Research and News
Posts tagged EMG
Exercises after Achilles tendon reconstruction: an EMG-based progression
Oct 13th
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Post-operative rehabilitation depends on 3 people: the surgeon, the patient, and the therapist. Obviously, the surgeon must be technically proficient, the patient must be compliant, and the therapist must promote healing without damaging the surgical repair. Orthopedic surgeons often have therapists follow specific rehabilitation protocols, usually based on tissue-healing timeframes.
Tim Tyler PT ATC
Prescribing therapeutic exercise at the appropriate dosage is essential since some tissue stress is necessary to facilitate proper healing; however, too much stress can damage the repair. Little is known about the stresses to tissues during Achilles tendon exercises. Thera-Band® Academy Scientific Advisory Board member Tim Tyler, PT ATC presented EMG analysis data on common Achilles exercises at the 2011 TRAC Annual Meeting.
Ten healthy subjects performed several common exercises, including Thera-Band resisted plantar flexion. The EMG activation levels are reported as a percentage of a maximal contraction:
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Thera-Band Plantar Flexion
Seated toe raise : 11%
- Single-leg balance on Wobble Board : 25%
- Prone ankle pumps : 38%
- Plantar flexion with red Thera-Band exercise band : 45%
- Walking : 47%
- Lateral Step-up : 60%
- Single leg heel raise : 112%
- Single leg jump : 112%
While EMG levels are not a direct measure of More >
A better exercise for trapezius muscle balance?
Aug 29th
Trapezius muscle balance is important for normal shoulder function. Often in patients with impingement, the lower trapezius is much weaker than the upper trapezius. Traditional exercises to strengthen the lower trapezius such as prone shoulder flexion may cause further impingement, creating a “catch 22” for clinicians: Is there a better exercise for the lower trapezius that doesn’t impinge the shoulder?
Scientific Advisory Board member, Sue Falsone, PT, ATC, Vice President of Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix presented a pilot study of EMG activation of the upper and lower portions of the trapezius muscle during prone flexion with a cuff weight and 3 novel Thera-Band® tubing exercises at the 13th annual TRAC meeting in San Francisco, California.
The “vector” principle of elastic exercise prescription creates vectors of resistance more specific to muscle function. Vector exercises for lower trapezius were developed to create a line of resistance in the direction of the fibers of the lower trapezius, and in the opposite direction of its action of retraction and depression.
In Falsone’s pilot study, 10 healthy subjects without shoulder pain performed these 4 exercises in random order while Noraxon surface EMG data was captured and then normalized to a maximal contraction:
- Prone shoulder flexion with 3 pound cuff weight
- Vector scapular retraction More >
Danish researchers feature Thera-Band tubing at ACSM
Jun 8th
Part 2 of “Thera-Band Academy well-represented at ACSM annual meeting”
Dr. Lars Andersen presents his poster at ACSM 2011
Researchers in Denmark led by Dr. Lars Andersen have shown that Thera-Band® elastic tubing exercises can significantly reduce shoulder-neck pain. 198 individuals with shoulder-neck pain were randomly assigned to a 2-minute or 12-minute per-day exercise group with Thera-Band exercise tubing with handles. They performed the exercises during their working hours, 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Both groups significantly improved their pain, tenderness and strength. The authors concluded that as little as 2 minute sessions of progressive resistance training per day with Thera-Band tubing results in clinically-relevant reductions in shoulder-neck pain and tenderness. The ACSM issued a press release about this study when it was presented at the meeting. Visit the Neck Pain Exercise page at Thera-BandAcademy.com that describes their study.
Dr. Andersen’s colleagues wanted to determine the physiological effects of different types of elastic resistance training by comparing a high intensity (3RM) exercise with a set of repetitions to failure using a lower resistance level. 15 healthy females performed a lateral raise with Thera-Band Tubing while the EMG level of their neck and shoulder muscles were measured. They found that high levels of muscle activation 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 >
