Academy Blog » tennis

ATP tour uses Thera-Band® products for their players

Dr. Phil Page — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:33:10 +0000

Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) member, Todd Ellenbecker, DPT, MS, SCS, OCS, CSCS was recently featured on a video demonstrating balance and agility exercises for tennis with Thera-Band products. Todd is the Director of Sports Medicine for the ATP Tour, and is the National Director of Clinical Research and Clinic Director of Physiotherapy Associates in Scottsdale. Learn more about the Thera-Band Stability Trainer, Band Loops, and Soft Weights that Todd recommends in the video.

You can also view the video at the ATP website here: Agility Training for Tennis with Thera-Band Products

For more information on purchasing Thera-Band products, contact your local healthcare distributor or visit our “Where to Buy” website to find a practitioner in your area who sells the products.

Thera-Band Exercises for Tennis Players to Prevent Injuries

Dr. Phil Page — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:29:02 +0000

As with all sports, tennis injuries are all too common. The repetitive nature of tennis predispose players to many injuries as a result of muscle imbalance. Believe it or not, tennis players suffer from lower extremity injuries more than shoulder injuries. Todd Ellenbecker DPT, MS, CSCS, Director of the Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic, recently published an article in Strength & Conditioning Journal on exercises to reduce injury risk in tennis players. In the August 2009 issue, Ellenbecker and his co-authors provided a list of exercises to help reduce injury risk for the shoulder, elbow, hip, and core in tennis players. The exercises dont require expensive machines or equipment; instead, portable and inexpensive Thera-Band® products are suggested including Thera-Band bands, tubing and loops, Thera-Band Soft Weights and Exercise Balls, and cuff weights. As Director of Sports Medicine for the ATP Tour, Ellenbecker and the international team of physiotherapists regularly use Thera-Band products for testing and training professional tennis players.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Tennis resource center here

New FlexBar Exercise: “Tyler Twist” effective for Tennis Elbow

Dr. Phil Page — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:20:02 +0000

Tim Tyler PT, ATC from Pro Sports PT in Scarsdale New York, investigated a novel exercise using the Thera-Band® FlexBar for tennis elbow. “We know that eccentric exercise is very effective at treating tendinopathies such as tennis elbow,” said Tyler. His exercise, the “Tyler Twist” involves eccentric wrist extension, and was easily performed at home for 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Compared to patients receiving standard treatment, those performing the FlexBar exercise along with standard treatment had significantly greater improvements in strength and pain. “We had to stop the study early because we didn’t feel it was ethical that people weren’t getting better on the standard treatment protocol alone, so we gave everyone the FlexBar exercise,” said Tyler. His findings were presented in July at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and received attention from the international press. “Using the FlexBar for tennis elbow is not only clinically effective, it’s cost-effective as well,” added Tyler. He presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Tennis Elbow Center here.

Best head position for Soft Weight shoulder exercise?

Dr. Phil Page — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:00:10 +0000

Todd Ellenbecker, DPT of Physiotherapy Associates in Scottsdale, Arizona sought to determine the best position for head during a commonly-prescribed shoulder exercise using Thera-Band® Soft Weights. Prone horizontal abduction and prone shoulder external rotation at 90° were performed with the head in three different positions: neutral and rotated toward or away from the exercising shoulder. Ellenbecker, director of Sports Medicine for the ATP tour commented, “We use this exercise quite a bit in our professional tennis players. This study will help us make better clinical decisions about our exercise prescription.”

Dr. Ellenbecker examined the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the upper trapezius during each exercise and found no significant difference in upper trapezius activation between head positions; however, the lowest level of activation was seen with the head rotated toward the exercising shoulder. “Since we would prefer to minimize activation of the upper trapezius muscle during this rehabilitation exercise, it appears best to have the patient turn the head toward the shoulder we are exercising.” said Ellenbecker. Dr. Ellenbecker presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.

Visit the Thera-Band Academy Shoulder Center Here.

Exercise with FlexBar may help treat tennis elbow

Dr. Phil Page — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:45:36 +0000

KEYSTONE, CO – People with pain in the elbow or forearm from playing sports or just from common everyday activities, might be able to use a Thera-Band FlexBar and strengthening exercise to alleviate pain, say researchers who are presenting their study results at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, July 9th-12th.

Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a common condition effecting nearly three percent of the general population, not just those who play tennis. “Our study illustrated that a novel exercise, using an inexpensive rubber bar, may provide a practical and effective means of adding isolated wrist strengthening exercises to a treatment plan,” said lead author Timothy F. Tyler, PT, ATC, Clinical Research Associate, of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City.

The study randomized 21 patients with tennis elbow into two groups. Both received the wrist extensor stretching, ultrasound, cross-friction massage, heat and ice for treatment. The eccentric training group performed isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening using the rubber FlexBar (Thera-Band, Akron OH) while the standard treatment group performed isotonic wrist strengthening exercises. Three sets of 15 repetitions were performed daily as part of a home program with intensity increased progressively during the treatment period. A variety of pain and movement scales were utilized to determine progress. Patients using the rubber bar had vastly better results on all scales, especially related to strength. In fact, given the consistently poor outcomes for patients in the standard treatment group, it was deemed appropriate to terminate the randomization with 21 of the intended 30 patients having already completed the study.

“Compared to other treatments for tennis elbow such as cortisone injections or topical nitric oxide which require direct medical supervision and often side effects, this treatment is not only cost effective but dosage is not limited by the patient having to come to a clinic,” said Tyler.

Click here to download the study and protocol

SOURCE: American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine