Research and News
Posts tagged neck pain
Thera-Band Exercises Featured for Muscle Balance in Bottom Line Secrets
Jan 5th
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our email updates for new blog posts. Thanks for visiting!
Bottom Line Secrets, a free e-newsletter, recently featured Dr. Phil Page in an article about simple exercises using Thera-Band resistance for muscle imbalance syndromes. He provides simple exercises for knee pain, hip pain, as well as upper back and shoulder pain… Read the entire article below.
Source: HealthyWoman / Bottom Line: December, 2010
Body-Balancing Workout for Pain-Free JointsWhen it comes to our muscles, stronger is better, right? Not necessarily. When one muscle is too strong compared to another, it creates an imbalance that leaves our joints vulnerable to inflammation, injury and pain.
According to physical therapist and certified athletic trainer Phil Page, PhD, PT, coauthor of Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance, as we age, certain muscles typically become overstretched, which weakens them… while certain other muscles tend to shorten, becoming strong but tight. Scientists aren’t sure why this happens (though poor posture is a likely factor), but they do know that it causes abnormal wear and tear on joints.
Example: In the shoulder joint, various muscles pull from different directions on the ball at the top of the humerus (upper arm bone). This keeps the ball More >
Thera-Band exercise protocol for chronic neck pain improves quality of life
Dec 15th
Dr. Jari Ylinen of Finland has published several studies using Thera-Band resistance bands for chronic neck pain, including articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Females with chronic neck pain have shown significant decreases in pain and significant increases in neck strength up to 2 years after his program. The exercises include dynamic-isometric cervical flexion, extension, and sidebending against black Thera-Band resistance bands. Patients also perform upper body dumbbell exercises. The program is initially performed for 12 days in a rehabilitation clinic, then at home for one year. Download the Thera-Band Chronic Neck Pain exercise protocol here.
In his most recent publication documenting the outcomes of his program, Dr. Ylinen and his colleagues investigated the effects of high-intensity Thera-Band resistance exercises on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain after one year of exercise. 180 female office workers with neck pain were randomly assigned to a strengthening exercise group, endurance training group, or control group. The strength training group performed the exercise described above, while the endurance group performed a 20-repetition head-lifting task and dumbbell exercises. Both groups also performed squats, back extension, sit-ups, and stretching.
After one year, both the Thera-Band exercise and endurance exercise groups significantly More >
Thera-Band® exercises reduce pain and improve muscle function in Air Force helicopter pilots
Aug 9th
It’s been estimated that 50% of military helicopter pilots experience neck pain in the previous year, likely due to the postural demands and helmet-mounted technology. Physical therapist researchers in Sweden investigated the effectiveness of a neck exercise program for Swedish Air Force helicopter pilots and reported their findings in Spine. They measured the incidence of neck pain and EMG activity of neck muscles during a cranio-cervical flexion test in 68 active-duty pilots that were randomly assigned to an exercise or control group.
An experienced physiotherapist supervised the exercises which were performed 1 to 2 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes with 2 to 4 exercises. The exercises were individually prescribed and progressed by the physiotherapist based on the pilots’ progress toward motor control and movement quality, rather than a specific number of sets and repetitions. Pilots progressed through a specific set of exercises over 6 weeks. Using Thera-Band resistance bands, the exercises gradually challenged the neck and shoulder muscle function from non-postural to postural exercises, and endurance-strength exercises. (Download the helicopter pilot exercise protocol here)
After the 6-week program, the exercise group significantly decreased their muscle activation levels (measured with EMG) of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle during the cranio-cervical flexion test More >
Thera-Band® resistance helps headache associated with neck pain
Jun 8th
Cervicogenic headaches, or headaches referred from the neck, occur in about 2.5% of adults. While most people treat their headaches with medication, research is showing that exercise may be a better long-term solution, particularly for chronic neck pain. Researcher Jari Ylinen MD, PhD from Central Hospital in Finland and his colleagues investigated the effects of Thera-Band® strengthening exercises and endurance exercises in patients with headaches and arm pain associated with neck pain. His findings were published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Previously, Dr. Ylinen published landmark studies showing Thera-Band cervical exercises “relieve or even completely eliminate pain and restore function in patients with chronic neck pain.” His most recent study investigated the same program in patients with neck pain and headaches. In the blinded, randomized controlled trial, 180 female office workers with head and neck pain were assigned to a strengthening group, endurance training, or control group.
Training methods. Both training groups started with 2 weeks of clinical rehabilitation and a home exercise program, 5 days per week. The endurance group exercised by lifting their head up from supine for 3 sets of 20, while the strengthening group used a dynamic isometric Thera-Band exercise in a sitting position for 1 set of 15 More >
Elastic bands effective at treating neck pain and whiplash
Mar 8th
“Whiplash” injuries are defined as sudden acceleration-deceleration of the head resulting in damage to the cervical spine. While most common in motor vehicle accidents (MVA), whiplash can occur as a result of other high-speed activities such as sports. Usually characterized by long-standing chronic neck pain and disability, studies have shown that patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) have specific patterns of muscle weakness and tightness. Exercise for whiplash and neck pain have been shown effective. Previous research by Dr. Jari Ylinen in Finland has shown that Thera-Band® resistance band exercises are effective at reducing chronic neck pain for up to 2 years. Click here to view Dr. Ylinen’s Thera-Band resistance band exercise protocol here.
Researchers in Norway wanted to compare 2 types of exercise programs on patients with whiplash. 25 patients were randomly assigned to a strength and endurance group or a “motor control” exercise group during 6 weeks of physical therapy. The motor control group performed 10 repetitions of deep neck flexor activation against an inflatable blood pressure cuff. The strengthening group used elastic bands to strengthen their neck muscles and dumbbells to strengthen the upper body. Each exercise was performed for 1 set of 15 to 20 repetitions; each session included a 5 minute More >
