• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.69-78
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• 2021

The development of smart healthcare wearables for health is accelerating. Among them, many wearable products using EMS electrical stimulation, which is one of the active research fields, have been released. However, the EMS wearable, which has been studied or released, is released in a comprehensive full-body suit that does not focus on muscle segmentation or a belt that covers the entire abdomen. Therefore, this study intends to use two breathing methods by applying an EMS pattern that subdivides specific muscles and attach a stretch sensor that can measure breathing to the abdominal pressure belt. The measurement method was conducted by inhaling and exhaling, and the subjects were 10 men in their 20s with healthy bodies. As a result of this study, the sensor's sensitivity was 5 and 3 mm, and the basic sensor in both thoracic and abdominal breathings and the EMS abdominal pressure belt showed improved respiration activation after applying electrical stimulation before and after application. It is concluded that, because of the two patterns produced based on the physical function, the difference in respiration activation effect and sensitivity between sensors could be confirmed with three sensors rather than not applying electrical stimulation suitable for the respiration method. Based on the results of this study, a follow-up study aims to develop breathing smart clothing that can be monitored in real time in clothing-type wearable products that incorporate EMS patterns and stretch sensors.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated the effects of five EMS lumbar back pressure belts produced on an anatomical basis on lumbar spine stabilization. Five core muscles were selected, including the urinal, vertebral column, endotracheal, external abdominal, and large back muscles, and patterns were designed using a conductive fabric considering the appropriate muscle shape and pain-causing points. We experimented with four motions to examine the effects of different EMS abdominal compression belts on lumbar spine stabilization. Five healthy men in their 20s were selected. The selection conditions include no back pain history for the past three months, no restricted movements through pre-inspection, and the muscular strength of the body should belong to the normal grade. Using SLR, the sequence of experimental actions was chosen from the following but not limited to left-hand, body-hand, and back-line forces. Resting between movements lasted for 2 min, and the experiments were conducted after wearing the EMS abdominal pressure belt. Electrical stimulation was applied for 10 min to increase blood flow and muscle activation. The statistics of the experimental results were analyzed for specific differences by conducting the Wilcoxon and Friedman tests with nonparametric tests. The ranking results of each pattern were successfully assessed in the order of 5, 4, 3, 1, 2 for the five patterns, and we could identify slightly more significant results for experimental behavior associated with each muscle movement. Patterns produced based on anatomy showed differentiated effects when electric stimulation was applied to each muscle in different shapes, which could improve the stabilization of the lumbar spine in everyday life or training to the public. Based on these results, subsequent research would focus on developing smart healthcare clothing that is practical in daily life by employing different anatomical mechanisms, depending on the back pain, to utilize trunk-type tights.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate that the differences in sternocleidomastoid muscle activity, neck rotation angle, neck lateral bending angle and neck lateral bending onset time between conditions with and without visual biofeedback during neck rotation. METHODS: Ten male and four female adults with condition of forward head posture were recruited in this study. Subjects conducted to left and right maximal neck rotation under the conditions with and without visual biofeedback. During neck rotation, kinematic data of neck rotation, neck lateral bending movement, and electromyography activities of bilateral sternocleidomastold muscles were collected. Differences in dependent variables between conditions with and without visual biofeedback were analyzed using paired t-test. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in lateral bending angle, while lateral bending movement onset time was delayed significantly when applying visual biofeedback (p<.05). However, there were no significant differences in the activation of left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles and neck rotation angle between conditions with and without visual biofeedback (p>.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that visual biofeedback may be effective for axial rotation of cervical spine during neck rotation in adults with forward head posture.