• PNF and Movement
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2016

Purpose: This study examined whether a single application of a lumbar flexion muscle energy technique (MET) could significantly influence pain, functional status, and range of motion in chronic back pain patients with restricted active trunk flexion. Methods: Twenty volunteers were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. Ten subjects in the control group received no treatment. Ten subjects in the experimental group received five sessions with the muscle energy technique, five times per week for two weeks. Outcomes were measured before and after two weeks of treatment in both groups. Pain intensity was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Range of motion was measured using the sit-and-reach test (SRT). Functional disability levels were assessed using the Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (KODI). Results: The experimental group showed a significant difference in VAS, KODI, and SRT between pre- and post-treatment (p < .05), while the control group showed no significant changes. The changes in VAS, ODI, and SRT were statistically significant between the groups pre- and post-treatment (p < .05). Conclusion: This muscle energy technique is clinically effective for chronic low back pain patients.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.338-347
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• 2005

A computer-based low back muscle evaluation system was designed to simultaneously acquire, process, display, quantify, and correlate electromyographic(EMG) activity with muscle force, and range of motion(ROM) in the lumbar muscle of human. This integrated multi-channel system was designed around notebook PC. Each channel consisted of a time and frequency domain block, and T-F(time-frequency) domain block. The captured data in each channel was used to display and Quantify : raw EMG, histogram, zero crossing, turn, RMS(root mean square), variance, mean, power spectrum, median frequency, mean frequency, wavelet transform, Wigner-Ville distribution, Choi-Williams distribution, and Cohen-Posch distribution. To evaluate the performance of the designed system, the static and dynamic contraction experiments from lumbar(waist) level of human were done. The experiment performed in five subjects, and various parameters were tested and compared. This system could equally well be modified to allow acquisition, processing, and analysis of EMG signals in other studies and applications.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to present the IMU sensor based trunk stabilization exercise and to evaluate the changes in the muscle activity and thickness with non-specific low back pain patients (N=30). They were classified into two groups; lumbar stabilization exercise using IMU sensor (ILS), (n₁=20) and general lumbar stabilization exercise (GLS), (n₂=10). By comparing the difference between pre and post intervention via trunk muscle activity and muscle thickness, the significant differences were identified. Muscle activity was measured on external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and multifidus (MF) by using surface electromyography (sEMG). Muslce thickness was measured on external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominis (TrA), and multifidus (MF) by using ultrasonography. sEMG activity was recorded at right side-bridge position. Each group performed the proposed lumbar stabilization exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Trunk muscle activity was observed with a significant increase in the IO of ILS (p<.05) and a decrease in the MF of GLS (p<.05). Trunk muscle thickness was significantly increased in left EO and both IO of GLS (p<.05), and also significant increased right EO, both IO, both TrA, and both MF of the ILS (p<.05). In the future, a convergence approach of rehabilitation and engineering is needed to select a sensor suitable for rehabilitation purposes, study the validity and reliability of data, and produce appropriate rehabilitation contents.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

Continuous lifting and carrying of babies constitutes a serious physical burden, leading to issues such as muscle fatigue and pain in child-care workers. However, there is a lack of research on the pressure and subjective comfort of baby carriers that are commercially available in the market. Therefore, this study was intended to determine the most comfortable and least burdensome type of baby carrier. This was done by analyzing muscle activity and pressure when subjects carried babies using three types of baby carriers. The types of baby carriers evaluated included a 'baby carrier of thin shoulder straps without back support band (X-type)', a 'baby carrier with a back-support band and without a hip sheet (H-type)', and a 'baby carrier with back support band and hip support (H-hip type). The subjective comfort of subjects wearing each type of baby carrier was investigated and compared to the objectively measured data. As a result, the X-type baby carrier showed the heaviest pressure on the shoulders and the subjective comfort was found to not be good. On the waist region, the H-type and H-hip type baby carriers showed significantly less muscle activation than the X-type baby carrier. However, subjects showed a stronger preference for the X-type baby carrier on the waist region, despite greater muscle activation. This appears to be because although the back-support band disperses the weight and thus improves physiological comfort; the wearers feel cramped and thus, lower their psychological comfort.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.43-49
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• 2018

