• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.415-425
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• 2000

It is well known that the lifetime incidence of low back pain is extraordinarily high, but those who incur the majority of the cost, both personally and financially, are the chronic pain. Stabilization programmers attracted our interest, with their aims of using the muscle system to protect spinal joint structures from further repetitive microtrauma, recurrent pain and degerative change. In overviewing the stabilizing role of the trunk and back mucles our attention became focused on muscles which controlled the lumbar and lumbosacral joints rather than on muscles which span the spine from the thorax to pelvis. It was considered that muscles such as the lumbar multifidus, transversus abdominis, and possibly also parts of the obliquus internus abdominis, would most likely function to stabilize the segments of the lumbar spine. In order to check if these muscles were functioning in low back pain patients, it was necessary to devise specific muscle tests. The new concept involves exercises using only relatively low activity levels in the muscles. More emphasis is placed on a motor skill which has to be relearned, practised and then gradully incorporated back into functional movement.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.393-397
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• 2012

Purpose: We investigated to identify the effect of robo-horseback riding exercise (RHRE) on trunk muscle activity ratios for patients with low back pain. Methods: Twelve patients with low back pain and twelve healthy adults were recruited for this study. Subjects performed the RHRE with the neutral spine position. The amplitude of electromyography activity was recorded from the selected trunk muscles (internal oblique [IO], rectus abdominis [RA], multifidus [MF], the thoracic part of the iliocostalis lumborum [ICLT]). The ratios of the relative local muscle activity to the global muscle activity in abdominal and lumbar parts were calculated. Results: There were significant differences in the change values of the IO/RA and the MF/ICLT between low back pain (LBP) patients and healthy adults. The IO/RA ratio and the MF/ICLT ratio showed significant increase in LBP patients after training. Conclusion: The RHRE improved the trunk muscle activity ratio in patients with low back pain. The information presented here is important for investigators who use lumbar stabilization exercises as a rehabilitation exercise.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.260-266
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of meditation music with lumbar stabilization exercise on balance, concentration and muscle activation. Participants are divided into Group A and Group B. Group A listened to meditation music while doing 4 sets of lumbar stabilization exercise. Group B did not listen to meditation music while doing 4 sets of lumbar stabilization exercise. Surface EMG data was obtained rectus abdominis, external oblique, erector spinae, multifidus muscle during lumbar stabilization exercise. To examine the effect of before-after experiment for concentration and balance, paired t-test was adopted. Changes in EMG data of each muscles were analyzed by independence t-test. There were statistically significant increasing at concentration level and balance level in Group A. But significant difference was not shown in muscle activation. The clinical effect of the meditation music with lumbar stabilization exercise was investigated in this study with more excellent results in concentration and balance. In conclusion, these results suggest that meditation music and lumbar stabilization exercise may be useful in elderly people.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

Purpose: Leg-crossing sitting is very common for men and woman. No solid evidence exists for either a beneficial or a detrimental effect of this posture. This study investigated the change of activities of trunk muscles between the normal group and the low back pain group during various leg-crossing positions. Methods: The subjects were consisted of 10 subjects who don't have low back pain and 10 subjects who have low back pain. In this study, we used electromyography(EMG) to evaluate the activities of both the trunk muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and multifidus) during various leg-crossing positions (up-right, leg-crossing, tailor-crossing, and ankle-crossing). We analyzed the data by using repeated one way ANOVA. Results: In normal group, there were increased in EMG activities of trunk muscles, but no significant differences during leg-crossing positions. In back pain group, there were increased in EMG activities of right external oblique, left. internal oblique, and both multifidus muscles in leg-crossing and tailor-crossing position, but no significant differences during leg-crossing positions. There was no significant difference of muscle activity of trunk muscles between the back pain group and the normal group. Conclusion: We suggest that low back pain people who have weak muscles of rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique are often experienced in leg-crossing posture than normal. To compensate this unstability of trunk, leg-crossing posture is substituted passive structure for activities of active muscle.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to predict the risks that arise while standing on mediolateral ramps at various ramp angles by identifying the ratio of medial to lateral gastrocnemius muscle activities. Methods: The subjects were 20 healthy adult men. Seven mediolateral ramp angles ($0^{\circ}$, $2^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, and $25^{\circ}$) were applied for the experiment. The ratio of medial to lateral gastrocnemius muscle activities in each condition was measured using electromyography, and the measured data were converted to root mean square values to calculate the activity ratios. Results: The study results showed statistically significant differences in the ratio of mediolateral gastrocnemius muscle activities according to the selected mediolateral ramp angles. The results of a post hoc test confirmed that the multifidus muscles were asymmetrically used on the two sides at mediolateral ramp angles of $5^{\circ}$ or higher. Conclusion: This study found that an asymmetric use of the multifidus muscles began at a mediolateral ramp angle of $5^{\circ}$, and the provision of propulsion using the ankle joints on mediolateral ramps at $5^{\circ}$ or steeper was maneuvered differently from that on flat ground. This suggests that individuals with balance control disorder have the risk of falling due to ankle sprains and unstable balance control. Therefore, patients and elderly people are required to exercise caution when crossing $5^{\circ}$ or steeper ramps.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on the muscle thickness and contraction time using sound wave vibrator and swiss ball. Methods : This study was performed on 20 subjects. 20 subjects were divided into two groups; Lumbar stability exercise using sound wave vibrator exercise(n=10)(Group1), Lumbar stability exercise using Swiss ball exercise(n=10)(Group2). Both of the group performed the exercise 3 times a week for 5 weeks. The data was analyzed by the paired t-test to compare before and after difference of factors on each group and the Independent t-test to compare the between groups. Results : Both group were increased muscle contracture time on Straight Leg Rise(SLR) test (p<0.05). It means both group were increased lumbar stability. However, by comparing the between groups, there were no statistically significant difference about muscle thickness of multifidus and transverse abdominal.(p>0.05). Conclusion : As a result of this study, we suggest that the sound wave vibrator may be effective exercise tool for lumbar stability exercise like a swiss ball.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.49-54
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• 2010