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Objective: To investigate the effect of short-term vibration frequencies on muscle force generation capabilities. Method: Six healthy participants were recruited for this study and only their dominant leg was tested. The subjects were tested under five conditions of vibration frequencies with constant amplitude: 0 Hz (no vibration), 30 Hz, 60 Hz, and 90 Hz, and the vibration amplitude was 10 mm for all frequency conditions. The vibration was applied to the rectus femoris (RF). The subjects were then instructed to maintain a steady-state isometric knee joint torque (100 Nm) for the first 6 s. After the steady-state torque production, the subjects were required to produce isometric knee joint torque by leg extension as hard as possible with a start signal within the next 3 s. The vibration was applied for ~4 s starting from 1 s before initiation of the change in the steady-state knee joint torque. Results: The results showed that the maximum voluntary torque (MVT) of the knee joint increased with the vibration frequencies. On average, the MVTs were 756.47 Nm for 0 Hz (no vibration) and 809.61 Nm for 90 Hz. There was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.71) between the MVTs and integrated electromyograms (iEMGs). Further, the co-contraction indices (CCIs) were computed, which represent the ratio of the iEMGs of the antagonist muscle to the iEMGs of all involved muscles. There was a significant negative correlation (r = 0.62) between the CCIs and MVTs, which was accompanied by a significant positive correlation (r = 0.69) between the iEMGs of the vibrated muscle (RF). There was no significant correlation between the MVTs and iEMGs of the antagonist muscle. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the short-term vibration on the muscle increases the level of muscle activation possibly owing to the increased Ia afferent activities, which enhances the muscle force generation capability.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.940-958
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to analyze the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of two horticultural activities: seed sowing and planting plant. Thirty-one male university students (aged $26.2{\pm}2.0years$) participated in this study. Kinematic factors (movement times, peak velocity, joint angles, and grasp patterns) were assessed using a three-dimensional motion analysis system while the subjects performed the horticultural activities. Kinetic factors (muscle activation of eight upper-limb muscles: the anterior deltoid, serratus anterior, upper trapezius, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi radialis) were assessed using surface electromyography. The acts of seed sowing and planting plant were comprised of five tasks which included six types of phases: reaching, grasping, back transporting, forward transporting, watering, and releasing. The movement times, peak velocity, joint angles, and grasp patterns were significantly different across the tasks involved in the horticultural activities. All eight muscles of the upper limbs were utilized during the horticultural activities, and the muscle activation of the serratus anterior was the highest compared to that of the other muscles tested. The kinematic and kinetic characteristics of these horticultural activities showed similar characteristics to reaching and grasping rehabilitation training and daily living activities. The present study provides reference data for common horticultural activities using a kinematic and kinetic analysis.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.245-255
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to analyzed the coordination of lower limb of elderly women who experienced a fall to present basic information for sports science and to deal with the factors that make elderly women fall more effectively. Twenty elderly women were divided into two groups of 10. The mechanisms of balancing lower limb during walk and differences were compared and analyzed using motion analysis and electromyography. The findings of this study are as follows. The first, walking patterns of these women were unstable as their hip joints did not provide sufficient support because of aging. Second, the left and right knee joints showed different walking patterns. The third, the motions of ankle joints became abnormal with increased age. As for the activation of major lower limb muscles, rectus fermois muscle and biceps fermois muscle contracted more to prevent the bending of knees and moved forward while anterior tibial muscle and inner gastrocnemius muscle were demanded highly during walk and the rate of plantar flexion was reduced.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.393-404
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• 1995

The purpose of this review was to examine the clinical characteristics of patients who had a diagnosis of Myofascial Pain Syndrome(MPS). Myofascial pain is a painful condition of skeletal muscle characterized by the presence of one or more trigger points. A trigger point(TrP) is a focus of hyperirritability in a tissues. Of the patients with MPS, 21(44.7 %) were male and 26(55.3 %) were female. The mean duration of MPS was 9.6 months for males and 11.3 months for females. Trigger points with associated referred patterns of pain were found in muscles of the post neck(trapezius, infrasupinatus) and in quadratus lumborum muscle. Patients reported increased fatigue(87.2 %), tingling sensation(66.0 %), numbness(66.0 %), tension(55.3 %), anxiety(44.7 %), headache (59.6 %), pilomotor activation(59.6 %).

