Research and News
TRAC 2009
Biofreeze blood flow reduction study published in Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine
Sep 24th
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our email updates for new blog posts. Thanks for visiting!
Biofreeze® topical analgesic has been shown to provide pain relief in numerous patients, including those with back and neck pain. For almost 20 years, patients and clinicians have relied on its “cryotherapy” effects to manage the pain of arthritis, sprains and strains. Cryotherapy with ice is known to quickly decrease blood flow and is often used for immediate application following an acute injury, or to reduce joint pain after strenuous activity. Ice applications reduce the metabolic demand on injured tissues and help reduce pain. Unfortunately, little has been known about the specific mechanism of action of Biofreeze’s cryotherapy effects.
For those of you who follow our blog, you’ll recall Dr. Robert Topp and his research team at the University of Louisville have done extensive studies on the effects of Biofreeze and ice on blood flow. One of their studies was recently published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. In their study, the researchers applied either ice or Biofreeze gel to the forearms of 12 healthy subjects. They measured the blood flow in the brachial artery before and after each application.
The researchers found a More >
Dr. Jay Greenstein featured in Chiropractic Economics
May 11th
Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) member Jay Greenstein DC, CCSP is featured in the current issue of Chiropractic Economics. As founder and CEO of Sport & Spine Companies, Dr. Greenstein discusses how he trains, motivates & develops his employees in the article. In particular, he describes how he uses 3 resources to build his business: Success Factors, 5 Dynamics, and Six Sigma.
Dr. Greenstein manages 8 facilities in the Washington DC area offering both both chiropractic and physical therapy services, as well as health and wellness services. Sport and Spine’s integrated care model is another example of his leadership and healthcare vision. In addition, he just created the “Sport and Spine Rehab Clinical Research Foundation” to carry out clinical research and fulfill their mission of providing the best evidence-based care to their patients.
In addition to maintaining his private practice as CEO of Sport and Spine Rehab, he has served as a recommended provider for the National Football League (NFL) Players Association and for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. Since that time he has also been the Official Team Chiropractor for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders since 1997 .
Visit the Sport and Spine Rehab website for more information on Dr. Greenstein and More >
Tyler Twist FlexBar Exercise Featured in New York Times
Aug 26th
The New York Times ran a story on the “Tyler Twist” exercise using the Thera-Band FlexBar on August 25, 2009. A recent study found this novel FlexBar exercise led to significant improvements in tennis elbow patients compared to traditional treatment. Lead researcher Tim Tyler, PT ATC was quoted in the article saying, “We couldn’t believe how fast and well the therapy worked. We were seeing improvements in five weeks, even three. It was crazy.”
Click here to see the exercise video, download the study & protocol, and to learn more.
New FlexBar Exercise: Tyler Twist effective for Tennis Elbow
Aug 12th
Tim Tyler PT, ATC from Pro Sports PT in Scarsdale New York, investigated a novel exercise using the Thera-Band® FlexBar for tennis elbow. “We know that eccentric exercise is very effective at treating tendinopathies such as tennis elbow,” said Tyler. His exercise, the “Tyler Twist” involves eccentric wrist extension, and was easily performed at home for 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Compared to patients receiving standard treatment, those performing the FlexBar exercise along with standard treatment had significantly greater improvements in strength and pain. “We had to stop the study early because we didn’t feel it was ethical that people weren’t getting better on the standard treatment protocol alone, so we gave everyone the FlexBar exercise,” said Tyler. His findings were presented in July at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and received attention from the international press. “Using the FlexBar for tennis elbow is not only clinically effective, it’s cost-effective as well,” added Tyler. He presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.
EMG supports “Wall Walk” exercise with Thera-Band® Resistance
Aug 12th
Sue Falsone PT, ATC from Athletes Performance in Phoenix Arizona, quantified the EMG activity of the rotator cuff and scapular muscles during a new shoulder exercise using Thera-Band® resistance. She found that that “Wall Walk” and “Wall Slide” exercises had higher activation of the infraspinatus muscle of the rotator cuff with the Thera-Band resistance than without. In addition, the lower trapezius muscle was activated significantly more, while the upper trapezius was activated less with the resistance, compared to without resistance. “These findings show that adding Thera-Band resistance to the Wall-Walk exercise may help restore scapular muscle balance, which is typically our goal in shoulder rehabilitation,” said Falsone, who also works with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “It’s important to know exactly what muscles are being activated during these exercises so we can make better clinical decisions,” added Falsone. She presented her findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Shoulder Rehab Center Here.