The reliability of the thickness measurement of the lumbar multifidus (LMD using real-time ultrasonography (US) was determined in only the superficial fiber of the lumbar multifidus (SM). However, previous studies have not examined the reliability of the deep fiber of the LM (DM). The purpose of this study was to determine the intrarater and the interrater reliability of the thickness measurements of DM using US. Eleven heathy males participated in the study. The thickness of the DM was measured with an US in the prone position. Reliability was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of the measurement (SEM), and the Bland and Altman plot. ICC(3,1) was used to calculate the interrater reliability of the thickness measurement of DM using the values from both the first and second test sessions. Additionally, ICC(3,1) was used to calculate the intrarater reliability of the measurements over two days using the measurements obtained in test session 1 and lest session 2. The results of this study were as follows: 1) the ICC(3,1) value for interrater reliability was .94 in the first test session, and .93 in the second test session. 2) the ICC(3,1) values for intrarater reliability of the measurements over two days was .90 in both the first examiner and the second examiner. The interrater reliability and interrater reliability of the DM measurements, obtained via the US protocol used in this research was excellent. Therefore, we conclude that the thickness measurement of the DM obtaioned from the US protocol used in this research would be useful for clinician assessment of the thickness of the DM.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.25-31
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• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to figure out the effects of Open Laser Microdiscectomy(OLM) on deep muscles by comparing multifidus and longissimus muscle size (cross section area; CSA) of pre and post operation. Methods : The subjects consisted of forty patients who had OLM. The data were analyzed with paired t-test comparing left and right deep muscle CSA of pre and post-operation, and both the deep muscle CSA of pre and post-operation, using SPSS ver. 15.0 program. Results : The results of this study showed a significant difference in deep muscle size (CSA) between pre and post operation (p<.05). Although there was not a meaningful difference between right and left deep muscle size (CSA) in pre operation (p>.05), there was a significant difference between both of them in post operation (p<.05). Conclusion : Therefore we made the conclusion that the operation causes decrease of muscle tone in deep muscles and muscle imbalance by causing muscle atrophy in the lumbar deep muscle after the operation.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2016

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine muscle activities of trunk and lower limb during squat and 108 bows exercises and to provide objective data for establishing a training method for improving muscle strength of trunk and lower limb. Methods: Twenty normal healthy subjects participated in this study. Each exercise was divided into five periods. Muscle activities of trunk and lower limb in each period of both 108 bows and squat exercises were measured and analyzed by independent t-test. Results: In starting, mid-flexion, mid-extension, and end period muscle activities obtained from 108 bows exercise were significantly higher than those from squat exercise. However, in the final flexion period, muscle activities of multifidus, elector spinae, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior from squat exercise were significantly higher than those from bow exercise. Conclusion: In this study, high muscle activities in most muscles of trunk and lower limb were observed from all periods of 108 bows exercise except the final flexion period. Therefore, it is likely that 108 bows exercise rather than squat exercise is more suitable for high strength exercise to improve muscle strength of trunk and lower limb and thus will be applicable for strengthening muscles of trunk and lower limb of patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2024

Purpose: The study was undertaken to investigate the electromyographic activities of the gluteus maximus (GM), hamstring (HAM), and multifidus (MF) in three different sling locations during bridge exercise in the supine position. Methods: Twenty healthy male subjects participated. An electromyography device was used to measure the muscle activities of the GM, HAM, and MF muscles. Subjects were asked to perform bridge exercises with three different sling locations as follows: 1) Bridge exercise with an ankle sling; BEAS, 2) Bridge exercise with a calf sling; BECS, and 3) Bridge exercise with a knee sling; BEKS in random order. The analysis was conducted using one-way repeated ANOVA and the Bonferroni post hoc. Significance was set at α=0.01. Results: HAM muscle activity was significantly different in the three conditions (BEAS, BECS, BEKS) (adjusted p-value [p_adj]<0.01), and HAM muscle activity was significantly smaller during BEKS than during BEAS or BECS (p_adj<0.01). Muscle activity ratio (GM/HAM) during BEKS was significantly greater than muscle activity ratios during BEAS or BECS (p_adj<0.01). Conclusion: BEKS is recommended to inhibit HAM muscle activity and improve the GM/HAM muscle activity ratio.