Fast-forward to 2003 and The Hygenic Corporation's Thera-Band product group is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Although some consumers may not be familiar with Thera-Band brand products, just about every professional rehabilitation specialist, physician and athletic trainer is. And anyone who has gone through a regimen of physical therapy using those big, elastic bands or those giant exercise balls has more than likely been using a Thera-Band product. For 25 years, Thera-Band products have been recognized internationally for their quality and effectiveness, and they can be found in almost every therapy or training facility, from junior high school all the way through professional sports teams and major hospitals. Thera-Band elastic resistance bands and tubing are endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and Thera-Band exercise bands have received the National Health & Wellness Member Tested Seal of Approval.

"The research behind our products has been a major factor in our success," said Mark Anderson, director of marketing. "Physical and occupational therapists, as well as athletic trainers want evidence of a product's effectiveness, and they want variety in the exercise programs with protocols and outcomes they can depend on. Not only are Thera-Band products clinically proven, but exercise programs have been developed for specific treatments, such as shoulder rehab, knee osteoarthritis and specific muscle-group strengthening."

In 1999, the company founded the Thera-Band Academy, an international organization composed of leading physicians, therapists, athletic trainers, exercise specialists, and university faculty to identify research objectives and to develop an international body of knowledge on treating and preventing injuries and disease through various types of exercise. Since its formation, the Thera-Band Academy has compiled articles from more than 200 clinical trials on topics including osteoarthritis, fall prevention, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and cardiac rehabilitation among others.

The Thera-Band Academy offers considerable resources online for both professionals and consumers, accessed through its website at www.Thera-BandAcademy.com. This site includes educational workshop information and registration, research study bibliographies, free instructional guides that can be downloaded, newsletters, and much more.

The Thera-Band product line today includes rehabilitation and therapy products in elastic resistance bands and tubing, exercise balls, flexible bars, stability trainers, exercise mats, hand exercisers, aquatic buoyancy and resistance bars and fins, in-use videos, and sport-specific exercise kits.  The newest entry into the family of Thera-Band products is Soft Weights. Soft Weights are hand-held and ball-shaped isotonic weights that allow users to follow the same progression as bands in resistive training and rehabilitation programs without changing grip or technique.

As Hygenic Corporation prepares its Thera-Band products group for the next 25 years, it intends to build upon the strong support of the professionals by making it more accessible to consumers. Thera-Band products have always been available through an international network of rehabilitation, exercise and sports product distributors; but now they can be purchased through many online and retail outlets.