• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.195-200
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of the different condition of leg support surface on the upper extremity and core muscle activity during the push-up exercise. Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects that were practicable push-ups were recruited in this study. Subjects were instructed the push-up exercise in the different condition of the leg support surface. Each condition of support surface was set to the high and lower, and the unstable and stable condition. Muscle activation was measured by using the surface electromyography (EMG), and recorded from the triceps brachii, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, abdominal external oblique, and erector spinea muscle. Results: In the results of experiments, there was no significant difference of muscle activation in upper extremity between the high unstable and high stable support surface. By contrast, muscle activation of the rectus abdominis and abdominal external oblique was significantly higher in the low unstable support surface, compared with those of the low stable support surface. It is well known that the core muscle was important to stabilization of trunk stability. Conclusion: This result demonstrates that the low and unstable support surface for the lower extremity was suited for training of core muscle for trunk stabilization during the push-up exercise.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.240-245
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the blocked practice and random practice of task-oriented training in patients with chronic stroke to determine the effect of lower extremity muscle activity and balance ability. Methods: The thirty participants were randomly assigned to either the block practice group (BP) group or the random practice group (RP) and received the training three times per week, 30 minutes per day, for six weeks. Surface electromyography was used for measurement of lower extremity muscle activity. Static balance was to measured the stability index (SI) and weight distribution index (WDI) using the Tetrax. The four square step test (FSST) was used to measure dynamic balance. The paired t-test was used for determination of differences before and after intervention, and the independent t-test was used for determination of differences between groups. Results: Lower extremity muscle activity, RA and GCM was improved in the RP group after intervention and between groups. TA was significantly improved in the RP group compared with the BP group. In comparison of before and after interventions, SI was reduced in BP and RP. WDI in OS was reduced in comparison of BP and RP before and after intervention. CS was reduced in BP and RP. The OS and CS was improved in RP compared with BP. In comparison of before and after intervention, FSST was improved in BP and RP. Conclusion: Task-oriented training methods using random practice was found to be effective in promoting lower extremity muscle activity and balance ability in chronic stroke patients.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.67-72
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare trunk and lower extremity muscle activity during deadlift on stable - and unstable surfaces. Methods: Twenty healthy men participated in this study. The participants performed deadlift exercise on both a stable surface and an unstable surface. During the deadlift, the activities of the trunk and lower extremity muscle were collected by using electromyography. Results: The results showed that the electromyographic activity of the gluteus maximus significantly increased during deadlift on an unstable surface compared to on a stable surface (p <0.05). However, in the electromyographic activities of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and erector spinae, there were no significant differences (p >0.05). Conclusion: The finding that the electromyographic activity of the gluteus maximus increases significantly during deadlift on an unstable surface compared to stable one could be used to develop an efficient exercise program.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.29-35
• /
• 2008

Purpose : To describes the important aspects of the foot and ankle movement and function used when git and balance strategy. Method : The foot and ankle was a very important roles in the lower limb movement and gait. This study summarizes the physiologic movement of knee to the PNF lower extremity patterns. Result : The ankle joint composed of the talocural joint, the subtalarl joint, transverse tarsal joint, talocalcaneonavicular joint. The onset of dorsiflexion muscle activity starts in pre swing gait patterns. First contract muscle is the extensor hallucis. Activity of tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus quickly follows in mid swing gait phase. During stance phase, the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle provided plantar flexor torque, which muscle reacts quickly to restrain ankle dorsiflexion, and contributes modulated control of the ankle motion in gait patterns. Conclusions : The understanding of ankle kinematics, could provide a good therapeutic approach for improving gait patterns in patients with various pathological condition.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.169-173
• /
• 2023

