Research and News
Posts tagged impingement
Thera-Band® exercise program successful in treating occupational shoulder impingement
Aug 6th
Several studies have shown that exercise programs including Thera-Band® resistance bands are effective at reducing the pain and dysfunction in patients with shoulder impingement. These patients often exhibit muscle imbalances of the scapular and rotator cuff muscles, leading to subacromial impingement. Overhead workers are particularly prone to shoulder impingement due to the demands of their job. Physical therapists in Brazil established a specific treatment program for 14 men in the school supply industry with chronic subacromial impingement syndrome averaging over 2 years duration of symptoms.
The 8-week program was performed and supervised by a physiotherapist in a treatment room at the work site twice a week. The patients were assessed for subjective pain and function before and after the program that include the following standardized sequence:
- Cryotherapy. Ice packs applied to anterior and posterior shoulder for 20 minutes
- Stretches. 3 sets of 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest between repetitions, performed on both shoulders for upper trapezius, posterior shoulder, and pectoralis minor (corner stretch)
- Thera-Band strengthening program: performed on both shoulders using progressive Thera-Band color-coded resistance bands . Participants began with mild tension on the band and stretched to approximately one-third the original resting length with 1 minute rest between sets for 3 sets of 10 More >
Exercises with elastic resistance more effective than passive shockwave treatment
Mar 24th
Shoulder impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain that responds well to active, therapeutic exercise. A more passive “shockwave treatment” has recently been used to treat impingement. This passive modality was compared with an active exercise treatment in shoulder impingement patients in Norway. The study published in the British Medical Journal compared 12 weeks of physiotherapy and home exercise using elastic tubing with 4 to 6 treatments of Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment (REST).
64% of the exercise patients and only 36% of the shockwave treatment patients had significant improvement in pain and disability, and more patients in the exercise group returned to work. Interestingly however, there were no significant differences between groups in function or range of motion.
This study is consistent with the findings of other studies that show elastic resistance exercises are effective as part of an active care approach to shoulder impingement that includes both clinic- and home-based exercises. Thera-Band® elastic resistance and patient kits are ideal to facilitate both clinical and home exercise programs.
Engebretsen K, et al. Radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment compared with supervised exercises in patients with subacromial pain syndrome: single blind randomised study. BMJ. 2009;339:b3360.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Shoulder Impingement Center Here
More > Preventing shoulder impingement in overhead workers with Thera-Band® resistance bands
Jan 26th
Shoulder impingement is common in people who perform repetitive overhead work. For example, as many as 70% of construction workers report shoulder pain, compared to 25% of the general population. Physical therapy researchers studied shoulder pain in 240 construction workers. In their prospective study, ½ of the workers participated in a home exercise program designed to prevent shoulder injuries, while the other half served as controls. The home program included stretches and exercises with elastic resistance to strengthen the shoulder. Exercises were performed every other day, beginning with 3 sets of 10, progressed to 3 sets of 20. At the end of the 2 year study, the workers participating in the exercise program had fewer injuries than the non-exercising control group; in fact, the workers not performing the exercise program were 1 ½ times more likely to have a shoulder injury. An exercise program with Thera-Band elastic resistance may be beneficial in reducing shoulder injuries in overhead workers.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Shoulder Impingement resource center here.
