• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.677-683
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• 2001

The object of this study is in the comparison of level of depression between patients with chronic low back pain & normal adult, of the relation between reduction of pain & level of depression and in the examination of the influence of traditional physical therapy against the reduction of pain & level of depression of the patients with chronic low back pain for the new recognition of psychological factors to the physical therapists as well as patients. This study was targeted for 40 patients with chronic low back pain who were diagnosed as lumbar sprain & herniated intervertebral disk and compared & analyzed how traditional physical therapy has an influence to their reduction of pain and level of depression by questioning with visual an analog scale of Beck's depression inventory & pain inventory to them. The results are as follows. 1. Traditional physical therapy has an effect in the reduction of pain of the patients with chronic low back pain. 2. Although traditional physical therapy relieved a little the level of depression of patients with chronic low back pain. there was no evident effect statistically. 3. In the relation between the reduction of pain and level of depression, level of depression also showed somewhat relief according to the reduction of pain and appeared that they have some relationship. However, it's degree was not big. 4. In the comparison of the level of depression between the normal adult and the patient with chronic low back pain, the level of depression of the patient with low back pain are high rather than that of normal adult.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-29
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• 2000

Low back pain is generally defined as a complex symptom rather than a specific diseases entity, especially when musculoskeletal lesions of the low back, neurogenic, vasculogenic and discogenic lesions are present. Sixty to eighty percent of all human being have experienced low back pain once or more times during in their lifetime. Low back pain is a one of the commonest cause of physical impairment and induces disability the activities of everyday living or the activities of work. Today, low back pain plays important part for the loss of working capability from social, industrial field and individual daily life. But there are no study about incidence and prevention program of low back pain in rural peoples. This study was conducted to find out current status and characteristics related to low back pain in rural peoples(especially engaged in agriculture), so that could provide basic data to establish prevention program for them. The data were gathered from 301 rural adults(female 62.1%, male 37.9%) with low back pain by the structured interview in the 4 communities(south and north Gyeong-sang Do and Chung-cheong Do), and sampled at local hospital, local clinic, and health clinic center in May, 2000. The results were as followed. About one third of cases(35.5%) were aged from 60 to 69, 34.6% were smoker, and 91.4% not used to regular exercise. Low back pain frequently due to intervertebral articulopathy(42.5%), follewed by herniated intervertebral disk(19.9%), sprain(17.3%), vertebral dislocation(4.0%), and etc(16.2%). Above half of cases(56.5%) were a eight-hour workday, and 61.8% complained of low back pain during work. Mostly, period of agricultural experience was more than 20 years, and cultivated more than 2 crops. Low back pain is common to rural adults, therefore adequate resting time from work and lumbar strengthening exercise program needed to prevent low back pain in rural peoples.

• Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.160-168
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• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective study of prospectively-collected data. Objectives: To determine the factors associated with conversion from conservative to surgical treatment in single-level lumbar spinal stenosis patients. Summary of Literature Review: Various reports have presented clinical outcomes after the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of spinal stenosis. However, few reports have investigated factors predicting conversion to surgery during the course of conservative treatment. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 40 patients who visited our hospital from May 2010 to May 2015 and were traceable for at least 3 years after being advised to undergo surgery following 3 months of conservative treatment. Of these patients, 20 underwent surgery and 20 did not. We then investigated the factors associated with conversion to surgical treatment. Clinical assessments were conducted using a questionnaire, and the overall area of the spinal canal and the muscle area within the spinal canal were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The average area of the spinal canal was $81.40{\pm}53.61mm^2$ in the surgical group, compared to $127.75{\pm}82.55mm^2$ in the nonsurgical group (p=0.042). The muscle area in the spinal canal was $5.17{\pm}1.30cm^2$ in the surgical group, whereas it was $6.40{\pm}1.56cm^2$ in the nonsurgical group (p=0.010). The patients in the surgical group were more likely to have experienced repetitive strain and to have frequently visited health clubs (p=0.047, p=0.037, respectively). However, regular stretching was more common in the nonsurgical group (p=0.028). Conclusions: The factors associated with conversion to surgical treatment were a narrow spinal canal, a small muscle area within the spinal canal, visiting health clubs, repetitive sprain, and not stretching. A small muscle area within the spinal canal can be considered as a key factor related to surgical conversion.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.935-939
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• 2000

