• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.21-27
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• 2007

The purposes of this study were to compare core muscle activities with and without the use of Pilates resistive equipment during bridging exercises and to investigate the efficacy of a Pilates device. Fourteen healthy individuals (6 males, 8 females) between 20 to 26 years of age were examined. They were engaged in a bridging exercise with and without a magic circle. Three consecutive repetitions of each exercise were performed. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure the electrical activities of the right side internal oblique, the adductor longus, the multifidus, and the gluteus maximus muscles. Normalized EMG activities were compared using a paired t-test and the level of significance was set at =.05. The results showed that the EMG activities of the internal oblique (p=.0078), the adductor longus (p=.0007), and the gluteus maximus (p=.0001) muscles were significantly higher when using the magic circle during the Pilates bridging exercise. Also, statistically significant change existed in the multifidus muscle (p=.0106). The bridging exercise, combined with hip adduction using the magic circle, may enhance core stabilization. Therefore, using a magic circle during hip adduction combined with bridging exercise may be recommended usefully for individuals wanting to strength the core muscles. Further research is needed to access the nature of motor control of the Pilates mat exercises and to deliver exercise intervention for lower back pain patients.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2020

Background: Exercise in the quadruped position is performed to improve body and shoulder stability. This study examined the muscle activity of the trunk muscles according to the distance of the weight shift when lifting one leg in the quadruped position. Methods: Ten healthy 20 to 40 years old males were tested as subjects. All subjects moved their body weight to 0, 5, and 10cm on the opposite side of the leg lifter while maintaining the quadruped position. The surface electrodes recorded the electromyography data during the one leg lifting. Results: As the weight shift distance was increased, there was a significant difference in muscle activity of both serratus anterior, multifidus and internal oblique muscles (p<.05). Left and right serratus anterior and right internal oblique were most activated when weight shift distance was 0cm (p<.05). Conclusion: Shoulder and lumbar stabilization exercises should be applied in the absence of a weight shift distance during quadruped exercise.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.30-36
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• 2012

This study is aimed to show that an asymmetric load in the frontal plane leads to an increase in low back loading and fatigue in comparison with a symmetric load when workers lift an external weight by investigating previous studies and verifying the phenomenon with an experiment. Ten male subjects are required to lift and hold an given external load at 70cm height during 50sec, then the EMG amplitude and median frequency on bilateral low back muscle groups (Longissimus, Iliocostalis, and Multifidus) are recorded and analyzed. Independent variables are two-level load weight (13kg, 20kg) and three-level LCG (Center, 6.5cm to the right, and 13cm to the right), and dependent variables are EMG amplitude average, difference, and Fatigue Index (FI). Results show that load weight increases significantly amplitude average and FI, but LCG does significantly amplitude difference and FI significantly (P-value < 0.05). Also the correlation coefficient between amplitude difference and FI is over 0.99. These implies that trunk loading should be explained by not EMG amplitude but muscle fatigue aspect since the association between an external load and amplitude is linear, but the relationship between an external load and median frequency as muscle fatigue index is almost exponential.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

