• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2018

Background: The continuous co-contraction of the trunk muscles through trunk stabilization exercises is important to patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). However, intentional abdominal muscle contraction (IAMC) for trunk stabilization has been used only for specific training in the treatment room. Objects: The purpose of this study was to provide feedback to adults with LSS to enable IAMC during activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods: The participants with spinal stenosis were divided into an experimental group of 15 adults and a control group of 16 adults. Electromyographic signals were measured while the subjects kept their both hands held up at $90^{\circ}$. The measured muscles were the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and erector spinae (ES). Pelvic tilt was measured using a digital pelvic inclinometer. The degree of pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional capacity was measured using the Korean version of the Oswestry disability index (KODI). Results: While the experimental group showed statistically significantly higher activities in the RA, EO, and IO after the intervention compared with the control group. Pelvic tilt was significantly decreased only in the experimental group. Both the experimental and control groups exhibited statistically significant declines in the VAS and KODI (p<.01). In terms of the levels of changes, the experimental group exhibited a statistically significant larger decline only in the VAS and the pelvic tilt when compared with the control group (p<.05). Conclusions: The subjects could stabilize their trunks, and relieve their pain and dysfunctions and reduce pelvic tilt by learning abdominal muscle contraction during ADLs. The combination of therapeutic exercises and IAMC may have greater effects on patients with LSS.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.11-16
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• 2015

Objective: Prone bridge exercise is one of the core strengthening exercise for improving abdominal, lower and upper extremity muscles. In addition, coactivation of the trunk muscles and extremities is important for treatment of low back pain. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the thickness, cross-sectional area of the target muscle, and endurance during prone bridge exercise. Our hypothesis was that an increase in muscle thickness is positively related to the hold time for the static prone bridge exercise. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fourteen healthy university students (8 men and 6 women) voluntarily participated in the study at Sahmyook University. Hold time for the prone bridge with one and both legs was measured. The resting and contracted thickness of the lateral abdominal, rectus femoris, and triceps muscles was measured using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging. The correlation between muscle thickness and endurance for maintenance time was evaluated. Results: The prone bridge with both legs and the contraction thickness of the triceps muscle showed a positive correlation (r=0.692, p<0.05); the prone bridge with one leg and the contraction thickness of the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles showed a positive correlation (r=0.545, 0.574, p<0.05, 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: Endurance for the prone bridge exercise with a stable support surface is correlated with the contraction thickness of arm muscles; the prone bridge exercise with an unstable support surface is correlated with the contraction thickness of the deep abdominal muscles.

• 대한통합의학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2021

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of single limb stance exercise according to the support surface on dynamic balance ability and abdominal muscle thickness. Methods : We recruited 28 healthy subjects in this study. Subjects were assigned to 2 groups by matching method. The control group was 5 males and 9 females, and single limb stance exercise was performed on the stable support surface. The experimental group consisted of 6 males and 8 females, and trained to stand on the unstable support. During the single limb stance exercise, the dominant foot was set as the foot that appeared numerically through the exercise of the dynamic balance meter (Biorescue). Single limb stance exercise along the supporting surface was maintained for 15 seconds and then rested for 15 seconds. It was repeated 5 times. Particularly, the balance exercise on the unstable support surface was sufficiently practiced. Independent t test was performed for comparison between groups. Paired t test was performed to compare before and after each group. Results : There was no difference between the control group and the experimental group in the comparison of dynamic balance ability (p>.05). However, there were significant differences before and after exercise in both the control and experimental groups (p<.05). Similarly, in the comparison of abdominal muscle thickness, there was a significant difference within each group, especially internal oblique and transverse abdominis (p<.05), and no difference between groups (p>.05). Conclusion : Based on these results, although there was no difference between the groups, in the experimental group, numerical increase in dynamic balance ability and abdominal muscle thickness was confirmed. Therefore, single limb stance exercise on the unstable support surfaces activates core muscles and has a positive effect on dynamic balancing ability.

