Research and News
Research Updates
Regular exercise in assisted living maintains function and reduces falls
Dec 16th
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As the aging population increases, many older adults are moving into assisted living facilities to maintain their independence. Exercise programs are now a standard offering at most assisted living facilities not only as a ‘benefit,’ but also to maintain functional independence and prevent falls. Programs such as the First Step to Active Health using Thera-Band resistance bands have been successfully used in many older adult exercise programs.
Physical therapy researchers at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut evaluated the impact of a wellness program on function and falls in older adults at an assisted living facility. The program included upper and lower body strength and flexibility activities using free weights and resistance bands. All residents completed a functional baseline screening including balance, strength and cognition. The baseline measurement was used to help direct the resident into a specific program such as a fall prevention class or aquatic exercise regimen. Their participation in these programs was tracked over 12 months, and 2 groups were identified: regular and non-regular participants. After 12 months, the regular exercise group improved or remained the same level of balance and endurance, More >
Thera-Band exercise protocol for chronic neck pain improves quality of life
Dec 15th
Dr. Jari Ylinen of Finland has published several studies using Thera-Band resistance bands for chronic neck pain, including articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Females with chronic neck pain have shown significant decreases in pain and significant increases in neck strength up to 2 years after his program. The exercises include dynamic-isometric cervical flexion, extension, and sidebending against black Thera-Band resistance bands. Patients also perform upper body dumbbell exercises. The program is initially performed for 12 days in a rehabilitation clinic, then at home for one year. Download the Thera-Band Chronic Neck Pain exercise protocol here.
In his most recent publication documenting the outcomes of his program, Dr. Ylinen and his colleagues investigated the effects of high-intensity Thera-Band resistance exercises on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain after one year of exercise. 180 female office workers with neck pain were randomly assigned to a strengthening exercise group, endurance training group, or control group. The strength training group performed the exercise described above, while the endurance group performed a 20-repetition head-lifting task and dumbbell exercises. Both groups also performed squats, back extension, sit-ups, and stretching.
After one year, both the Thera-Band exercise and endurance exercise groups significantly More >
Rehabilitation for Shoulder Instability Update
Dec 2nd
Shoulder instability is a common cause of shoulder pain. Shoulder instability patients have been traditionally diagnosed from 2 groups: from traumatic, unilateral instability, resulting in surgery (TUBS), or atraumatic, bilateral multi-directional instability best managed with rehabilitation (AMBR). However, a new classification scheme suggests there are 3 groups of shoulder instability patients: 1. Traumatic structural; 2. Atraumatic structural; 3. Muscle patterning / non-structural. Traumatic shoulder dislocation (Group 1) is best managed through surgery. Atraumatic structural instability (Group 2), while best managed through rehabilitation, may improve with surgery after failed rehab. However, surgical intervention in Group 3 patients with non-structural instability often results in failure.
Jaggi and Lambert provide an excellent review of the examination and management of all 3 groups of instability. In their article, the authors describe physical therapy management of Type 2 and 3 shoulder instability, including biofeedback, postural taping, and rotator cuff strengthening with elastic bands and dumbbells. In addition, exercise balls and wobble boards serve as unstable surfaces to “enhance neuromuscular control at a reflex level. They emphasize that core stability is a vital component to rehabilitation of Type 3 (“muscle patterning”) shoulder instability. According to the authors, rehabilitation of Type 2 and 3 shoulder instability requires an average of 6 months of rehabilitation. More >
Muscle activation levels for advanced exercises using the Exercise Ball
Dec 1st
Several EMG studies have been performed in the past decade to quantify and validate claims of “core stability” exercises. Despite few controlled, clinical outcome studies on using an exercise ball, its use in clinics and gyms remains steady. Because the Thera-Band® exercise ball can be used for both rehabilitation and fitness, different exercises and levels of muscle activation may be best for specific patients and clients. It’s important to know that an exercise provides enough EMG activation for strength training (greater than 60% maximal contraction), or if it’s more endurance-based (less than 25%).
In an article published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers were interested in determining the EMG levels of ‘advanced’ exercises using an exercise ball. The authors noted that most exercise ball EMG studies have evaluated basic exercises, finding few exercises with a ball that activate core muscles more than traditional resistance exercises at training effect levels.
In the study, 14 healthy subjects performed 6 advanced exercises in random order. The exercises involved were more “whole-body” movements compared to traditional stabilization exercises focusing on the core. Surface EMG data was collected from the upper body (deltoid, pectoralis major, triceps), core (lumbar extensors, rectus abdominus, external oblique), and lower More >
Thera-Band® products featured in evidence-based shoulder rehabilitation
Nov 29th
Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff injuries often respond well to physical therapy exercises. The success of the exercise program will depend on an accurate clinical assessment and an evidence-based approach to prescribing appropriate interventions. Two expert physical therapists and clinical researchers published an excellent review on the rehabilitation of shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff injuries in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Drs. Todd Ellenbecker and Ann Cools offer a well-detailed description of the literature behind range of motion limitations, scapular dyskinesis, and muscle balance. Both authors have published extensively in these areas of clinical research, giving them an excellent perspective at translating evidence into practice by sharing their expertise. Ellenbecker and Cools provide some unique exercises for restoring shoulder muscle balance, including the “external rotation oscillation” exercise using Thera-Band® tubing and a FlexBar®. Dr. Ellenbecker recently completed an EMG study on this exercise, finding moderate levels of infraspinatus muscle activation. Another exercise researched by Dr. Ellenbecker, a 90-90 plyometric external rotation with a Thera-Band soft weight was highlighted in the article as well, and was featured previously on the Academy blog.
Simple and effective Thera-Band products can be a valuable part of an evidence-based shoulder rehabilitation program.
REFERENCE: Ellenbecker TS, Cools A. Rehabilitation of shoulder More >
