The elastic resistance bands were attached to a TheraBand® extremity strap at one end and secured to a stable surface with an in-line force transducer (Kistler Instrument Corp, Amherst, NY). 18, 19 Different colors represent progressive thickness of bands, which result in increasing levels of resistance. Prior to testing, yellow, red, green and blue elastic resistance bands (TheraBand®, Performance Health, Akron, Ohio) were cut to 50cm and pre-stretched 50 times to 100% elongation to pre-condition and develop an initial resting length of the bands. It was hypothesized that an increased elongation of progressive resistance bands would proportionately increase the %MVC of the shoulder musculature. The purpose of this study was to measure EMG activity and %MVC during shoulder flexion, external rotation and abduction isometrics at varying lengths of consecutive resistance levels of elastic resistance. Therefore, it is proposed that using an active isometric technique with elastic resistance can assist in accurately predicting what percent of maximum voluntary contraction (% MVC) will be produced during isometric flexion, abduction, and external rotation of the upper extremity.Īctual force production and muscle activation, as measured by EMG levels using elastic resistance during isometrics, has not been described and needs to be examined. 17 Patients’ perceptions of their effort may not always correlate with the force that they are actually producing. 17 Patients will typically utilize their sense of “effort” rather than their sense of “force” when trying to produce a submaximal contraction. 17 The biomechanical factors that determine muscle force include muscle length, shortening velocity, activation history and current activation. 15, 16 A person's ability to continually reproduce a target muscle contraction, regardless if it is maximal or submaximal, is inconsistent. The reported force production may be influenced by the sincerity, motivation and pain level of the patient.
10, 14, 13 The challenge with performing these early-stage isometric exercises is the ability of the patient to accurately estimate the force being used to complete an exercise. 11, 13 Isometric exercises are regularly implemented by physical therapists for rehabilitation because they can often provide a controllable and safe training stimulus for patients with limited range of motion.
SHOULDER ISOMETRIC EXERCISES PDF FULL
4, 5, 9, 12, 13 These programs progress from early isometric exercises to more advanced isotonic exercises in an effort to return the patient to full function. 9, 11, 12 Within each phase there is a gradual progression of rotator cuff loading based on muscle activation during specific exercises.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Rehabilitation guidelines for glenohumeral pathologies are typically divided into multiple phases.
Several authors have documented the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the glenohumeral musculature during common therapeutic shoulder exercises.
Rehabilitation programs for various shoulder conditions such as rotator cuff repair, stabilization procedures and glenohumeral impingement, emphasize the importance of a progressive rotator cuff strengthening program.