• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) respiratory muscle strengthening exercise on the pulmonary function, back pain, and disability level of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: There were 24 CLBP patients randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 12) who took part in PNF respiratory muscle strengthening exercise and the control group (n = 12) who performed a mock treatment. Both groups performed their respective interventions for 15 min five times per week for four weeks. The pulmonary function was measured using a portable spirometer. The back pain of the participants was assessed using a visual analogue scale. The Oswestry disability index was conducted to measure disability level. A paired t-test was performed to compare within-group changes before and after the PNF respiratory muscle strengthening exercise. Differences between the experimental and the control groups were analyzed using an independent t-test. For all tests, the level of statistical significance was α = 0.05. Results: The within-group change in pulmonary function was significantly different in the experimental group (p < 0.05), and the levels of back pain and disability were significantly different between the groups (p < 0.05). There was also a significant between-group difference in pulmonary function, back pain, and disability level after intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that PNF respiratory muscle strengthening exercise enhances pulmonary function and reduces levels of back pain and disability in patients with CLBP.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 1991

Epidural steroid therapy has been well-established for the treatment of sciatica and low back pain. Disappointing results following surgical decompression or discectomy pain owing for to nerve root compression have led to trials of corticosteroids injected either systemically or into the intrathecal or epidural space to treat intervertebral disc. Epidural steroid is less effective in the patients with low back pain who have a history of surgical operation, so that the use of epidural morphine and methylprednisolone has been advocated for the amelioration of chronic low back pain in the post-laminectomy pain("failed back") syndrome over the past several years. We treated 47 patients with low back pain who had a history of one or two surgical procedures. We concluded that epidural steroid therapy is less effective in the patients with "failed back" syndrome than in the virgin back furthermore, there is a greater risk of complication such as inadvertent dural puncture and corresponding motor paralysis and headache.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2012

The structural and biomechanical characteristics of pelvic and foot are important factors of back pain, but it is still complicated to clearly explain the relationship among them. The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristic of pelvic parameters and biomechanics of foot in patients with low back pain. Thirty-three female subjects with chronic low back pain were enrolled and ODI and VAS score were measured for back pain index. All subjects were taken the X-ray examination for major pelvic parameters and foot scan analysis for foot pressure, gait angle, fore-foot/rear-foot peak pressure ratio and asymmetric index. Statistical analysis were performed to examine the inter-relation between the measurement. As a result, it was shown the positive interrelation between back pain and F/R ratio, but others were not shown the relationship related to low back pain. And there were correlations between the lumbo-pelvic structure and biomechanics of foot in some aspects, but the causal relationship between them are still indefinable. In order to get more information about structures and biomechanics related to low back pain, subsequent researches are needed.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2016

Background: Chronic back pain shows a high correlation with lumbar disability, physical disability for daily activities, and psychosocial factors, such as depression. Object: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of the level of pain and disability with psychosocial factors, which are potential disturbance variables, in patients with chronic lumbar pain. Method: The sample included 258 patients, who had complained of chronic lumbar pain for more than three months. The Quadruple Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure the level of pain, and a Korean version of Oswestry Disability Index was used to measure the level of disability. Psychosocial factors were measured using the Tampa scale for Kinesiophobia-11, Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using PASW 18.0, and an independent samples t-test was used to examine frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation of sociodemographic characteristics and major variables. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to investigate the correlation between the level of pain and disability and psychosocial factors. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was done to determine the level of pain and psychosocial factors of functional disorder. The significance level was set at ${\alpha}=.05$. Result: There is a strong correlation between the level of pain and functional disorder and psychosocial factors in patients with chronic lumbar pain. The study also revealed that as the levels of pain and fear avoidance increase, pain self-efficacy decreases. Conclusion: The results suggest that negative perceptions towards pain, limitations of physical movement, and severe fear avoidance directly affect the decrease in pain self-efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended to test pain self-efficacy when measuring the level of pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the electro-acupuncture stimulation into the multifidus for the lumbar flexibility improvement and pain reduction. The subjects were consisted of 20 women patients with chronic low back pain. Methods : 20 women patients with chronic low back pain voluntary participated for the research. 15 minute electro-acupuncture stimulation(frequency: 4Hz, Intensity: below threshold of pain) with Infra-red therapy, 3 times a week during 6 weeks period. Acupuncture application given to the patients' trigger point of the multifidus. The Application of multifidus was L3, L4, L5 spinal vertebra levels Short form McGill pain questionnaire (SFMPQ) was used to measure patient's pain level. Lumbar flexibility measurement was trunk flexion and trunk extension. Global Perceived Effect Scale(GPES) was used to measure recovery or worse of patient's condition. Results : SFMPQ was after treatment showed significantly decreased more than before stimulation treatment (P<.05). Lumbar flexibility was after treatment showed significantly increase more than before treatment(P<.05). GPES was after treatment showed significantly increased more than before treatment(p<.05). Conclusion : This study will be used as treatment method of patient with chronic LBP. The multifidus muscle in chronic LBP patients clinical significance. Most of chronic LBP patients have multifidus contraction pattern. So chronic LBP patients necessary multifidus muscle release treatment.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2020

