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Tag Archives: balance training

Can exercise benefit acute ankle sprains?

Ankle sprains are a very common injury, particularly among athletes and soldiers. Conventional treatment following acute ankle sprains usually consists of ice, immobilization, and a simple home exercise program. Dutch researchers performed a systematic review of the literature to determine if studies support the use of additional supervised exercises in patients with acute lateral ankle [...]

Balance Training Reduces Sports Injuries

Balance training using wobble boards and foam balance pads has been shown to reduce lower extremity injuries (Olsen et al. 2005, Myklebust et al. 2003) and improve balance in athletes (Bernier et al. 1998, Gauffin et al. 1988). This neuromuscular training is thought to improve proprioception, thereby reducing risk of injury. Hungarian researchers investigated the [...]

Systematic review supports balance training

Balance training using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band Stability Trainers and Rocker / Wobble Boards continue to increase in popularity both in rehabilitation and sports performance. In addition, balance training has been shown to be beneficial in preventing injuries across the lifespan, from athletes to older adults.  German researchers published a systematic review of the [...]

Thera-Band exercise reduces falls and improves quality of life in women with osteoporosis

Persons with osteoporosis are at higher risk of fracture after a fall. It’s well-known that exercise is an important aspect of managing osteoporosis, yet there are few studies evaluating the effects of balance exercises on actually preventing falls in women with osteoporosis. The Academy Blog recently featured a study showing that elastic resistance training can [...]

Wobble board exercises can reduce ankle injuries in soccer players

Neuromuscular training has long been performed in Europe as part of sports training and injury prevention. Neuromuscular training involves progressive balance training using unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, and Balance Boards. Several studies have reported that proprioceptive exercises and training reduce injuries in athletes. Researchers in Hungary evaluated the effects of [...]

Evidence-based Recommendations for Core Training with Unstable Surfaces

Core training has maintained its popularity in fitness and rehabilitation despite controversies over optimal training methods for “core stability.” Training with unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® exercise balls, stability trainers, and balance boards have been recommended for core training, suggesting that such surfaces promote activation of core muscles. The “core” can be defined as the [...]

Functional rehabilitation of chronic ankle instability effective

It’s been reported that athletes suffering an ankle sprains re-injure their ankle 70% to 80% of the time. This leads to chronic ankle instability or ‘functional ankle instability’. Rehabilitation for chronic ankle sprains often includes functional exercises including dynamic closed-chain activities. Thera-Band® products such as elastic resistance bands, stability trainers and balance boards are used [...]

Balance training program effective for basketball players

Several studies have shown that balance exercises and “neuromuscular training” are effective at reducing injuries in athletes. Neuromuscular exercises typically incorporate products such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, balance boards, and exercise balls. Athletic training researchers wanted to determine if a neuromuscular training program was effective at improving balance in high school athletes. Two [...]

Balance Training Reduces Ankle Re-Injury

Approximately 23,000 ankle sprains occur daily in the United States, and about one half require some form of medical treatment. Research has shown that athletes are twice as likely to re-injure their ankle within one year. According to a study in the British Medical Journal, athletes with ankle sprains who receive additional proprioceptive training after [...]