Research and News
Posts tagged theraband
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.
Thera-Band® Academy Educates Polish Physiotherapists
Sep 24th
Polish physiotherapists are learning the latest techniques in therapy through a new program partnered with the European Union and Thera-Band® Academy in Poland. The EU is funding a professional development program to support continuing education courses approved by the Polish Society of Physiotherapy. “We will have over 120 hands-on workshops this year alone featuring Thera-Band® products on a number of topics, including functional band training, sensorimotor training, and Bruegger exercise,” said Josef Spalek, a physiotherapist who leads Thera-Band Academy in Poland. These courses are accredited by the Polish Society of Physiotherapy. Recently, Phil Page PT ATC, director of the Thera-Band Academy, gave a 2-day workshop in Warsaw on treating chronic musculoskeletal pain as part of the program using Thera-Band products. Page also presented a half-day workshop on Thera-Band elastic resistance and balance training at the First International Congress of Polish Rehabilitation, organized by the Polish Society of Physiotherapy and Polish Society of Rehabilitation. The congress celebrated 20 year anniversaries of each organization. Attended by over 1000 physiotherapists and rehabilitation physicians, the Congress was held Sept. 10-13, 2009 at the University of Economics and Computer Science in Warsaw.
Thera-Band Exercises for Tennis Players to Prevent Injuries
Sep 13th
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.
