Effect of a "T-Band" Kick Training Protocol on Postural Sway

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a resistive tubing kick training protocol on postural sway in uninjured collegiate wrestlers. An experimental group (n = 10) performed a progressive resistive tubing kick training protocol three times per week for 6 weeks. A control group (n = 9) performed no resistive tubing training during the 6 weeks. Postural sway (stability index) was assessed before and after the 6-week training period. ANOVAs demonstrated no significant interactions, although significant main effects were found for group and eye condition. The experimental group demonstrated less postural sway than the control group regardless of training, and postural sway was greater with the eyes closed than with the eyes open. Resistive tubing kick training does not significantly improve postural sway in healthy collegiate wrestlers. Further research should examine the potential benefits of proprioceptive training using a greater intensity of training and/or using subjects who have a greater potential for improvement. Article: Proprioceptive exercises are commonly used in treating lower extremity injuries such as knee and ankle sprains. Repeated stresses on these joints can result in ligamentous laxity and proprioceptive impairment (1, 4, 11). This impairment causes inadequate feedback to the brain, which could increase the risk of injury. The use of proprioceptive rehabilitation exercises is essential to increase proprioceptive feedback to the brain. Many authors have investigated the effects of proprioceptive rehabilitation on the lower extremity (2, 3, 5, 9, 11), but none have investigated the effect of resistive exercise on postural sway. The terms related to proprioception and postural sway as used in the literature are confusing (7). Proprioception has been defined as "the ability to receive input from muscles, tendons, and joints and to process that information in a meaningful way in the central nervous system" (6, p. 72) Proprioceptive feedback to the brain contributes to the body's ability to maintain postural stability. Many proprioception exercises are used in clinical settings. The simplest is a modified Romberg test (stork stand) position in which the subject stands on the injured leg and balances for a specified duration. The stork stand can be performed initially with eyes open and then progress 1 Andrew G. Baker is with HealthSouth Sports Medicine in Roseville, MN, and was a master's student at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, at the time of this study. William G. Webright is a doctoral candidate in sports medicine at the University of Virginia. David H. Perrin is with the Department of Human Services, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia. Direct correspondence to David H. Perrin, University of Virginia, Memorial Gymnasium, Charlottesville, VA 22903. to eyes closed on stable or unstable surfaces. Balance boards consisting of platforms with uniplanar or spherical attachments are also commonly used. Tomaszewski (8) advocated the use of a Tband in proprioceptive rehabilitation to stimulate neuromuscular activity and increase ankle stability. Subjects stood balanced on the injured limb and performed kicking motions with the uninjured extremity against T-band resistance. The kicking motion was used to stimulate proprioceptors around the injured extremity in response to positional changes of the body's center of gravity (11). No research is currently available regarding the use of resistive tubing and its effect on postural sway. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resistive tubing training on postural sway. It was our hypothesis that postural sway would decrease following a 6-week resistive tubing kick training program that challenged unilateral standing balance.