• 대한임상전기생리학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different supporting surfaces on trunk muscle activities during core stabilization exercises. Methods : A total of 20 healthy college students participated in this study for 6 weeks. In this study, we divided participants into a stable surface exercise group and an unstable surface exercise group. Each group performed core stabilization exercises of Curl-ups, Bridges, and Quadrupedal position. Core stabilization exercises were performed 3 times a week for 30 minutes during 6 weeks. The stable surface exercise group used a yoga mat while the unstable surface exercise group used AERO step. This study was designed using pre-test and post-test measurements. We used Surface Electromyograpy (sEMG) to measure for the rectus abdominis, external abdominal oblique, and multifidus muscle of trunk muscle activities. Data was processed using a paired sample t-test on SPSS 18.0. Results : For the stable surface exercise group there was a meaningful improvement in left rectus abdominis, left external abdominal oblique, and right multifidus (p<0.05). For the unstable surface exercise group, a meaningful improvement was seen in the left external abdominal oblique and right multifidus. Conclusion : From the experiment, we concluded that differences in surface can make various degrees of improvement in muscles activities, which suggests patients can choose a better option under their own conditions when planning to have a core stability exercise.

• 대한물리의학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.53-63
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• 2022

PURPOSE: This study examined the changes in the thickness of the abdominal muscles, including the transversus abdominis, according to the set pressure applied by a pressure biofeedback unit during contractions of the hip adductor muscles. METHODS: After randomizing 40 healthy adult males in their 20 s and 30 s, the participants were instructed to match the pressure gauge indication of the pressure biofeedback device to continue contracting the hip adductor while maintaining it at 10 mmHg (low), 40 mmHg (medium), or 70 mmHg (high). The measurement was taken over five seconds using an ultrasound device. RESULTS: According to the contractile pressure applied to the hip adductor muscle, there was a significant difference in the muscle thickness change of the transverse abdominis muscle between 10 mmHg and 70 mmHg and between 40 mmHg and 70 mmHg. The muscle thickness ratio of the external oblique/abdominal muscle was significantly different between 10 mmHg and 70 mmHg and between 40 mmHg and 70 mmHg. CONCLUSION: Increased contraction pressure on the hip adductor muscle increases the muscle thickness of the abdominal transverse muscle. Interbody stability exercise with contractions of the hip adductor muscle is expected to help increase in the muscle thickness of the hip adductor muscle.