In this paper, we propose a taping therapy as effective intervention for patients with the back pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of taping intervention on the VAS evaluated score and he muscular activation degree among 119 paramedics with musculoskeletal injury. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, data was collected from 15 paramediecs in the paramedics department of 3 fire stations under J city's fire defense headquarters. The following results can be obtained by measuring the subjective, the back muscle strength and the buckling-anteflexion before and after the taping for 15 119 paramedics. Through the verification experiment of taping effect to paramedics during the stretcher lifting in this study the VAS evaluated score for the backache are $1.67{\pm}0.62$ before and $0.80{\pm}0.68$ after the application of taping which show statistically significant decrease(p<0.05). In the experimentof joint operation range the measured buckling anteflexion length are $14.62cm{\pm}4.89$ before and $16.41cm{\pm}4.11cm$ after the application of taping which show statistically meaningful difference(p<0.05). In the comparison of muscle activity about paramedics erector spinae(ES) shows the meaningful decrease and external obliques(EO) displays the significant increase. Erector spinae(ES) and internal obliques(IO) show the increasing trend in the muscle activity although they are not significant. the muscle activity for the erector spinae is lowered so that the contribution to the force required for the extensor during the stretcher lifting is resultingly reduced to have the effects of enhancing the activity of abdominal muscles.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. Methods: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultrasonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. Results: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdominis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p<0.05). No significant difference in the muscle thickness of both muscles was observed between the groups with the exception of the right abdominis (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of transverse abdominis in core muscles.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare chronic low back pain patients' pain provocation position so as to identify the relevance with lumbar stabilizing muscles atrophy and pain provocation position. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifty five chronic low back pain patients were participated in this study. Subjects were eligible for study participation if they were 35-55 years old and had experienced low back pain for more than 3 months. Subjects were questioned about pain and pain provocation test were done. And then they were inspected their cross sectional area (CSA) of lumbar muscles (erector spinae, iliopsoas, and multifidus) by using computed tomography. Analyze the relevance through the result data with painful area, aspect of pain and pain provocation position. Results: CSA of erector spinae showed significant decrease on ipsilateral extension position (p<0.05). Iliopsoas muscle showed significant decrease on contralateral position (p<0.05). Multifidus showed significant decrease on the position of contralateral extension and contralateral flexion (p<0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results of our study, it may be possible to evaluate muscle atrophy by assessing causing position.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.34-39
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to find out the evidence concerning the effectiveness of manual therapy intervention in the treatment of low back pain related to spondylolisthesis Methods : 12men with lumbar pain from L5~S1 spondylolisthesis of 2 or 3 grade were treated during 12-week period. The manual therapy applied twice per week. The results of back and radiating pain were measured by VAS, and abdominal muscle strength was measured by Power track II. The measurement of degree of slip in spondylolisthesis was confirmed by the lateral view of X-ray and took a measurements of the anterior displacement of a vertebral body in relation to the vertebral below. Results : 1. There was significant decrease in the back and radiating pain.(p<0.05) 2. There was significant increase in the abdominal muscle strength.(p<0.05). 3. There was significant decrease in the degree of the anterior displacement. Conclusion: The intervention of manual therapy for lumbar spondylolisthesis is effective in back pain, radiating pain, abdominal muscle strength and degree of the anterior displacement. So, nonsurgical treatment should be attempted before surgical treatment.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.63-71
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• 1998

Trunk holding test (Sorensen test) appear to have more value than strength test in prediction the occurrence of low back pain. Electromyographic activity of trunk extensor muscles during these test may provide clues to the etiology of neuromuscular-based low back pain. This study investigated the difference in back muscle endurance between healthy adult men and women using surface electromyographic (EMG) power spectral analysis. Thirty hea1thy subjects (15 men and 15 women) performed an unsupported trunk holding test for 60 seconds. Recording surface electrodes were placed over the erector spinae medially and laterally at vertebral levels of $L_1$ and $L_5$. Slope of total frequency was evaluated using the MP100WSW Fast Fourier Transform spectrum analysis program. The slopes of all indices of back muscle fatigue, except right $L_5$, were significantly steeper in men than in women (p<0.05). Our results indicated that the trunk holding test using EMG power spectral analysis of erector spinae muscles is useful for the evaluation of fatigue rate of these muscles. Our results also showed a higher muscle endurance in healthy adult women than in men.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 1993

In out-patient clinic, it seems to be common that most back pain arise from muscular origins rather than from skeletal origins. Most physicians have wished to diagnose lower back pain from the radiologic findings only. From clinical experiences and anatomical studies, I have gotten a different opinion from common sense about backaches. If I met a patient who had lower back pain around the posterior superior iliac crest(P.S.I.C.) area, I would had to search a trigger point in the erector spinae muscles at the level of thoraco-lumber junction rather than at the level of the painful site. It is why that sensory innervation over the posterior superior iliac crest area is the posterior primary branch of T12 spinal nerve running down through the erector spinae muscles. Pain on the iliac crest area is supposedly due to hyperirritability of the sensory nerve distributing to this area. Hyperirritability of the posterior primary branch of $T_{12}$ spinal nerve may be due to the spasm of the longissimus thoracis muscle in the erector spinae muscles at the level of the thoraco-lumbar junction. So finally, I would like to insist that spasmolytic treatment on the muscle at the level of the thoraco-lumbar junction would be better for pain relief around P.S.I.C. than treatment at the painful site only.