Research and News
Posts tagged thera-band
Thera-Band® program helps improve lower extremity strength and biomechanics in female athletes
Feb 1st
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears occur in about one in every 3000 Americans; 80% of these injuries are non-contact, often requiring surgical reconstruction. Female athletes have a higher incidence of ACL injury, likely due to biomechanical differences compared to males. Research has focused on exercise programs that help improve these biomechanics in order to prevent ACL injuries. Dr. Dan Herman MD, PhD received a research award from Thera-Band Academy to investigate the effects of a strengthening program on jump-landing biomechanics of female athletes at the University of North Carolina. The protocol utilized Thera-Band® elastic bands and exercise balls.
Initially, Dr. Herman published a study concluding that while the protocol was effective at improving strength, the biomechanics of the athletes remained unchanged. He concluded that strengthening alone was not sufficient, and set out to find what needed to be combined with the training program. His subsequent study combined the Thera-Band strengthening protocol with video-assisted feedback, and he compared the combined intervention to a group receiving feedback only. Dr. Herman and his colleagues found that the group receiving both feedback and strengthening improved their biomechanics more than the feedback-only group. The paper won the 2008 O’Donoghue award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, given to the best More >
Preventing shoulder impingement in overhead workers with Thera-Band® resistance bands
Jan 26th
Shoulder impingement is common in people who perform repetitive overhead work. For example, as many as 70% of construction workers report shoulder pain, compared to 25% of the general population. Physical therapy researchers studied shoulder pain in 240 construction workers. In their prospective study, ½ of the workers participated in a home exercise program designed to prevent shoulder injuries, while the other half served as controls. The home program included stretches and exercises with elastic resistance to strengthen the shoulder. Exercises were performed every other day, beginning with 3 sets of 10, progressed to 3 sets of 20. At the end of the 2 year study, the workers participating in the exercise program had fewer injuries than the non-exercising control group; in fact, the workers not performing the exercise program were 1 ½ times more likely to have a shoulder injury. An exercise program with Thera-Band elastic resistance may be beneficial in reducing shoulder injuries in overhead workers.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Shoulder Impingement resource center here.
Thera-Band® Exercises Increase Muscle Size in Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Dec 21st
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often have leg weakness due to reduced muscle size. Researchers in the UK examined the effects of a 10 week training program of progressive strengthening of the plantar flexors in 13 children with spastic CP. The children began with Thera-Band-resisted plantar flexion in long-sitting and progressed to standing heel raises. They performed 3 to 4 sets of exercises at a 6-12 Repetition Maximum (RM) resistance with a 2-minute rest between sets. Once subjects were able to perform 6 calf raises, they continued that exercise until they could perform 12. Each session started and ended with calf stretches in standing. Exercises were performed 4 times per week, including 3 sessions at home. After the 2 ½ month training program, muscle volume increased 14-17% and was maintained 3 months after training. Interestingly, while the participant’s strength increased, their functional measures did not. The authors concluded that strengthening interventions may be one of the most important interventions in the short term for children with CP in order to support long-term functional gains.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Cerebral Palsy Center Here
McNee AE, et al.. 2009 . Increases in muscle volume after plantarflexor strength training in children with spastic cerebral palsy . Dev Med More >
Home Exercises with Thera-Band® Beneficial for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Dec 17th
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects 100,000 in the UK, and about 250,000 in the US. Approximately 75% of MS patients have difficulty walking, which is often caused by weakness of the anterior lower muscles. This weakness in the tibialis anterior muscle leads to “foot drop,” a condition noted by the inability to lift the foot properly during ambulation. Thera-Band® Resistance Bands are often used to strengthen the tibialis anterior in patients using a foot drop exercise. Researchers in the UK investigated the effects of electrical stimulation to the anterior tibialis muscle compared to a home exercise program on walking performance in MS patients with foot drop. In the 18 week study, 44 MS patients were randomly assigned to either home exercise with simple equipment including Thera-Band Resistance Bands and cuff weights, or a group receiving functional electrical stimulation (FES). During FES, the muscle is stimulated with each step during ambulation, triggered by a foot switch. The exercise program was designed by physical therapists to improve pelvic and trunk stability, lower limb muscle length and strength, and balance and control of movement. Exercises were performed at home every day for 30 minutes, 1 to 2 times per day.
Download the Exercise Program for MS Patients with Foot More >
Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, and Knee Osteoarthritis Exercises with Thera-Band Products Featured in Active Aging Today
Nov 10th
The new online journal from Human Kinetics, Active Aging Today, recently featured Thera-Band® products in exercise programs for diabetes, fibromyalgia, and knee osteoarthritis. Each article provides scientific rationale and practical exercise programming, including an exercise handout in PDF format.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Diabetes Center here
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Fibromyalgia Center here
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Knee Osteoarthritis Center here
Active Aging Today (AAT) is an online multimedia journal for practitioners and administrators who lead and direct physical activity programs for older adults. The journal reports on practices and programs that successfully engage older participants. Each bimonthly issue provides practical articles written by experts in the field. For a limited time, you can register for a free, 3-month trial subscription to Active Aging Today. At checkout, just enter promo code AACCtrial to receive your discount. Click here to get your free trial subscription.
