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Research and News
New Thera-Band® Stretch Strap Now Available
Nov 19th
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Akron, Ohio : November 15, 2010. Hygenic / Performance Health announces the release of the new Thera-Band Stretch Strap, a revolutionary alternative to static-only stretching straps. The Thera-Band Stretch Strap can be used with both static and contract-relax stretches, which is one of the most effective forms of stretching for improving range of motion (ROM) and flexibility.
The Stretch Strap’s elastic design provides a highly effective contract-relax stretch while its slight “give” supports a more comfortable static stretch. The dual purpose of this strap enables complete replacement of static-only stretching straps.
“Improving flexibility and ROM is often the first goal in rehabilitation treatment, and the first step to increasing strength,” stated April Bertram, product manager for Hygenic / Performance Health. “Although studies show that pre-stretch contraction is one of the more effective stretches for increasing ROM and flexibility, there wasn’t an innovative tool readily available to practitioners or trainers. As the industry leader in progressive exercise systems, we believe we have developed a truly novel stretching strap that can progress the patient or athlete through the course of their treatment. The pre-release product More >
Exercise program effective for Japanese very elderly
Nov 18th
Exercise is an effective intervention to reduce the decline in functional ability in older adults. Thera-Band elastic resistance bands have been used in several exercise studies focused on reducing disability in older adults. Japanese researchers developed a 12-month multi-component exercise program including both home-based and group-based exercise sessions. 31 older adults with low levels of disability participated in an exercise group, while 34 subjects were recruited to serve as a control group. All subjects were between 74 and 96 years old.
The 90-minute exercise sessions performed by the exercise group included flexibility, strength, endurance, and balance activities. Exercises incorporated use of elastic resistance bands and exercise balls. The exercise group performed 10 minutes of stretching and strengthening at home every day that they were not in the weekly group sessions. Download the exercise protocol here.
After the year-long program, the individuals in the exercise group increased in lower body strength and flexibility significantly more than the control group. They also maintained grip strength, gait, and mobility compared to the control group, who declined significantly in these areas. Balance did not change significantly in either group. Interestingly, however, health-related quality of life did not improve. One important finding the authors reported was that the More >
Shoulder Impingement Rehabilitation Exercise Protocol
Nov 16th
Shoulder impingement is a very common cause of shoulder pain. Impingement occurs when the humerus ‘impinges’ on the acromion of the shoulder, reducing the subacromial space (SAS). Impingement may result from structural causes such as bony deformation of the acromion, or as a functional result of shoulder instability and weakness. While therapeutic exercise is a standard treatment for functional impingement, no “gold standard” rehab protocol exists.
Dr. John Kuhn of Vanderbilt Sports Medicine in Tennessee published a systematic review of exercises used to treat shoulder impingement. This review of 11 randomized controlled trials strongly suggests that exercise improves symptoms in patients with impingement syndrome. Dr. Kuhn concluded that exercise was as effective as surgery in treating shoulder impingement and a home program can be as effective as supervised exercise.
His review, published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, provided several suggestions for an impingement rehab protocol based on the literature:
1. Exercises should include daily range of motion exercises and stretching
2. Scapular and rotator cuff strengthening with Thera-Band elastic resistance bands should be performed 3 times a week for 3 sets of 10 with a progressive increase in resistance and repetitions to 3 sets of 20. Specific exercises are listed below:
Rotator Cuff Exercises with More >
Knee osteoarthritis exercise with Stability Trainers reduces pain and increases strength and function
Nov 11th
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 (soft) stability trainers were used to progress the levels of instability. The exercise group had an 88% adherence rate, 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.