Objective: To compare the effects of joint mobilization, gym ball exercises, and breathing exercises on breathing pattern disorders and joint position sense in persons with chronic lower back pain. Design: Three-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Thirty-six individuals with chronic low back pain who were undergoing a postural correction and vertebral movement at a rehabilitation center participated in this study. The subjects were randomly divided into the joint mobilization group (n=12), gym ball exercises group (n=12), and the breathing exercises group (n=12). The exercises were applied for 40 minutes a day, twice a week for a total of 12 weeks. Measurement tools included the end-tidal CO₂ (ETCO₂), respiration rate (RR), breath hold time, Nijmegen Questionnaire (NQ), excursion, and joint position error (JPE). Results: The groups showed significant differences in the ETCO₂, RR, NQ, Excursion and JPE test before and after the intervention (p<0.05). The differences between the groups were significant in the group that received the gym ball and breathing exercises in ETCO₂ and RR (p<0.05). The differences between the groups were most significant in the group that received breathing exercises in NQ and excursion (p<0.05). The differences between the groups were significant in the group that received the gym ball and breathing exercises in JPE Lt. and Rt. (p<0.05). Conclusions: All three interventions had a significant impact on the biomechanical changes, respiratory variables, and joint position sense in participants with chronic lower back pain. Breathing exercises were found to be particularly effective in improving respiratory parameters.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.31-42
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• 2023

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of combining the lumbar stabilization exercise with the gluteal muscle strength exercise on pain, the dysfunction index, and postnatal depression in women experiencing chronic low back pain after a cesarean section. Methods: The study used a randomized design with two groups: one group (n=15) performed the lumbar stabilization exercise along with the gluteal muscle strength exercise, while the other group (n=15) only did the lumbar stabilization exercise. The intervention consisted of 30 minute exercise sessions, twice a week, for 6 weeks. The pain was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), the dysfunction index with the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and postnatal depression using the edinburgh postnatal depression scale-Korean version (EPDS-K). Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in their VAS, ODI, and EPDS-K scores within their respective groups (p<.05). Additionally, the between-group analysis revealed significant differences in post-test results (p<.05). Conclusion: The combination of the lumbar stabilization exercise and the gluteal muscle strength exercise proved to be more effective in reducing pain, improving the dysfunction index, and alleviating postnatal depression in women with chronic low back pain after a cesarean section. Therefore, incorporating these exercises could be beneficial as an intervention program for women experiencing chronic low back pain after a cesarean section.

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

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to know that Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) score to effect on improvement degree of low back pain after oriental medical treatment. Methods : We analyzed charts of 33 inpatients who were treated in Ja-Seng Hospital of Oriental Medicine and Bu-Cheon Ja-seng Hospital of Oriental Medicine. Subject is divided into Group A(BDI<10) and Group B(BDI${\geqq}$10). Numerical Rating Scale(NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) were checked on admission, after 1 week, NRS and ODI were rechecked to estimate the efficacy of treatments. Results : 1. In both groups, NRS was significantly decreased(p<0.05). Analyzed result of the interaction between the two groups didn't show significant difference(p=0.197). 2. In Group A, ODI was significantly decresed(p<0.05). In Group B, ODI wasn't significantly decreased(p=0.058). The interaction analysis between the two groups didn't show significant difference(p=0.173). 3. Analyzing patients with chronic back pain longer than 6 months by the presence of depression tendency and NRS, ODI decrease after 1 week of ambulation, while the NRS reduction showed relevancy by the depression tendency (p<0.05), the ODI reduction didn't(p=0.272). Conclusions : 1. Although improvement of pain before and after the treatment and degree of functional recovery in high-level BDI group was less than low-level BDI group, but it was stastically insignificant. 2. High BDI score of patients with chronic low back pain is the factor of disturbing pain improvement.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the uses of complementary and alternative therapies(CAT), pain, and quality of life(QOL) in patients with chronic back pain. Method: A descriptive survey was conducted using convenient sample. One hundred sixty two patients with chronic back pain participated in this study. Types and satisfaction of CAT, pattern of back pain, and QOL were investigated. Result: 83.3% of all participants reported in the use of CAT. The most common types of CAT used were acupuncture and half-bath. Yoga were the most high satisfaction among the types. The mean score of back pain was 4.12, QOL was 3.10, that was mostly low score. There was no significant difference back pain and QOL between CAT user and nonuser. Correlation with satisfaction of CAT according the most using types were a negative correlation with back pain and a positive correlation with QOL. Conclusion: These result indicate that the mostly patients with back pain feels the satisfaction of CAT use. It is important that provide the obvious information about CAT which can be helpful to patient.