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Background: Reducing rearfoot eversion is a commonly desired effect in clinical practice to prevent or treat musculoskeletal dysfunction. Interventions that pull the lower limb into external rotation may reduce rearfoot eversion. Objective: This study investigated whether the use of external rotation elastic bands, of different levels of stiffness, will decrease rearfoot eversion during walking. We hypothesized that the use of elastic bands would decrease rearfoot eversion and that the greater the band stiffness, the greater the eversion reduction. Method: Seventeen healthy participants underwent three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the rearfoot and shank. The participants walked on a treadmill with and without high- and low-stiffness bands. Frontal-plane kinematics of the rearfoot-shank joint complex was obtained during the stance phase of walking. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to compare discrete variables that described rearfoot eversion-inversion: mean eversion-inversion; eversion peak; and eversion-inversion range of motion. Results: The low-stiffness and high-stiffness bands significantly decreased eversion and increased mean eversioninversion (p≤0.037) and eversion peak (p≤0.006) compared with the control condition. Both bands also decreased eversion-inversion range of motion (p≤0.047) compared with control by reducing eversion. The high-stiffness band condition was not significantly different from the low-stiffness band condition for any variables (p≥0.479). Conclusion: The results indicated that the external rotation bands decreased rearfoot eversion during walking. This constitutes preliminary experimental evidence suggesting that increasing external rotation moments at the lower limb may reduce rearfoot eversion, which needs further testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elastic resistance bands (ERB) combined with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) are often used in resistance muscle training programs, which have potential effects on peripheral muscle strength. However, the effects of the combination of ERB and PNF on respiratory muscle strength warrant further investigation. Objectives: The assessment of the effects of PNF combined with ERB on respiratory muscle strength. Method: Twenty healthy, right-handed females were included. Subjects were randomized to either the resistance training program group (TG, n=10) or the control group (CG, n=10). Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and inspiratory pressure (MIP) were measured before and after four weeks of an upper extremity resistance training program. The training protocol consisted of upper extremity PNF combined with ERB, with resistance selected from 1 repetition maximum protocol. Results: PNF combined with ERB showed significant increases in MIP and MEP (p<0.05). In addition, there were significant differences between the TG and CG regarding ΔMIP (p=0.01) and ΔMEP (p=0.04). Conclusions: PNF combined with ERB can have a positive impact on respiratory muscle strength. These results may be useful with respect to cardiopulmonary chronic diseases that are associated with reduced respiratory muscle strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]