• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.236-241
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• 2019

Lumbar stabilization exercise is a popular exercise method in recent clinicians, as it strengthens muscles around the spine and abdominal muscles, but there is a lack of research on the effects of pulmonary function and respiratory pressure. So, this study examined whether abdominal bracing exercise, a typical lumbar stabilization exercise, was effective in pulmonary function and respiratory pressure. In this study, a total of 20's 40 subjects were recruited and randomly divided into an abdominal bracing exercise group(n=20) and control group(n=20). Abdominal exercise group underwent 25 minutes of exercise. Pulmonary function and respiratory pressure values were measured to analyze respiratory function. As a results of the experimental group, there were significant improvements in FVC, FEV1, PEF and MEP(p<.05) and there was a significant difference in the comparison between groups, except the MIP. These results suggest that abdominal bracing exercise can be presented as effective exercises to improve respiratory function.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of stable and unstable surfaces on abdominal muscle thickness and changes in trunk muscle thickness in accordance with breathing methods during bridging exercises. METHODS: Bridging exercise on a stable surface, bridging exercise on an unstable surface, bridging exercise using a drawing-in maneuver on a stable surface, bridging exercise using a drawing-in maneuver on an unstable surface, bridging exercise using bracing on a stable surface, bridging exercise using bracing on an unstable surface. In sequence, the muscles' thickness was measured three times before and after each exercise, and the measured value was averaged. RESULTS: There were significant differences in internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles' thickness in the drawing-in maneuver in both stable and unstable surface (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in external oblique muscle's thickness in the bridging exercise in both stable and unstable surface. The type of surface did not have a significant influence on the abdominal muscles' thickness. CONCLUSION: As a result of the study, the drawing-in maneuver had a greater effect than bridging or bracing maneuver on muscle thickness. We suggest that drawing-in maneuver will be more effective in a person with a weak abdominal muscle.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.253-258
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of internal abdominis pressure(normal, hollowing and bracing) on trunk muscle activity during one leg bridge exercise. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Thirteen healthy adults (9 men and 4 women) were instructed to perform Internal abdominal pressure(IAP) control(Normal, Hollowing, Bracing) during one leg bridge. Electromyography (EMG) data (% Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction, MVIC) were recorded three times on both sides of the participant's Internal Oblique(IO), Effector Spinae(ES), and Multifidus(MF) muscles and the average value was analyzed. Results: As a result, Abdominal bracing one leg bridge (BOLB) group and Abdominal hollowing one leg bridge (HOLB) group showed significantly increased muscle activation of bilateral internal oblique, erector spinae and multifidus activation compared to the Normal one leg bridge (NOLB) group (p<0.05). Abdominal hollowing one leg bridge (HOLB) group had a significant difference in bilateral Internal oblique muscle activation in compared to the NOLB group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Bilateral internal oblique, erector spinae, and multifidus muscles activation in healthy adults at one leg bridge exercise showed greater activation at abdominal bracing. Therefore, in this study, IAP control can be used as an indicator of choice to the dysfunction with trunk muscle weakness and corrective exercise subject's situation when the goal is to activate the trunk muscles by performing one leg bridge.

• Advanced Industrial SCIence
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.16-24
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• 2023

Purpose: This study was conducted to find out the immediate effect on dynamic balance through Abdominal hollowing exercise and Abdominal bracing exercise. Method: 90 healthy male and female students in their 20s were surveyed and measured using Y-balance test and Functional reach test. Result: In the dynamic balance Test between groups, there was a statistically significant difference between the group that performed Abdominal hollowing exercise and the control group. Conclusion: Although both representative spinal stabilization exercises Abdominal hollowing exercise and Abdominal bracing exercise are meaningful in increasing dynamic equilibrium, it is difficult to suggest that any method is more effective in terms of immediate effects.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.245-252
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the abdominal muscle activity difference while performing the abdominal bracing technique focusing on inspiration (abdominal bracing group), the general abdominal bracing technique (general bracing group), and the abdominal hollowing technique (abdominal hallowing group) Design: A cross-sectional study design. Methods: Thirty-three healthy participants were recruited for this study. The participants were allocated to 3 different groups; Abdominal bracing group, general bracing group, and abdominal hallowing group. The surface electromyography was placed over the rectus abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles to collect the activation of abdominal muscles during the trial. Results: The muscle activity of the abdominal bracing group and general bracing groups was significantly higher in all abdominal muscles than in the abdominal hollowing group (p<0.05) Both rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles showed higher muscle activations in the abdominal bracing group over the general bracing group (p<0.05). However, the ratio of bilateral external obliques and rectus abdominis to bilateral internal obliques was highest when the hollowing technique was applied (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of study showed the abdominal bracing technique that emphasized inhalation rather than the abdominal hollowing technique or general abdominal bracing technique increased the activity of the abdominal muscles. Therefore, this study is considered to be a data for effective training if the abdominal bracing technique that emphasizes inhalation is applied as a method to increase the activation of the abdominal muscles.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.2178-2183
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• 2020