Objective : Traumatic disc lesion is a lesion with tremendous controversies. The causal relationships of this lesion are not established along with pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, methods of treatment and the outcome. However, a significant number of patients with back pain after a trauma underwent spinal operations under the diagnosis of traumatic disc lesions. Such an ill-directed operation eventually produce a person with an iatrogenic disability. We present two illustrative cases, and tried to make a preventive method. Methods : We examined the path from mild trauma after a road traffic accident into the iatrogenic disability in two illustrative cases, who requested disability assessment and medical appraisement. We evaluated the reason and background for such an unwanted outcome and tried to find a method to reduce or prevent it by a literature review. Results : These two patients were admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of lumbar sprain after a road traffic accidents. They eventually underwent spinal surgery under another diagnosis such as traumatic disc herniation or internal disc disruption. They stayed at the hospital for more than six months and finally lost their jobs. They became the disabled at last. Although they complained back pain, they never insisted by themselves that their symptoms were due to the traumatic disc lesion. To prevent such an iatrogenic disability, the doctors should assist them to go-back to the workplace promptly instead of a reckless extension of the treatment period. It may be necessary to evaluate the certificates to extend the treatment period with an additional diagnosis by a medical expert. To reduce the unnecessary long-term admission, a new billing system such as a partial share for the high cost of the treatment by the patients may be needed. Conclusion : It is not the patient but the doctors, who has the responsibility to avoid the unnecessary operations. All treating doctors should try to reduce or prevent such an iatrogenic complication caused by ourselves before we are forced to do so.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.135-143
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• 2008

Objectives : The main purpose of this research is to make a survey of the effective way of the Oriental medical care and to enlarge the range of Oriental medical treatment about traffic accidental patients. Methods : In following research, we surveyed 120 patients of traffic accident who were hospitalized in Dong-Shin Oriental Medical Hospital from October, 1, 2007 to August, 20, 2008 according to medical chart. Results : 1. In distribution of gender and age, the rate of male was 35.8%, that of female was 64.2% and the majority of the patients were twenties and thirties. 2. In the traffic accident patterns, the most was car crash from behind(61.7%) and after traffic accident, 75 patients(62.5%) visited our hospital for oriental medical treatment in less than 5days. 3. 46 patients(38.3%) choose the oriental medical treatment for the primary care and after medical care, 36 patients(31.7%) visited our hospital due to dissatisfaction of current treatment and maintained pain. 4. Partial pain was the chief complaint and the most of painful parts was neck(76.7%), followed by low back(69.2%). 5. Though radiation test, the most was cervical spine sprain(76.7%), followed by straightening of lumbar spine(66.7%). 6. In the periods of admission, less than 7 days was the most(53.3%), followed by less than 14 days(35.9%). 7. The treatment was effective to 93 patient out of 106 who had been hospitalized for less than 14 days. Conclusions : This data suggested that the Oriental medical care could be more effective treatment about traffic accidental patients without surgical injury.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the study of the prevention of diseases and promotion of health of ocean going vessel crew members, through the medical diagnosis and disease classification efforts of this study. From the second half of 2016 to 2017, the diagnosis and health characteristics of 195 crew members were collected through counseling, treatment, and emergency care for about 1 year and 2 months. As a result, it is noted that the incidence of diseases was in the order of urticaria (5.6%), lumbar sprain (4.1%), acute gastroenteritis (3.1%) and anxiety (3.1%). In categorical review, the incidence of musculo-skeletal disease was the most common (25.1%) which was followed by skin disease (17.9%) and digestive disease (11.3%). In addition, the disease that was noted as was the most common in the under 30 years old category, and the incidence of the disease was high in the crew group. Finally, there was a difference between the pathogenesis (trauma vs disease, etc.) (p <.001) and the type of vessel (merchant ship and fishing vessel) (p <.005) as noted in this case.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.213-223
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• 2013

