery and rehab are often successful, it’s obvious that preventing ACL injuries through training and conditioning would be beneficial.
Some controversy exists regarding the optimal method of training for preventing ACL injuries in athletes. Researchers recruited 50 Australian Rules football players and randomly assigned them to one of 4 training programs: machine weights, free weights, balance training, and machine weights plus balance training. The balance training groups performed exercises using balance boards, mini trampolines, inflatable disks, and exercise balls. Subjects were tested before and after the 12-week programs for knee loads during running and cutting maneuvers. The balance training group significantly decreased their peak valgus and internal rotation moments during the cutting maneuver, which may help reduce the risk of ACL injuries.
In contrast, the strength training groups (machine weight and free weight) tended to increase their knee loads that place stress on the ACL. The authors recommend that athletes perform balance training to reduce the risk of ACL injury. This More >
Researchers show Thera-Band Tubing exercise decreases pain in workers
Jun 17th
Previously, Danish researchers reported that 2 minutes of daily Thera-Band® tubing shoulder lateral raise exercise significantly reduced neck and shoulder pain over 10 weeks. As part of their randomized controlled trial, Dr. Lars L. Anderson and his colleagues at the National Research Center for the Working Environment in Copenhagen wanted to know the effects of the exercise on workers with headaches. Click here to see a video of the exercise. 198 office workers with chronic neck/shoulder pain were randomly assigned to either a 2 or 12-minute per day, 5 day a week exercise program, or a control group. After 10 weeks, both exercise groups had significantly fewer headaches than the control group – with a frequency reduction of 43%-56%. Intensity and duration of headaches remained unchanged. As with their previous study, 2 minutes was as effective as 12 minutes of exercise per day.
Dr Andersen stated, “The elastic resistance exercise helps strengthen the muscles around the neck and shoulder that may improve their work capacity, thus making the muscles more efficient and less painful.” Dr. Andersen and his colleagues published their results in a free download in the Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health.
Are unstable surfaces appropriate for rehabilitation of low back pain patients?
Jun 15th
Unstable surfaces have been suggested to be used in training trunk and core stability. However, the use of unstable surfaces in training has come under question lately with research suggesting lower levels of activation compared to stable surfaces (Behm et al., 2010). The instability requires additional muscle activation to maintain stability. Therapists sometimes prescribe exercises using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers and Stability Discs for patients with low back pain.
Researchers measured trunk muscle activity, lumbar range of motion, and balance during 5 common lumbar stabilization exercises performed on stable and unstable surfaces using an inflatable disk: quadruped, side bridge, modified push-up, squat, and shoulder flexion.
They found that patients with low back pain had adaptive recruitment patterns while maintaining similar levels of balance and lumbar range of motion compared to healthy subjects. There was little increase in electromyographic (EMG) activation among low back pain patients between the stable and unstable surface, and some exercises actually increased lumbar range of motion on unstable surfaces, which is not desirable during lumbar stabilization exercise. Based on these findings, the researchers questioned the need and benefit for using labile surfaces in patients with low back pain.
It’s important to note that the researchers only investigated More >
