Research and News
Posts tagged osteoarthritis
Active Aging Today Series: Thera-Band Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis and Replacement
Dec 28th
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Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis and Replacement by Dr. Phil Page
Hip osteoarthritis and replacement are often associated with residual weakness of the hip muscles. Thera-Band Resistance Bands and Stability Trainers are often used for hip osteoarthritis programs both before and after hip replacement. Download and read the article with exercises here.
REFERENCE: Page P. Exercises for people with hip osteoarthritis and hip replacement. Active Aging Today, 1(4), 2010. Available online here
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Hip Osteoarthritis Resource Center here
Knee osteoarthritis exercise with Stability Trainers reduces pain and increases strength and function
Nov 11th
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 (soft) stability trainers were used to progress the levels of instability. The exercise group had an 88% adherence rate, 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 >
Exercise as good as surgery for knee arthritis
Mar 31st
Knee osteoarthritis affects millions around the world with pain and disability. There is no known cure for arthritis, and the course of treatment is based on symptom management through medication, surgery and physical therapy. Some arthritis sufferers believe that exercise may cause more harm than good, and typically opt for arthroscopic surgery to ‘clean-out’ the knee. In addition to the cost of surgery, there are obvious risks. Despite the high number of arthroscopic surgeries for knee arthritis (also known as “debridement”), little evidence supported its efficacy.
Researchers from the University of Western Ontario in Canada performed a randomized controlled trial (the highest level of evidence) on 190 patients with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. Their goal was to determine if physical and medical therapy was as effective as arthroscopic surgery. The exercise program lasted for 12 weeks, including one hour per week supervised by a therapist, and daily exercise twice a day. After the 12 weeks, the patients continued their home programs unsupervised.
The researchers found that physical therapy, including Thera-Band exercises was as effective as arthroscopic surgery for treating knee osteoarthritis. Both groups had similar outcomes for pain and function after a 2 year follow-up. The results, published in the New More >
