The 7 studies they reviewed included both wobble board training (3 studies) and multi-intervention including strength training, stretching, balance training, and specific exercises (4 studies). Both balance exercise or multi-intervention exercise programs can reduce specific injuries in young athletes participating in basketball, volleyball, soccer, team handball, hockey and floorball. Specifically, balance training reduced the risk of ankle sprains by 36%, and multi-intervention training programs reduced ankle sprain risk by 50% and reduced acute knee injuries by 54%.

Thera-Band stability products can easily be incorporated in pre-season and in-season balance training programs for teams of young athletes to potentially prevent ankle and knee injuries; however, the best dosage (sets, repetitions, etc) has yet to be determined by researchers.

REFERENCE Hübscher M, et al. Neuromuscular training for sports injury prevention: a systematic review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Mar;42(3):413-21.

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After 1 year, the researchers determined which women were compliant or non-compliant. The remaining women who had performed exercise irregularly were excluded (46 women) from analysis, leaving a total of 35 women in the analysis. The researchers found that those women who did not perform the exercises had a greater progression of poor posture, particularly increasing in thoracic kyphosis.

The researchers noted that these results are only applicable to relatively healthy women without spinal abnormalities. In addition, they suggested that women with symptomatic spinal stenosis should not perform these exercises. While these results are encouraging, poor compliance was an issue: only 18% consistently performed the exercises. An exercise program including Thera-Band® resistance bands may improve posture in healthy older women, but more research is needed on long-term effects and compliance.

REFERENCE Ball JM, et al. Spinal extension exercises prevent natural progression of kyphosis. Osteoporos Int. 2009 Mar;20(3):481-9.

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After the 6-month season, participants in the exercise group significantly improved their static balance and jumping speed. There was no difference in improvement between groups in their jump height or agility running speed. In addition, the researchers found 66% lowered risk for leg injuries in the exercise group (the authors published a separate article in the British Medical Journal in 2008). These studies show that an in-season neuromuscular training program including Thera-Band stability trainers, wobble boards, and soft weights can prevent injury and improve performance in female athletes.

REFERENCE: Pasanen K, Parkkari J, Pasanen M, Kannus P. Effect of a neuromuscular warm-up programme on muscle power, balance, speed and agility: a randomised controlled study. Br J Sports Med. 2009 Dec;43(13):1073-8. Epub 2009 Jul 20.

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Roll Out

Physical therapy researchers quantified the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the abdominals, latissimus dorsi, lower back, and quadriceps muscles during eight “core” exercises on the exercise ball in 18 healthy subjects. They reported their findings in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.

They found that the upper and lower rectus abdominus muscle were most activated during the roll-out (63% and 53% of maximum, respectively), and pike exercises (47% and 55%), while the internal and external obliques were most active during the pike (84% and 56% respectively) and skier exercises (73% and 47%). Not surprisingly, the lumbar paravertebral muscles, latissimus dorsi, and rectus femoris only produced low- to-moderate activity (less than 40% maximal activation) in all exercises.

Pike

Skier

The authors concluded that the roll-out and pike exercises on a Thera-Band exercise ball were the most effective exercises in activating the abdominals while minimizing low back and rectus femoris activation. In addition, these exercises produced more activation of the core muscles than a traditional crunch or sit-up.

REFERENCE: Escamilla R et al. Core muscle activation during swiss ball and traditional abdominal exercises. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 May;40(5):265-76.

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Researchers at the University of Toledo performed a systematic review of functional exercise interventions for their effectiveness. They identified 6 studies that met their criteria for the review, including 4 that used balance boards and elastic resistance strengthening. The researchers concluded that functional rehabilitation improves dynamic balance and self-reported function in patients with chronic ankle sprains. The exercise programs from the reviewed studies generally lasted 4 to 6 weeks and were performed 3 to 5 times a week. Finally, they pointed out that wobble board training in rehabilitation programs is “supported by the literature”; therefore, Thera-Band balance boards should be a standard component of chronic ankle instability rehabilitation program.

REFERENCE Webster KA, Gribble PA. Functional rehabilitation interventions for chronic ankle instability: a systematic review. J Sport Rehabil. 2010 Feb;19(1):98-114.

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