• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.23-36
• /
• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Plank exercise on unstable support surfaces on flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain in patients with chronic back pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: This study was performed on 16 patients with chronic back pain of ◯◯ military unit. Sixteen subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, an upper extremity trainer group (group I, n=8) and a lower extremity trainer group (group II, n=8). The subjects in group I carried out Flank exercise applying the stability trainer to their upper extremities and ones in group II carried out the same exercise applying the stability trainer to their lower extremities for 4 weeks. In order to ascertain the difference between two groups, flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain were measured before and after the exercise. The flexibility was measured by sit and reach test, the thickness of the abdominal muscle was measured by using ultrasonic imaging equipment, and the pain was measured by the visual analogue scale. A paired t-test was utilized to compare changes in pain, abdominal muscle thickness and flexibility before and after flank exercise on unstable support surfaces. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was performed for ascertaining the significant differences between groups. The significance level was set by α=.05. Results: 1) The flexibilities of two groups were increased after the exercise (p<0.05). 2) In both groups, the thicknesses of rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominis, internal oblique abdominis, and transverse abdominis were all increased after the exercise (p<0.05). 3) The pains in both groups were decreased after the exercise (p<0.05). 4) In the comparisons of two groups, there were no differences in the flexibility, thickness of external oblique abdominis, internal oblique abdominis and transverse abdominis and pain (p>0.05). Whereas only thickness of Rectus abdominis was larger in the group I than in the group II (p<0.05). Conclusion: Plank exercise on the unstable support surface for 4 weeks resulted in increased flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain reduction in patients with chronic back pain. Therefore, it is considered that performing flank exercise on the unstable supporting surface is suitable for the reduction of the pain in patients with chronic back pain. However, in this study, it is considered that continuous and diverse studies are needed because there was not a large difference between the groups when the upper or lower limbs are provided unstable support surfaces.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.203-215
• /
• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate abdominal muscles in chronic low back pain patients by meridian-electromyograph. Methods : Sample group of 11 with from low back pain during three months and control group of 10 subjects without low back pain have been recruited. Outcomes were assessed using meridian-electromyograph, visual analogue scale, and oswestry disability index. Results : Contraction power of external oblique abdominalis in control group was significantly higher than sample group, but there was no significant difference in muscle fatigue. Conclusions : According to above results, there are correlations between abdominal muscles and low back pain.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.29-37
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to classify patients with chronic back pain according to the degree of their back pain, and to compare the pain dysfunction index with the qualitative changes in abdominal muscles. Therefore, we aimed to provide a basis for the treatment intervention method for patients with back pain. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic back pain were purposive sample to a group of 10 patients with a back pain index of 60 % or more and a group with less than 60 % of back pain, and the subjects who voluntarily participated in the study After receiving the letter, I conducted the research the dysfunction of back pain was measured by the Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (KODI), and the ultrasonic wave (Ultrasound MyLabOne, ESAOTE, Italy) And the white area index, and the abdominal muscle movement was used as the exercise instrument POWER breathe K5 (Hab direct, UK), which strengthens the respiratory muscles through threshold-muscle traction. Result: In this study, patients with chronic back pain were subjected to breathing exercises, which led to the decrease in back pain dysfunction. The ultrasonographic analysis of abdominal muscles revealed that both the white area index and muscle image density in the skeletal muscle and in the outer muscle of the abdomen gradually decreased over time. Conclusion: It is thought that introducing back pain patients to abdominal muscle reinforcement training is effective in improving the functions of the patients' muscles, thus increasing their quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.165-167
• /
• 2009

Pain caused by chronic pancreatitis is medically intractable and resistant to conventional interventional or surgical treatment. We report a case of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for intractable pain due to chronic pancreatitis. The patient had a history of nonalcoholic chronic pancreatitis and multiple emergency room visits as well as repeated hospitalization including multiple nerve block and morphine injection for 3 years. We implanted surgical lead at T6-8 level on this patient after successful trial of percutaneous electrode. The patient experienced a decreased visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain intensity and amount of opioid intake. The patient was followed for more than 14 months with good outcome and no further hospitalization. From our clinical case, spinal cord stimulation on intractable pain due to chronic pancreatitis revealed moderate pain control outcome. We suggest that SCS is an effective, noninvasive treatment option for abdominal visceral pain. Further studies and long term follow-up are needed to fully understand the effect of SCS on abdominal visceral pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.284-286
• /
• 2015

Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) is one the most common cause of chronic abdominal wall pain. The syndrome is mostly misdiagnosed, treated wrongly and inadequately. If diagnosed correctly by history, examination and a positive carnett test, the suffering of the patient can be relieved by addressing the cause i.e. local anaesthetic with steroid injection at the entrapment site. Conventionally, the injection is done by landmark technique. In this report, we have described 2 patients who were diagnosed with ACNES who were offered ultrasound guided transverses abdominis plane (TAP) injection who got significant pain relief for a long duration of time.

• Integrative Medicine Research
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.99-102
• /
• 2014

A 37-year-old female patient with chronic and stubborn abdominal pain had been hospitalized five times in three Western hospitals, but no effects were observed. No abnormalities were found in blood tests, gastrointestinal endoscopy, sonogram, and computed tomography of the abdomen, except mild paralytic ileus. The patient decided to rely on Korean medicine as an inpatient. She was diagnosed with functional abdominal pain syndrome, and her symptom differentiation was the "Yang deficiency of spleen and kidney." A herbal drug, Hwangikyeji-tang, along with moxibustion and acupuncture, was given to the patient. Abdominal pain and related symptoms were reduced radically within 16 days of treatment. This report shows a therapeutic potential of Korean medicine-based treatment for functional abdominal pain syndrome.

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

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.108-111
• /
• 2012

Glomus tumors are small vascular tumors that are usually benign and rarely occur. They originate from glomus bodies and present in the reticular dermis. They are clinically distinguished by their small size and their ability to cause extreme pain. Most of these tumors are subungually located. However, atypical locations of the tumors sometimes cause misdiagnosis, particularly when the lesion is rarely reported. Therefore, we report a case of glomus tumor which presented with chronic abdominal pain, found in the abdominal wall that has never been reported before.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2005

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of two types specific exercise intervention (deep and superficial abdominal muscle exercises) in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Design: A randomized, comparative, repeated-measures. Subjects: Twenty-four patients with CLBP (at least for 3 months), mean $age{\pm}SD=51.58{\pm}16.21$ (yrs). Methods: Twenty-four patients with this condition were assigned randomly to two treatment groups. Both first and second group underwent 3 weeks specific exercise treatment program. The first group specific trained for the deep abdominal muscles. The second group specific trained for the superficial abdominal muscles. Results: After intervention, the first group showed a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity and functional disability levels (p<.05). The second group showed no significant change in these parameters after intervention (p>.05). Conclusions: According to results, a "deep abdominal muscle exercises" treatment approach appears more effective than a "superficial abdominal muscle exercises" treatment in patients with CLBP.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.37-48
• /
• 2015

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) and abdominal expansion maneuver (AEM) on trunk stabilization, as well as trunk muscle activities and differences in quadruple visual analogue scale, Korean Oswestry Disability Index, and Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire scores, in patients with chronic low back pain and lumbar spine instability. To increase intra-abdominal pressure during the trunk stabilization exercise, the technique of pushing the abdomen out using diaphragmatic abdominal breathing suggested by Pavel Koral was used, which we termed the AEM. Fifty patients who tested positive on more than three of the five lumbar spine instability tests were separated from 138 patients with chronic low back pain of these patients, 16 were placed in the control group (trunk stabilization exercise), 17 were placed in the ADIM group (trunk stabilization exercise with ADIM), and 17 were placed in the AEM group (trunk stabilization exercise with AEM). Each group participated in the study for 30 minutes three times weekly for 4 weeks. Surface electromyography was used to measure the trunk muscle activities during the kneeling forward and supine bridging positions, and one-way repeated analysis of variance was used to determine the statistical significance of the trunk muscle activities in the rectus abdominis, internal oblique (IO), erector spinae, and multifidus (MF) muscles. The ADIM and AEM groups showed relatively larger improvements in psychosocial and functional disability level than control group. There were significant changes among the three groups, those from the measured values of the AEM group was significantly higher than the other two groups in changes in IO and MF trunk muscle activities (p<.05). This finding demonstrates that trunk stabilization exercises with AEM is more effective than ADIM for increasing trunk deep muscle activity of chronic low back pain patients with lumbar spine instability.