• PNF and Movement
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare changes in the flexibility of hamstring muscles which are relaxed on suboccipital muscle through suboccipital muscle inhibition and combination technique. Methods: Thirty sample subjects (16 male and 14 female) were randomly divided into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). 1. Suboccipital muscle inhibition: Suboccipital muscles of the patients were placed on a bed. The occipital region was placed on a therapist's fingers, and the posture was maintained for three minutes before remeasurement. 2. Treatment with combination technique (body bolster and wooden pillow): Wooden pillows were placed where the participants could relax the posterior arch of the atlas; additional body bolsters were also placed to avoid high pressure, and the treatment was maintained for three minutes before remeasurement. Results: There was a statistical difference in finger floor distance (FFD) and straight leg raise (SLR) results for those treated with SMI (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in FFD and SLR results for those treated with the combination technique (P>0.05). Conclusion: Between the two intervention methods; the suboccipital muscle inhibition technique was more effective in increasing the flexibility of subjects with a shortened hamstring than was the combination technique.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.157-182
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of lumbar stabilizing exercise on the functional recovery and the range of motion of low back pain patients. The subjects were consisted of sixty patients who had non specific chronic low back pain(32 females. 28 males; mean aged 37.3) from 19 to 65 years of age(mean age : 37.3). All subjects randomly assigned to the lumbar stabilizing exercise group, the modalities treatment group, the manual treatment group. Lumbar stabilizing exercise group received manual treatment with lumbar stabilizing exercise for 30minutes, modalities treatment group received hot pack used thermal therapy for 20minutes and ICT used electrical therapy for 20minutes and US or MWD used deep thermal therapy for 15minutes, manual treatment group received modalities treatment with therapeutic massage for 10minutes and joint mobilization or manipulation for 10minutes per day and three times a week during 4 weeks period. The Multilevel Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire(MR-MDQ) was used to measure functional disability level. Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) was used to measure subjective pain level. Remodified Schober test(RST) was used to measure forward flexion range of motion of lumbar segment. Finger-to-Floor test(F-T-FT) was used to measure forward flexion range of motion of full spine of low back pain patients. All measurements of each patients were measured at pre-treatment and 4 week post-treatment. The results of this study were summarized as follows : 1. The MR-MDQ of lumbar stabilizing exercise group, modalities treatment group, and manual treatment group was significantly reduced between pre-treatment and post-treatment(p<.05). 2. The VAS of lumbar stabilizing exercise group, modalities treatment group, and manual treatment group was significantly reduced between pre-treatment and post-treatment(p<.05). 3. The RST of lumbar stabilizing exercise group, modalities treatment group, and manual treatment group was significantly reduced between pre-treatment and post-treatment(p<.05). 4. The F-T-FT of lumbar stabilizing exercise group, modalities treatment group, and manual treatment group was significantly reduced between pre-treatment and post-treatment(p<.05). 5. The results of analyzed effects of MR-MDQ, RST, F-T-FT were significantly reduced (p<.05), but VAS wasn't significantly reduced(p>.05) between treatment type of lumbar stabilizing exercise group and modalities treatment group and manual treatment group according to pre-treatment and post-treatment. 6. The results of LSD post-hoc to find difference between treatment type of lumbar stabilizing exercise group and modalities treatment group and manual treatment group according to pre-treatment and post-treatment that MR-MDQ was significantly reduced stabilizing exercise group than modalities treatment group(p<.05), and VAS wasn't significantly reduced all treatment group(p>.05), and RST was significantly reduced stabilizing exercise group than modalities treatment group(p<.05), and F-T-FT was significantly reduced stabilizing exercise group than modalities treatment group and manual treatment group (p<.05).

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2015

Objective: The aim of this study is to develop management guidelines and a procedure for an anthropometric suitability assessment of the main control room (MCR) in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Background: The condition of the MCR should be suitable for the work crews in NPPs. The suitability of the MCR depends closely on the anthropometric dimensions and ergonomic factors of the users. In particular, the MCR workspace design in NPPs is important due to the close relationship with operating crews and their work failures. Many documents and criteria have recommended that anthropometry dimensions and their studies are one of the foremost processes of the MCR design in NPPs. If these factors are not properly considered, users can feel burdened about their work and the human errors that might occur. Method: The procedure for the anthropometric suitability assessment consists of 5 phases: 1) selection of the anthropometric suitability evaluation dimensions, 2) establishment of a measurement method according to the evaluation dimensions, 3) establishment of criteria for suitability evaluation dimensions, 4) establishment of rating scale and improvement methods according to the evaluation dimensions, and 5) assessment of the final grade for evaluation dimensions. The management guidelines for an anthropometric suitability assessment were completed using 10 factors: 1) director, 2) subject, 3) evaluation period, 4) measurement method and criteria, 5) selection of equipment, 6) measurement and evaluation, 7) suitability evaluation, 8) data sharing, 9) data storage, and 10) management according to the suitability grade. Results: We propose a set of 17 anthropometric dimensions for the size, cognition/perception action/behavior, and their relationships with human errors regarding the MCR design variables through a case study. The 17 selected dimensions are height, sitting height, eye height from floor, eye height above seat, arm length, functional reach, extended functional reach, radius reach, visual field, peripheral perception, hyperopia/myopia/astigmatism, color blindness, auditory acuity, finger dexterity, hand function, body angle, and manual muscle test. We proposed criteria on these 17 anthropometric dimensions for a suitability evaluation and suggested an improvement method according to the evaluation dimensions. Conclusion: The results of this study can improve the human performance of the crew in an MCR. These management guidelines and a procedure for an anthropometric suitability assessment will be able to prevent human errors due to inadequate anthropometric dimensions. Application: The proposed set of anthropometric dimensions can be integrated into a managerial index for the anthropometric suitability of the operating crews for more careful countermeasures to human errors in NPPs.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.19-27
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• 2009

Background: To study the effect of the home exercise program on pain, flexibility, endurance of extensor in chronic back pain patients, and suggest optimal method for home exercise program. Methods: I divided into two groups who has chronic back pain; one is control group who was given a treatment at the hospital only and the other is experimental group who did another exercise after treatment at the hospital, and there were 10 people in each group. The manual therapy were given to all the patients in each group after applying a stupe and an electric treatment, but the experimental group conducted another exercise program at homes. All the exercise programs were applied to patients 12 times for 4 weeks totally. Result: SPSS for win version 12 was used for statistic analysis and independent t-test was used to find changes between two groups. VAS scale was used to show changes in pain between each group. The grade of pain was decreased between pre&post test to -5.60 in control group and -4.80 in experimental group but there wasn't significant difference between each group. Finger tip-to-floor test was used for the flexibility changes and it was increased between pre&post test in both groups but the change of flexibility between each groups didn't show statistical difference. Biering-Sorensen test was used to measure the endurance of extensor and it was increased between pre&post test in both groups but there wasn't significant difference between each group. Conclusion: As you read the results above, for a chronic low back pain patient, application of the manual therapy showed that it has effect on decrease of low back pain, increase of flexibility and endurance of extensor. However, the effect of home exercise treatment was not sure about improvements for chronic low back pain patient. So I think there should need further study about the effect of home exercise treatment except the treatments at hospital and the thorough education for the exercise of lumbar should be done before the study for the accurate experiment.