Background: In terms of physical performance, elastic tape (ET) is known to contribute to injury prevention and performance enhancement. Objects: This study aimed to compare and analyze the effect on lower extremity muscle activity of young adult women with and without ET during squats. Methods: In this study, six healthy, young women were recruited as participants in a university laboratory. Participants were allocated to two groups of three after measuring muscle activity in a pre-test, and the experiment was conducted for a total of two weeks (two sessions). First, 10 half squats were taped once in the first week, and 10 half squats were performed without taping in the second week. The other group did this in reverse and measured muscle activity after the squat was over. Results: As a result of this study, there was no significant difference in the quadriceps with or without ET (Z = -0.11, p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was found in hamstring (Z = -0.31, p > 0.05). Conclusion: No beneficial effect was found on changes in muscle activity following ET application during squats. Further studies require randomized controlled trials that increase the number of participants and the intensity of the intervention, and measure pain, function, and performance rather than muscle properties depending on the biomechanical lifting mechanism.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.217-220
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was to investigate the differences abdominal muscles activities of according to hip adductor contraction levels 20% (mild), 50% (moderate), and 70% (strong) of MVIC on during bilateral lower extremity raising exercise on supine. Methods: The subjects of the study were a total of 39 persons including 23 healthy males and 16 females, who performed bilateral lower extremity raising exercise in 20%, 50%, 70% MVIC hip contraction. Muscle activities were measured by using S-EMG in RA (rectus abdominis), IO (internal oblique), and EO (external oblique). Results: Muscle activity of the internal oblique abdominal muscle and external oblique abdominal muscle, their activities were also greatest with the adductor contraction size at 70% and there was statistically significant difference when compared with the adductor contraction size at 20% and 50% (p<0.05). As for the rectus abdominis muscle according to the size of contraction of the adductor was greatest at 70%, without statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: bilateral lower extremity raising with strong hip joint adductor contraction was effective exercise to strengthen abdominal muscles. If subjects could not perform strong hip adductor contraction, moderate contraction is effective abdominal muscle contraction exercise. The contraction size of the adductor is small, weak contraction may trigger middle level contraction and therefore appropriate application of the exercise program of bilateral leg raising may result in great effect as a lumbar stabilization exercise.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) patterns on electromyography (EMG) activity in the rectus abdominis, internal abdominal oblique, external abdominal oblique, and erector spinae according to position changes. Methods: Ten healthy adults volunteered to participate in the study. The subjects were required to complete exercises that followed two PNF extremity patterns, namely, an upper extremity extension-adduction-internal rotation pattern and a lower extremity flexion-adduction-external rotation pattern. The exercises were applied in the supine, side-lying, and sitting positions. Repeated measure one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni correction were used to determine the influence of the patterns on muscle activity for each muscle, and descriptive statistics were then used to determine the local/global muscle ratios. Results: The upper extremity pattern had a significant effect on the rectus abdominis and erector spinae in the supine position, and on the internal oblique and external oblique in the sitting position (p<0.05). The median value for the internal oblique/rectus abdominis showed a high ratio of 2.05, and a high ratio of 1.01 was shown for the internal oblique/external oblique in the sitting position. The lower extremity pattern had a significant effect on the rectus abdominis in the side-lying position and on the internal oblique, external oblique, and erector spinae in the sitting position (p<0.05). The median value for the internal oblique/rectus abdominis showed a high ratio of 2.83 in the sitting position and a high ratio of 1.30 for the internal oblique/external oblique in the side-lying position. Conclusion: The PNF pattern increases local muscle activation in an unstable position. Therefore, when the pattern is used for intervention purposes, trunk stability and varied position changes should be taken into account.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.43-53
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the biomechanical variables of Fouette turns for expert and beginner ballet dancers and to determine the difference in the variables between the two groups. sixteen female ballet dancers participated in this study. They were divided into an expert group(age, $25.38{\pm}1.92$ years; height, $168.38{\pm}4.66$ cm; mass, $49.63{\pm}4.41$ kg) and a beginner group(age, $20.88{\pm}1.13$ years; height, $161.63{\pm}7.42$ cm; mass, $48.88{\pm}3.64$ kg) depending on their ballet experience. Descriptive data were expressed as mean ${\pm}$ standard deviation (SD) for all variables including the duration, displacement of the center of the body, velocity of the center of the body, angle of the body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, ground reaction force, lower extremity torque, muscle activity, body weight, age, and body mass. An independence t-test was conducted to determine how the following variables differed between the beginners and experts: duration, displacement of the center of the body, velocity of the center of the body, angle of the body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, ground reaction force, lower extremity torque, and muscle activity. All comparisons were made at the p<0.05 significance level. The results show that the experts scored high on the biomechanical variables, although all the variables were not significant. Significant differences were found in the angle of body segments, angular velocity of the body segments, lower extremity torque, and muscle activity(p<0.05). The findings of this study demonstrate that the experts have the required skill to make an improved Fouette turn. The findings may also help ballet dancers to learn and understand the Fouette turn.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 2018

Objective: To investigate the effect of performing three different toe touch (TT) task condition on the activities of four different muscles using surface electromyography (sEMG) in healthy young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 20 healthy young adults (6 males, 14 females) voluntarily participated in this study. All subject randomly performed three different TT task conditions as follows: general toe-touch (GTT) task, one side toe touch (TT) task during weight bearing, and one side foward toe touch (FTT) task during weight bearing. The muscle activities of erector spinae (ES), gluteus maximus (GM), hamstring (HAM), tibialis anterior (TA) muscles during the TT task were measured using sEMG. Subject performed each of the three conditions three time in random order and mean values were obtained. Results: With the trunk flexion period, the TT and FTT showed significantly greater muscle activity in the GM, HAM and TA compared to the GTT task (p<0.05). The TT position showed significantly greater HAM muscle activity than the GTT position. The dominant and nondominant ES muscle activity was significantly greater in the FTT compared to the GTT position (p<0.05). The dominant GM, HAM, and TA was significantly greater in the TT and FTT compared to the GTT position (p<0.05). Although the dominant ES was significantly greater in the TT and FTT compared to the GTT position (p<0.05), the dominant GM muscle activity was signifcantly greater in the TT compared with the GTT position (p<0.05). Conclusions: These findings may be applicable within the clinical field for selective trunk and lower extremity muscle activation and basic biomechanics purpose.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of trunk and lower extremity muscle activity according to the compensation of arm during bridge movement of healthy subject. Design: Cross-sectional Study. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study. The subjects performed bridge exercise with 3 different arm positions(arm abduction 45°, 90° and cross-arms) and measured the muscle activity of the trunk and lower extrimity. During bridge exercise with 3 different arm positions, trunk (rectus abdominis, erector spinae) and lower extrimity muscle activity (gluteus medius, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior) were measured using wireless surface EMG. Results: Rectus abdominis and gluteus medius muscle were most activated during bridge exercise with arm abduction 90° and erector spinae and biceps femoris muscle were most activated during bridge exercise with arm abduction 45°. In addition, tibialis anterior muscle was most activated during bridge exercise with arm cross. However, these difference in muscle activity according to the arm position was not statistically significant. Conclusion: As a result of this study, we think that the change in arm position does not induce sufficient instability to increase the muscle activity of the trunk and lower extremity muscles. Therefore, various approaches for inducing instability of the support surface for increasing muscle activity when applying bridge movement in clinical practice should be explored.