Academy Blog » prehab

Thera-Band® exercise program for total knee replacement featured in Lower Extremity Review

Dr. Phil Page — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:21:13 +0000

Ongoing research at the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University is investigating the effectiveness of Thera-Band® resistance band exercises before surgery for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). “Prehabilitation” consists of pre-operative exercises that are meant to improve strength and functional levels before surgery with the expectation of better rehabilitation and a faster recovery after surgery.

The TKA Prehab Program was recently featured in an article in the March 2010 edition of Lower Extremity Review. The program utilizes Thera-Band resistance bands, step-up exercises, and stretching exercises. A full-color printable handout of the program is available online.

Reference: Brown K et al. 2010. Preoperative exercise boosts TKA outcomes. Lower Extremity Review: March 2010.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Total Knee Replacement Center Here

“Prehabilitation” with Thera-Band® helps total knee replacement patients recover better

Dr. Phil Page — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:00:49 +0000

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 publication, Functional U. A pre-operative strengthening program with Thera-Band Resistance Bands can help improve function after total knee surgery compared to no pre-op training.

Visit the Thera-Band Total Knee Replacement Center Here

Improve function before knee replacement surgery through "prehab" exercise

Dr. Phil Page — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:03:16 +0000

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.