Medical sandbags were, and still are, used in rehabilitation. For patient positioning, sandbags provide weighted support, giving the physiotherapist a third hand to keep the trunk or limb/s in a preferred position. For strengthening they provide weighted resistance that can wrap around curved wrists and ankles, or be thrown, caught and kicked. Sandbags placed on the head are used as feedback resistance for posture exercises. Sandbags with loops or eyelets were attached by ropes to a Guthrie Smith suspension frame to counterbalance the weight of a limb. Similarly, attached to head harness and rope, neck traction could be applied using a sandbag to provide the weight.
Sandbags were once hand made from thickly woven cotton and filled with builder’s sand. Different coloured cotton denoted different weights. For weight training they used to be attached to a limb with crepe bandages. Today, with infection control in mind, they are made with medical grade vinyl or nylon; anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, tear and stain resistant, they may be filled with glass beads and be fastened with Velcro straps. Sandbags are available in a range of sizes from just a few ounces/grams to several pounds/kilograms.
Description provided by Catherine Sykes of Australia