Objectives Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reason for people in Korea to visit Korean medical institutions. To assess actual amounts of use in the treatment of LBP in Korean medicine and to provide objective base line data for policy decision making, research regarding the current state of LBP patients' treatment in Korean medical institutions are in need. Methods The current study was designed as a retrospective chart review to investigate descriptive characteristics of LBP patients. The clinical records of 304 patients who were hospitalized for the treatment of LBP in Korean rehabilitation medicine inpatient clinics of five different Korean medicine hospitals were analyzed. The percentage of patient characteristics such as sex, age, average duration of admission, insurance type, diagnosed LBP related disease code, and rates of interventions applied were assessed. Results 1. The female sex was significantly predominant among patients with LBP : 105 patients (34.5%) were male and 199 patients (65.5%) were female. Percentage of the patients' age appeared as followed : 76 people (25.0%) were in their 50s, 64 people (21.1%) were in their 40s, 51 people (16.8%) were in their 30s, 37 people (12.2%) were in their 60s, and 33 people (10.9%) were in their 70s. Approximately half of the total LBP patients investigated were older than 50. 2. The average duration of admission was 16.2 days. Approximately one third (30.3%) of the patients were hospitalized for 8 to 14 days. 3. Female patients tended to stay admitted in hospitals slightly longer than male patients. Elderly (age 60~79) patients stayed in hospitals longer (17.8 days) compared to younger (age 20~39) patients (13.5 days). 4. More than half of the patients (171 cases, 56.3%) had their hospital bills covered with automobile insurance. 40.1% (122 cases) of the patients had medical insurance to cover their hospital bills. The average duration of admission of patients who had automobile insurance was 14.2 days, while that of the patients who had medical insurance was 18.4 days. 5. "Sprain and strain of the lumbar spine and pelvis" was the most commonly used (195 cases, 64.1%) disease code in patients with LBP. Patients diagnosed as "lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy" required the longest admission duration (22.1 days). 6. Herbal medication was applied to all of the patients during admission. Acupuncture was applied to all of the patients except one case diagnosed as spinal stenosis. Physical therapy, cupping therapy, moxibustion therapy, chuna therapy, and pharmacopuncture therapy were applied to 94.7, 92.8, 85.2, 83.9, and 49.7% of the patients, respectively. 7. There were certain differences among Korean medicine hospitals in terms of the LBP patients' duration of admission, type of insurance, frequency of the disease code use, type of intervention applied. Conclusions It is thought that the current study can be used as reference data in assessing the current state of LBP treatment in Korean rehabilitation medicine and a basis for future research. Provided improvements of certain limitations of the current study in future researches, such data would act as better base line data in policy decision making.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was designed to analyze? the chronic pain of adolescent Taekwondo athletes, to research the understanding about chronic pain of coaches and athletes, to? reduce the development of chronic pain. Materials and Methods: From March. 2006 to June 2007, 210 athletics and 12 coaches of elementary, middle and high school in Kwang-ju city were surveyed. They was evaluated by physical examination, simple radiographs and MRI. Results: In 210 athletics, 162(77.1%) athletes had chronic pain. 19(11.7%) athletes had over three regions of pain, 74(45.7%) athletes had two regions of pain, 69(42.6%) athletes had one region of pain. In 274 cases of 164 athletes, the most common region was foot and ankle(145 cases, 52.9%), followed by hand(47 cases, 17.2%) and knee(38 cases,13.9%), hip(25 cases, 9.1%), and lumbar area(19 cases, 6.9%) The chronic pain was classified by injury type. Contusion of foot was 103 cases(most common), sprain of ankles was 40cases, Contusion of hands and wrists was 28 cases, and so on. The etiologies of injury that causes the chronic pain were match injury in training that is most common, intensive exercise and match injury in competition. Conclusion: The chronic pain was common in adolescent Taekwondo athletes. The ankle and foot were the most common region of chronic pain and the match injury was the most common injury, caused the chronic pain. Although athletes had considerable mental stress about chronic pain, the treatment of chronic pain and rest were insufficient. Therefore the variable effort to prevent injury and to treatment injury must be considered importantly.