• 대한물리의학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.53-62
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a supplementary Ki-hap technique and verbal encouragement on the activation of abdominal muscles during performance of crunch exercise in healthy subjects. METHODS: 93 subjects were randomly allocated to three group, crunch exercise group (CG), crunch exercise with Ki-hap group (CKG), and crunch exercise with Ki-hap and verbal encouragement group (CKVG), with 31 subjects in each group, respectively. The interventions were conducted over three trials in each group, and measurements were performed on each subject by one examiner in three trials. The activation of rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and internal oblique (IO) muscles were evaluated using electromyography (EMG) during performance of crunch exercise with non-Ki-hap, Ki-hap and Ki-hap combined with verbal encouragement. RESULTS: Our results showed a significantly greater increase in the EMG patterns of all muscles during performance of crunch exercise in the CKG (p<0.05) compared to the CG and CKVG. The results also showed that there were significantly greater increase in the activation of EO and IO muscles in those of the CKVG (p<0.05) compared with the CG. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that addition of the Ki-hap technique and verbal encouragement during performance of crunch exercise, at the same time, would suggest positive evidence for improving activation of abdominal muscles.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.243-253
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of an abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) with a light load while sitting on transverse abdominis contraction in subjects with and without low back pain. Methods: In this study, 20 participants with chronic low back pain and 20 controls participated. Ultrasonography was used to assess the thickness of the external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles. Muscle thickness was measured at rest and during ADIM in three different sitting postures: (1) just sitting, (2) sitting loaded position (holding a 1 or 2 kg dumbbell in each hand), and (3) sitting loaded shoulder flexion position (holding a 1 or 2 kg dumbbell in each hand). Results: The contraction ratio (CR) and preferential activation ratio (PAR) of the TrA during ADIM had no significant interactional effect between the group and the sitting postures. However, the CR and PRA of the TrA during the ADIM showed significant differences among the three different sitting postures. The CR of the TrA during the ADIM in the sitting loaded shoulder flexion position was significantly increased compared to that in the sitting position (p<0.05). Moreover, the PRA of the TrA muscle during ADIM in sitting loaded and sitting loaded shoulder flexion positions was significantly higher than that in the sitting position (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that ADIM in the sitting-loaded shoulder flexion position should be implemented to facilitate TrA activity.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.189-196
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate electromyographic (EMG) activity of deep and superficial trunk muscles during trunk stabilization exercises with and without stabilization maneuvers. Methods: The relative muscle activity ratios and local muscle activities of 25 healthy males were measured using the 8 channel surface EMG system (Myosystem 1400A, Noraxon Inc., U.S.A). The surface EMG activities were tested during performing abdominal hollowing maneuver (AHM), abdominal bracing maneuver (ABM) and no stabilization maneuver (NSM) in random order. Data were analyzed using $1{\times}3$ repeated measures ANOVA. Results: During bridging exercises, the EMG activity ratio of transverse abdominis/internal oblique abdominis relative to rectus abdominis was significantly lower in NSM than in AHM and ABM. During bridging and kneeling exercises, the EMG activity ratio of multifidus relative to erector spinae was significantly higher in AHM than in NSM. Conclusion: The AHM can be clinically used by the physical therapist to activate selectively the trunk muscles when designing selective training programs for patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.175-180
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• 2017

Purpose: This study examined the effects of fast walking training on a treadmill on the spinal alignment and muscle thickness of normal adults. Methods: A total of 36 college students in their twenties participated in the study for eight weeks, and they were divided into the normal walking, fast walking, and speed change groups. All the groups were measured in a pre-test before training. The subjects performed exercise three times per week for six weeks. A post-test was conducted six weeks after training began, and a follow-up test was done two weeks after the training ended.Trunk and pelvic tilts were measured in Formetric 4D for the spinal alignment of the subjects. The muscle thickness was examined in the trunk with an ultrasound test. Repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to test the main effects and interactions among the measurement variables according to time and group. Results: Significant differences were observed in the pelvic tilt according to time. There were significant differences in the external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominal muscle according to time. The post-test results showed significant differences in the left external oblique, internal oblique muscles between before training, six weeks into training, and two weeks after the completion of training. There were significant interactions in the left oblique muscles according to the time and group. Conclusion: These findings have some value for patient rehabilitation and clinical applications and interventions through walking training.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.72-77
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of core exercise methods on muscle activation and muscle thickness in healthy young adults and to propose effective core exercise methods. Design: Three-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: A total of 30 healthy young adults (14 males, 16 females) voluntarily participated in the study. Subjects were randomized to the prone plank exercise (n=10), reverse plank exercise (n=10), or bridge exercise (n=10) groups. Muscle activity and thickness of the rectus abdominis (RA), multifidus (MF), external oblique (EO), and internal oblique (IO) muscles were measured using surface electromyography and ultrasound. Subjects from each group participated in the exercises five times a week, with five 20-second sets during week 1. The set time was increased by 10 seconds per week. Results: Muscle activity and thickness in the prone plank, reverse plank, and bridge exercise group were statistically significant different for RA, MF, EO, and IO changes over time, and interaction between time and groups were also significantly different (p<0.05). We analyzed statistically significant differences between groups using a one-way analysis of variance for each period. A significant difference was observed after 4 weeks of exercise (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that the prone plank exercise is a beneficial method for enhancing muscle activation and thickness of the RA, EO, and IO compared to the reverse plank and bridge exercises. On the other hand, the reverse plank and bridge exercises are effective methods for enhancing the MF compared to the prone plank exercise.