Closed kinetic chain rehabilitation for sports injuries.

Closed chain techniques can increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation protocols because they allow more normal physiologic activations and biomechanical motions, especially in the early rehabilitation phase. They have been shown to be effective in knee/leg rehabilitation, but are also useful in shoulder/scapula rehabilitation. Facilitation patterns allow muscles to be activated in normal sequences, but also allow them to be isolated to recover their normal strength. Closed chain exercises are an integral part of accelerated rehabilitation programs.