Purpose : This study was conducted to find out the effect on the activity of trunk and lower limbs muscles during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping taping for trunk stabilization movement. Methods : The study subjects were recruited by using the on-campus bulletin boards for healthy adult males and females in their 20s attending K University in Changwon-city, South Gyeongsang Province. The subjects were 30 persons (15 males and 15 females) who agreed to the study purpose in accordance with the criteria for selection and exclusion. Results : The results were obtained by measuring the muscle activity of the trunk and lower limbs during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic fixed tapping. The effects on erector spinae and hamstring muscles was statistically significantly lower (p<.05), it was confirmed that there were no statistically significant differences between the multifidus and gluteus maximus muscle (p>.05). Conclusion : Through this study, it was found that the excessive flexion of the waist was significantly reduced from erector spinalis and hamstring muscle after abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping tapping compared to the general bridging exercises.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.236-250
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of intensive rehabilitation programs on pain, range of motion (ROM), lumbar muscle strength, core muscle endurance, disability, and depression in patients with traumatic low back injuries and to compare the efficacy of this therapy with that of conventional rehabilitation therapy. Methods: The study was performed with a retrospective medical chart review of patients with traumatic low back injury referred to the rehabilitation center at the Daegu Hospital of the Korean Workers Compensation and Welfare Service. Forty-four patients were allocated to either the conventional rehabilitation group (CRG; n = 22) or the intensive rehabilitation group (IRG; n = 22). The CRG group patients, who received 30-min therapist-supervised physical therapy and modality therapy five times per week for four weeks, were compared with the IRG group patients, who received 60-min therapist-supervised physical therapy, 30-min therapist-patient 1:1 matching rehabilitation therapy, and modality therapy five times per week for four weeks. Outcome measures were a numerical rating scale, ROM, lumbar muscle strength, lumbar core muscle endurance, thickness of lumbar deep focal core muscle (transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and depression (Korean version patient health questionnaire-9). Results: There were statistically significant improvements after treatment in all outcome measures in both groups (p < 0.05). In the intergroup comparison, NRS scores on the activity and thickness of lumbar deep focal core muscles increased significantly more in the IRG than in the CRG (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant intergroup differences in NRS scores on resting, ROM except left lateral bending, lumbar muscle strength, core muscle endurance, ODI, and depression. Conclusions: We could confirm the superior effectiveness of an intensive rehabilitation program compared to conventional rehabilitation therapy in patients with traumatic low back injuries.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.159-169
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate the correlation of the cross-sectional areas(CSA) of paraspinalis(iliocostalis lumborum, multifidus, longissimus thoracis parts lumborum) and psoas muscle and sex, age, change of the VAS(visual analogue scale) and past history of chronic low back pain in patients suffering from HIVD(herniation of intervertebral disc). Methods : Medical records of 140 subjects with HIVD were retrospectively reviewed. The MRI(magnetic resonance imaging) findings on the patients were scanned and analyzed by PiView program to find the paraspinal and psoas muscle CSA and were evaluated by the correlation of sex, age, change of the VAS, and past history of chronic low back pain. Results : There was significant difference between groups in male and female, young-adults age and middle age, middle age and old age, young-adults age and old age. But the correlation of the paraspinal and psoas muscle CSA and past history of chronic low back pain were partially significant. On the other hand, the correlation of the paraspinal and psoas muscle CSA and change of the VAS were not significant. Conclusions : These results suggest that the cross-sectional areas(CSA) of paraspinalis and psoas muscle have relevance to sex and age.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.15-27
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• 2009

Objective : This study was carried to identify the anatomical component of BMM (Foot Taeyang Meridian Muscle in the human truncus), and further to help the accurate application to real acupunctuation. Methods: The human truncus was stripped off in order to demonstrate muscles, nerves and other components, and to display the internal structure of the BMM, dividing into outer, middle, and inner parts. Results: The BMM in the human truncus is composed of muscles, nerves, ligaments etc. The internal composition of the BMM in the human truncus is as follows: 1. Muscle A. Outer layer: medial palpebral ligament, orbicularis oculi, frontalis, galea aponeurotica, occipitalis, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, thoracolumbar fascia, gluteus maximus. B. Middle layer: frontalis, semispinalis capitis, rhomboideus minor, serratus posterior superior, splenius cervicis, rhomboideus major, latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, levator ani. C. Inner layer: medial rectus, superior oblique, rectus capitis, spinalis, rotatores thoracis, longissimus, longissimus muscle tendon, longissimus muscle tendon, multifidus, rotatores lumbaris, lateral intertransversi, iliolumbaris, posterior sacroiliac ligament, iliocostalis, sacrotuberous ligament, sacrospinous ligament. 2. Nerve A. Outer layer: infratrochlear nerve, supraorbital n., supratrochlear n., temporal branch of facial n., auriculotemporal n., branch of greater occipital n., 3rd occipital n., dorsal ramus of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th thoracic n., dorsal ramus of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th lumbar n., dorsal ramus of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th sacral n. B. Middle layer: accessory nerve, anicoccygeal n. C. Inner layer: branch of ophthalmic nerve, trochlear n., greater occipital n., coccygeal n., Conclusions : This study shows that BMM is composed of the muscle and the related nerves and there are some differences from already established studies from the viewpoint of constituent elements of BMM at the truncus, and also in aspect of substantial assay method. In human anatomy, there are some conceptional differences between terms (that is, nerves which control muscles of BMM and those which pass near by BMM).

