Hygenic Corporation has just announced the introduction of the new Thera-Band® Rehab and Wellness Station, a compact, total body rehab center designed to support practitioners in providing complete active-care support for their patients. The entire rehab system leverages the performance of the Thera-Band system of progressive resistance bands and tubing with some of the newest concepts for empowering patients to take a more active role in their health care.

In today's age of health care, chiropractic is changing. In the good ol' days, manipulation alone or even in conjunction with other passive therapies was considered the standard of care. But with current literature, we're finding out that active care, where patients play an active role in their treatment plan, typically will have the best outcomes.

Low-Tech Products

Current research clearly indicates the importance of exercise and mobility in the treatment of low back pain and also that bed rest and inactivity should play a relatively small part in treatment.¹ Evans et al found that manipulation and low-tech rehab was better than manipulation alone or manipulation and high-tech rehab for chronic neck pain patients.² Although outcomes were closely matched, patient satisfaction was the highest in the manipulation and low-tech rehab group. Bronfort et al also reported similar results that exercise and manipulation combined was more effective than either one alone.³

Many doctors of chiropractic today are also treating various extremity conditions, such as rotator cuff disorders, lateral epicondylitis, plantar fascitis, and other musculoskeletal conditions that require rehabilitation.

One of the most cost-effective ways to implement rehabilitation into your practice is through the use of low-tech products. These products require little space, are supported by the literature, and are inexpensive. Exercise balls, wobble boards/stability trainers, exercise stations, tubing and bands, and wall stations are great products that can address most conditions requiring rehabilitation. Wall-mounted and floor units are an excellent way to train many of the spine and extremity conditions we see in our offices regularly. Core strengthening for spine conditions and utilization of multiple resistance points for extremity conditions are a great advantage for wall units. Furthermore, the literature supports the use of progressive resistance for treatment of musculoskeletal conditions as well as for improvement of function and fitness.

Strength, Balance, and Core

The new Thera-band Rehab and Wellness Station is designed to take full advantage of in-clinic strength, balance, and core training. It features Thera-Band quick-connect resistance tubing, Stability Trainers, and the new Thera-Band Pro Series SCP Exercise Ball. The unit features not only the wall unit component, but also a base unit that offers several additional attachment points for bands and tubing to further facilitate a functional rehab component from the ground up. The base unit also has a recessed area to incorporate a Thera-Band exercise ball or the three levels of Thera-Band stability trainers for further core strengthening or proprioception training.

The wall system incorporates a unique 3-D, multiplane strength training for upper and lower extremities supported by the most extensive resistance tubing and accessory package available. In addition, the unit is supplied with head and waist straps along with extremity straps and handles to offer multiple options for your patient's rehab and wellness needs.

The Rehab and Wellness Station provides four-color wall posters with a total of 115 exercises, plus a Thera-Band Active Care Software CD containing more than 170 exercises of resistance bands or tubing, exercise balls, and balance boards. Health care providers can create custom patient printouts or make templates of the most frequent exercises prescribed.

The strength of the Thera-Band system is the consistency of being able to offer take-home bands and tubing in the same resistance levels as the patients have been using for their in-office training. This has been further streamlined and simplified with Thera-Band's offering of individual wrapped bands and dispenser boxes for the front desk area.

Most chiropractic offices can provide rehab services using space and cost-effective, low-tech rehab products. Of course, state and insurance regulations regulate licensed DCs' ability to perform, code, and get paid for these services, so it's important to know and implement these services appropriately. Implementation of rehabilitation into your practice is done most effectively when the treatment, coding, and documentation protocols are organized, standardized, and appropriate, and meet chiropractic/medical necessity. It's crucial to understand the timed codes that are being billed and the necessary clinical intervention and appropriate documentation that is required.

One of the great advantages of these products is home exercise compliance. Many patients will want to purchase these products for home use to maintain their clinical progress. Patient education on their home plan (maintenance of gains) and their in-office (continued functional improvement and fitness) plan helps them understand why they are participating in both an in-office rehabilitation program and a home exercise program.

Make It Fun

Lastly, in-office rehabilitation using low-tech rehab products is fun. Patients see greater and more rapid improvement, and begin the steps of understanding how improving strength, flexibility, and proprioception helps them feel better and reduce the risk of reinjury.

In addition to maintaining his private practice as CEO of Sport and Spine Rehab with numerous multidisciplinary clinics in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC area, Jay S. Greenstein, DC, CCSP has been a recommended provider for the National Football League Players Association for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens since 1997. He shares a strong belief in patient education and empowering patients to improve the quality of their health and lives. Contact him at .

References

1. Twomey L, Taylor J. Exercise and spinal manipulation in the treatment of low back pain. Spine. 1995 Mar 1;20(5):615-9.
2. Evans R, Bronfort G, Nelson B, Goldsmith CH. Two-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial of spinal manipulation and two types of exercise for patients with chronic neck pain. Spine. 2002 Nov 1;27(21):2383-9.
3. Bronfort G, Evans R, Nelson B, Aker PD, Goldsmith CH, Vernon H. A randomized clinical trial of exercise and spinal manipulation for patients with chronic neck pain. Spine. 2001 Apr 1;26(7):788-97; discussion 798-9.