You can also view the video at the ATP website here: Agility Training for Tennis with Thera-Band Products

For more information on purchasing Thera-Band products, contact your local healthcare distributor or visit our “Where to Buy” website to find a practitioner in your area who sells the products.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky evaluated electromyographic (EMG) levels of 4 exercises in total hip patients between 7 and 32 weeks post-operative. Dr. Cale Jacobs and colleagues were interested to see if there was a progression of muscle activation to guide clinical decisions about hip abduction exercise prescription. They published their findings in the Journal of Arthroplasty. The 4 exercises included 2 non-weight bearing and 2 weight-bearing exercises:

• Standing hip abduction with cuff weight at 1% of bodyweight, lifted to 30 degrees
• Sidelying hip abduction with cuff weight at 0.5% of bodyweight, lifted to 50% of leg length
• Standing hip abduction with uninvolved leg to 30 degrees
• Lateral walk with Thera-Band resistance band attached with extremity straps around ankle

Researchers used a level of Thera-Band resistance that created the same torque as the standing hip abduction exercise (1% body weight) with stretch on the band at 50% elongation. The researchers used this chart of Thera-Band elastic resistance pull forces to prescribe the appropriate color of band.

Both the sidelying abduction and weight-bearing standing abduction with the other leg produced an average of 67% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC).  The Thera-Band resisted lateral walk exercise produced an average of 63% MVIC and the non-weight bearing standing abduction produced 58%. There was no significant difference in activation between exercises, indicating no clear order of exercise progression.  The researchers suggested these exercises can be used interchangeably, particularly when balance impairment or postural position may be an issue.

In conclusion, non-weight bearing exercises involving open-chain hip abduction provide no additional benefit of gluteus medius activation compared to more functional closed-chain exercises. Thera-Band loop resisted walking provides moderate (>60% MVIC) of gluteus medius activation in post-operative total hip replacement patients.

REFERENCE: Jacobs CA, et al. Electromyographic analysis of hip abductor exercises performed by a sample of total hip arthroplasty patients. J Arthroplasty. 2009 Oct;24(7):1130-6. Epub 2008 Aug 30.

Disclosure: Thera-Band Academy provided the bands used in this study, but did not provide monetary funding.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Elastic Resistance Learning Portal here

Two groups of female basketball players were assigned to either a 6-week neuromuscular exercise program or a control group (the subjects weren’t randomized; they were assigned to a group based on their school). Athletes were tested for their static balance and dynamic balance; the static balance test (BESS) used foam pads to create an unstable surface to evaluate postural stability.

The exercise group completed a twice a week, 6-week program that included 4 training stations: functional strengthening, plyometrics, agility training, and balance training. Each session lasted about 1.5 hours. The functional training station utilized elastic band loops and exercise balls, and the balance station utilized foam rolls.

After analysis of the 50 athletes completing the study, the authors found significant improvements in both static and dynamic balance. While these results may sound intuitive, other studies have shown no increase in balance with more simple balance exercises, possibly due to a ceiling effect or lack of neuromuscular stimulus. This study, however, suggests a more robust neuromuscular “circuit” training program may be more effective. Unfortunately, the authors did not look at functional performance or subsequent injury rates, which may demonstrate more meaningful outcomes.

In summary, Thera-Band elastic loops, stability trainers, and exercise balls can be used as part of a neuromuscular circuit training program to improve balance in high school athletes.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Stability Training Portal Here

McLeod TC, et al. Balance improvements in female high school basketball players after a 6-week neuromuscular-training program.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears

Initially, Dr. Herman published a study concluding that while the protocol was effective at improving strength, the biomechanics of the athletes remained unchanged. He concluded that strengthening alone was not sufficient, and set out to find what needed to be combined with the training program. His subsequent study combined the Thera-Band strengthening protocol with video-assisted feedback, and he compared the combined intervention to a group receiving feedback only. Dr. Herman and his colleagues found that the group receiving both feedback and strengthening improved their biomechanics more than the feedback-only group. The paper won the 2008 O’Donoghue award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, given to the best overall paper that deals with clinical based research or human in-vivo research. While the Thera-Band training protocol combined with video feedback improves lower extremity strength and biomechanics in female athletes, research must determine if the protocol is effective at actually reducing ACL injuries.

Herman DC, et al. 2009. The effects of strength training on the lower extremity biomechanics of female recreational athletes during a stop-jump task. Am J Sports Med. 37(7):1301-1308.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy ACL resource center here.

Todd Ellenbecker, DPT, Physiotherapy Associates, Phoenix AZ

Sue Falsone PT ATC, Athletes Performance, Tempe AZ

Bart Bishop DPT, Sport & Spine Rehabilitation, Washington DC

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