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2023

Background: The gluteus maximus (GM) muscle comprise the lumbo-pelvic complex and is an important stabilizing muscle during leg extension. In patients with low back pain (LBP) with weakness of the GM, spine leads to compensatory muscle activities such as instantaneous increase of the erector spinae (ES) muscle activity. Four-point kneeling arm and leg lift (FKALL) is most common types of lumbopelvic and GM muscles strengthening exercise. We assumed that altered hip position during FKALL may increase thoraco-lumbar stabilizer like GM activity more effectively method. Objects: The purpose of this study was investigated that effects of the three exercise postures on the right-sided GM, internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), and multifidus (MF) muscle activities and pelvic kinematic during FKALL. Methods: Twenty eight healthy individuals participated in this study. The exercises were performed three conditions of FKALL (pure FKALL, FKALL with 120° hip flexion of the supporting leg, FKALL with 30° hip abduction of the lifted leg). Participants performed FKALL exercises three times each condition, and motion sensor used to measure pelvic tilt and rotation angle. Results: This study demonstrated that no significant change in pelvic angle during hip movement in the FKALL (p > 0.05). However, the MF and GM muscle activities in FKALL with hip flexion and hip abduction is greater than pure FKALL position (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our finding suggests that change the posture of the hip joint to facilitate GM muscle activation during trunk stabilization exercises such as the FKALL.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.20
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• pp.71-93
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using spinal stabilization exercise for the improvement of atrophy of the multifidus and psoas major, of pain and disability with chronic low back pain in private guard and security. For 42 patients diagnosed with CLBP, and divided into spinal stabilization exercise group(SSEG) and general spinal strengthening exercise group(GSSEG). Each exercise was conducted for 10 weeks. Pain and disability were measured before and after exercise using the Visual analogue scale(VAS) and the Oswestry disability index(ODI). Cross section area(CSA) of both the left and right multifidus and the psoas major at the upper end plate of L4 were measured before and after exercise using computed tomography(CT). After 10 weeks of exercise, the both group's pain and lumbar disability were significantly decreased(p<0.01). Also there was significant difference in both group(p<0.05). In addition, the CSA of the left and right multifidus and posas major were significantly increased as compared to the pre-exercise in both group(p<0.01). But SSEG's cross sectional areas of multifidus was more significantly increase than GSSEG(p<0.05). In summary, Spinal stabilization exercise is more effective in improving atrophy in private guard and security patients, in reducing patients' pain and disability. It is an effective treatment to aid rehabilitation in these cases.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.233-243
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of lumbar stabilization exercise using the PNF techniques on the lumbar deep muscles thickness and functional activity in chronic low back pain patient. Group I(n=10): general physical therapy group; Group II(n=10): general lumbar stabilization exercise group; Group III(n=10): lumbar stabilization exercise using PNF techniques(stabilizing reversal, rhythmic stabilization, combination of isotonic) group. Change of pain was measured with visual analog scale(VAS). To observe muscle thickness changes, we measured transverse abdominis(TrA), external oblique(EO), multifidus with real time ultrasound scanning. The functional activity were measured with Oswestry Disability Questionnaire(ODQ) and Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire(RMDQ). In VAS test, group III had more significantly decreased than before exercise. In muscle thickness test, group III had more significantly increased than before exercise in right/left TrA, EO, multifidus. In ODQ & RMDQ test, group III had more significantly decreased than before exercise. This study show that the PNF techniques is effective in improving the lumbar stability and functional activity in chronic low back pain patients.