Research Trends Featured in the Journal PNF and Movement: 2018-2021

Purpose: This study focused on reviewing articles published in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) and Movement to identify the current research trends featured in the journal. Methods: First, the most frequently used keywords in the 193 studies published in 2018 volume 16, issue 1, to 2021 volume 19, issue 3, were identified to determine the popularity of different topics. Information on the following parameters was collected for each study: research type, level of the study, research topic, diagnosis, application of PNF, and techniques applied. Results: Over the four-year period reviewed, "stroke" was the most frequently used keyword, followed by "balance" and "PNF." In terms of research type, observational analytical studies were the most frequently reported (52.85%), and experimental studies were the second-most common (37.82%). Regarding the research level, it was found that level 5 studies were the most frequent, at 49.74%, and level 2 studies accounted for 28.5% of the publications. Most of the studies stated "stroke patient" (26.42%) as the study diagnosis, except for the studies that recruited healthy people (36.79%). The majority of studies did not implement PNF treatments (15.54%), but a combination of isotonic techniques was most commonly used when PNF was applied. Conclusion: A broad range of topics and types of studies have recently been featured in the journal, including neurological impairments and musculoskeletal disorders. The findings of this review provide insight into future research trends and the direction of the journal PNF and Movement.

PNF and Movement 학술지의 연구 동향: 2018년부터 2021년까지