Research and News
Posts tagged knee arthritis
Knee osteoarthritis exercise with Stability Trainers reduces pain and increases strength and function
Nov 11th
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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 More >
Home exercise with Thera-Band® tubing reduces knee pain in older Japanese women
Oct 19th
It’s been suggested that 25% of people over the age of 25 experience persistent knee pain (Peat et al. 2001); furthermore, it’s estimated that one quarter of adults with mild to moderate knee pain will develop severe or disabling pain within 3 years (Jinks et al. 2008). Several studies have shown that exercises with elastic resistance such as Thera-Band® resistance bands reduce pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (O’Reilly et al. 1999, Topp et al. 2002). Researchers in Japan investigated the effectiveness of home physical therapy exercises in community-dwelling females with mild knee pain.
42 elderly females with mild knee pain during activity were divided into 2 groups based on their home location (thus they were not randomized): non-exercising control group and a home exercise group. Each subject in the exercise group received 2 home visits by a physical therapist for instruction in an exercise program using Thera-Band resistance tubing for leg strengthening. Exercises were progressed as limited by pain and performed 3 times per week for 5 months.
After the program, the individuals in the exercise group significantly improved in their WOMAC score, which measures pain, stiffness and function in arthritis patients. In addition, they had less pain during More >
More evidence that “prehab” works for total knee replacements
Oct 13th
Total knee replacement is becoming more common for treating advanced knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville continue to research the effects of “prehabilitation” by providing exercises before total knee replacement surgery. He presented his current results at the 2010 Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting. “Pre-operative exercises for total knee replacement help speed post-operative recovery by increasing initial levels of strength and function,” Dr. Topp stated. The randomized controlled study examined 18 patients who were assigned either to a control group or a “prehab” group that performed Thera-Band strength and balance exercises, stepping exercises, and flexibility training. The prehab group performed significantly better than the control group on functional tests both before and after surgery. These findings suggest that exercises before total knee replacement surgery may help speed recovery, reduce recovery time, and reduce healthcare costs; their ongoing prehab study hopes to validate some of these answers.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Total Knee Replacement Resource Center Here
“Prehabilitation” with Thera-Band® helps total knee replacement patients recover better
Dec 4th
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is common in older adults, affecting about 4.3 million in the United States. Knee OA sometimes leads to joint replacement surgery in advanced stages of the disease – nearly a half-million total knee replacements are performed annually in the US. Researchers at the University of Louisville wanted to evaluate the efficacy of a pre-operative exercise program (“prehabilitation”) for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery. 54 older adults with knee OA were randomized into a control group (usual care) or an exercise group completing exercise 3 times per week (1 supervised session, and 2 at home). Patients used Thera-Band® Resistance Bands supplied by Thera-Band Academy.
Download the Total Knee Prehabilitation Exercise Program here
The study, published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, found that prehab participants significantly increased their leg strength and mobility after surgery, while the control group did not. At 3 months after surgery, the prehab group improved performance on all 4 functional tasks, in contrast to the control group who improved in only 2 out of the 4. Lead investigator, Robert Topp PhD RN, noted, “This Thera-Band exercise program definitely supports the theory of prehabilitation in total knee patients.” Dr. Topp published a similar summary article in the ICAA More >
Improve function before knee replacement surgery through prehab exercise
Apr 6th
Knee osteoarthritis affects about 4.3 million people in the United States, and nearly 400,000 knee replacements are performed each year. It’s been suggested that exercises performed before surgery help improve a patient’s recovery after surgery; this is known as “prehab,” or pre-surgical rehabilitation exercise. Researchers at the University of Louisville recently determined that prehab is effective at improving function both before and after total knee replacement surgery. Their prehab exercise program using Thera-Band resistance bands were featured in a new article published in Functional U, published by the International Council on Active Aging.
Topp R, et al. 2009. Improve function before knee replacement surgery. Functional U. 7(2):1-8.