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.449-462
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to measure the range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb for flower arrangement tasks for physical rehabilitation and to test horticultural therapy programs using flower arrangement tasks for improving upper limb function of the patients with stroke. Major flower arrangement tasks were classified with eight tasks (cutting 1, thick stem; cutting 2, thin stem; fixing 1, long stem; fixing 2, short stem; rolling a leaf; bending 1, thick stem; bending 2, thin stem; and winding, using a wire) based on the occupational analysis. When eight male university students (mean age $24.1{\pm}2.5$ years) conducted the eight flower arrangement tasks, range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb were measured by a 3D motion analyzer and electromyography, respectively. Based on the results of the range of motion and muscle activation of upper limb, horticultural therapy programs using flower arrangement tasks (total 33 sessions) for improving upper limb function of the patients with stroke was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital, Seoul, South Korea and then the range of motion, grip strength, and upper limb function of the patients were tested. Among the eight flower arrangement tasks, cutting 1, winding, and bending 1 induced the highest value for the range of motion in joints of shoulder, elbow, and wrist, respectively (P < 0.001). In terms of muscle activation, eight flower arrangement tasks performed in this study showed various patterns of muscle activation and several muscles were simultaneously used for each task (P < 0.001). In addition, thickness and length of the materials used in a task had a prominent effect on the range of motion for joints and muscle activation of upper limb (P < 0.001). The stroke patients had positive effects for their range of motion of upper limb (shoulder, forearm, and elbow), grip strength, and overall upper limb function through the horticultural therapy program. Thus, this study suggested that flower arrangement tasks would be a potential horticultural activity for physical rehabilitation program. It would be interesting to apply a customized horticultural therapy program using flower arrangement tasks according to the symptoms of patient for physical rehabilitation.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2006

Musculoskeletal neck dysfunction syndromes are common in outpatient musculoskeletal pain practice. The underlying musculoskeletal and neurologic causes of pain are variable. In the management of these patients, it is important to accurately identify and treat these pain generators to optimize patient outcome. It is the purpose of this review to discuss three main categories of functional anatomy, the role of superficial/deep muscular system and the scientific evidence for optimal physical therapy intervention for cervical dysfunction. Specifically there is evidence of lowered microcirculation in the upper trapezius muscle, morphological signs of disturbed mitochondrial function which appears to be limited to type I fibers and an increased cross-sectional area of type I muscle fibers despite a lower capillary to fiber area ratio. In acute neck pain syndrome, changes in muscle activity of painful muscles may result from segmental and supraspinal inhibitory effects. Muscle activation is closely related to the control of joint movements and postures and it is difficult to separate the influence of the two components. Both the altered muscle recruitment patterns and altered kinematics appear to be a poor adaptation for pain of the head - neck region, as they are likely to result in increased compressive loading in the cervical spine, affecting muscles, articular structures such as zygapophyseal joints, connective tissues and neural tissues which are all peripheral generators of referred pain. The rectus capitus posterior minor muscle shows that it is one of the most important muscles of the suboccipital region. In this article, i reviewed the anatomy, neurophysiology, function and dysfunction as well as the treatment of cervical dysfunction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of distal movement on shoulder muscle activation during diagonal pattern of exercises. METHODS: Seventeen healthy male participants volunteered to participate. Five muscles of shoulder were investigated during standing performance of diagonal shoulder exercises with and without visual trace. Two patterns of the diagonal exercises were used as diagonal 1 flexion and extension (D1F-E), and diagonal 2 flexion and extension (D2F-E). Two way repeated measures analysis of variance was used, which the factor was the presence of distal movement and exercise variations. RESULTS: The average muscle activity values of the lower trapezius and anterior deltoid are higher with the D2F-E, compared to the D1F-E (p<.05). The distal movement effect was observed within included all muscles except the lower trapezius, which the values are significantly greater in exercise with distal movement (P<.05). All significant increase of the muscles during the exercise with distal movement condition showed over 0.9 for the observed power in present study. CONCLUSION: Present result suggested that the diagonal pattern of exercise with distal movement has additional advantages of activating the scapulothoracic muscle as well as glenohumeral muscles. In addition, the D2F-E exercise pattern is effective for activating lower trapezius and anterior deltoid muscles.