A new exercise called the “Reverse Tyler Twist,” which uses the FlexBar from Thera-Band, was found to be effective at reducing pain for patients suffering from golfer’s elbow. Researchers from the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City conducted a study of 20 patients with golfer’s elbow. Of the 20 patients, 18 were competitive athletes and 70% were golfers, and all study participants had been unsuccessful in reducing their pain through conservative treatments such as medication, according to a Performance Health news release.

The Reverse Tyler Twist is a variation of the Tyler Twist, an exercise that uses the FlexBar that has been shown to significantly improve strength and reduce pain for persons with chronic tennis elbow. Timothy Tyler, PT, ATC, lead research author, explains, “The success and popularity of the ‘Tyler Twist’ led us to develop and evaluate an exercise for golfer’s elbow.”

Each participant in the study received an average of 12 physical therapy sessions over a 6-week period, which consisted of stretching, massage, ultrasound, heat, and ice. In addition, the participants used the Thera-Band FlexBar to perform the Reverse Tyler Twist for three sets of 15 repetitions with 60 seconds of rest in-between sets. On days they did not have physical therapy, the patients performed the exercise twice a day until they felt discomfort.

The Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Head (DASH) reporting scale was used to measure patient improvement. The DASH scale is a self-report questionnaire used by patients to rate their symptoms as well as their ability to perform certain activities.

The results of the study revealed that the patients’ DASH scores notably improved by 77% over the 6-week study period. The Performance Health news release notes that the researchers concluded that the Reverse Tyler Twist, when prescribed at three sets of 15 repetitions daily over 6 weeks, seemed to be an effective treatment in the majority of patients who had already failed a previous intervention of this condition.

Tyler states, “Additional benefits of this treatment are many. It can be performed as part of a home exercise program, it doesn’t involve continued medical supervision or expensive equipment, and treatment dosage is not limited by the patient needing to come to a clinic. All of these greatly reduce the costs associated with treatment.”

[Source: Performance Health]