Background: Trunk flexor-extensor muscles' co-activation and upright posture are important for spinal stability. Abdominal bracing and maximal expiration are being used as exercises to excel torso co-contraction. However, no study has on comparison of the effect of this exercise on multifidus in the upright sitting posture. Objectives: This study aims to verify the effectiveness of abdominal bracing and expiration maneuvers in lumbo-pelvic upright sitting. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Eighteen healthy women were recruited for this study. The multifidus muscle thickness of all subjects was measured in three sitting conditions (lumbo-pelvic upright sitting, lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with abdominal bracing, and lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with maximum expiration) using ultrasound. One-way repeated measure analysis of variance was used for the evaluation. Results: Compared to lumbo-pelvic upright sitting, lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with abdominal bracing and lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with maximum expiration were associated with significantly increment of muscle thickness. There was no significant difference in muscle thickness between lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with abdominal bracing and lumbo-pelvic upright sitting with maximum expiration. Conclusion: Abdominal bracing and maximum expiration could be beneficial to increasing lumbar multifidus thickness in lumbo-pelvic upright sitting.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the abdominal bracing (AB) and abdominal bracing combined with ankle dorsiflexion (ABDF) on abdominal muscle thickness and strength in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). Design: Two group pretest posttest design. Methods: Sixteen subjects were divided randomly into two group: ABDF group (n=8), and alone AB group (n=8). The ABDF group practiced AB exercise with additional ankle dorsiflexion. AB group practiced only AB exercises. Subjects in both groups received ABDF exercise and AB exercise for 40 min per day, three days per week during a period of three weeks, respectively. All the subjects were evaluated for abdominal muscle thickness and strength before and after intervention using ultrasonography and MedX machine. Results: The external oblique (EO), internal oblique, transverse abdominis (TrA) muscle thickness and the strength produced at $48^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, $72^{\circ}$ showed a significant increase in the ABDF group after intervention, with a more significant improvement in EO and TrA muscle thickness in the ABDF group compared with the AB group (p<0.05). Also, the strength at $48^{\circ}$ strength showed a significant improvement in the ABDF group than the AB group (p<0.05). Conclusions: The study results showed that abdominal muscle contraction exercises with AD in patients with LBP had an influence on abdominal muscle thickness and strength. Therefore, these findings suggest that ABDF may be useful approach for enhancement of abdominal muscle thickness and strength in patients with chronic low back pain.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.68-76
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• 2017

Background: Abdominal bracing exercise (ABE) and abdominal hollowing exercise (AHE) improve the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function in various patients, yet the efficacy of ABE or AHE have not yet been evaluated. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function during both ABE and AHE in healthy adults. Methods: The study included 40 healthy adults, who were randomly divided into the experimental group and control group, each with 20 subjects. All subjects performed ABE (experimental group) and AHE (control group). The lumbar flexibility such as trunk flexion test (sitting and standing position) and schober test and pulmonary function such as the spirometer including forced vital capacity (FVC) and force expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) and chest circumference measurement (middle and lower chest) were measured, respectively. Two-way repeated analysis of variance was used to compare the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function, respectively. Results: No significant effects of lumbar flexibility were observed on trunk flexion test from the sitting position (P=.478) and standing position (P=.096) in the ABE than in the AHE. However, the length of ABE was longer significantly than it of AHE (P=.024). No significant effects of lung function were observed on the FVC (P=.410) and $FEV_1$ (P=.072) in the ABE group than in the AHE group. And also, no significant effects of chest circumference measurement were observed on the inspiration (P=.468) and expiration (P=.563) in middle chest circumference and inspiration (P=.104) and expiration (P=.346) in lower chest circumference. Conclusion: This study indicated that the ABE is only more effective in lumbar flexibility by lumbar length difference than AHE in healthy adults.