• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.60-67
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• 2018

Background: Progressive muscle weakness is aggravated not only in the skeletal muscles but also in the respiratory muscles in many patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMD). Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been reported as therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation to improve respiratory strength, endurance, exercise capacity, and quality of life, and to reduce dyspnea. Objects: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of playing harmonica for 5 months on pulmonary function by assessing the force vital capacity (FVC), peak cough flow (PCF), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) in patients with NMD. Methods: Six subjects with NMD participated in this study. The subjects played harmonica once a week for 2 hours at a harmonica academy and twice a week for 1 hour at home. Thus, training was performed thrice a week for 23 weeks. The examiner assessed pulmonary function by measuring FVC in the sitting and supine positions and PCF, MIP, MEP, and MVV in the sitting position at the beginning of training and once a month for 5 months. Results: Both sitting and supine FVC significantly increased after playing harmonica (p=.042), as did MIP (p=.043) and MEP (p=.042). Conclusion: Playing harmonica can be used as an effective method to improve pulmonary function in patients with NMD.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the correlation between the asymmetric ratio of occlusal force of the temporomandibular joint and the thickness of the middle scalene muscle. Methods: The study measured the occlusal force of the right and left temporomandibular joints in 30 subjects (12 males and 18 females). Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to examine the effect of occlusal force on the asymmetric ratio of the thickness of their middle scalene muscles by measuring the force using ultrasound after the break. Results: The correlation between the asymmetric ratio of occlusal force and muscle thickness is 0.41, according to Pearson's correlation coefficient. Therefore, the result shows a moderate correlation with the asymmetric ratio of the temporomandibular joint depending on differences in the thickness of the middle scalene muscle. Conclusion: Based on the above results, the asymmetric ratio of occlusal force was found to correlate with the thickness of the middle scalene muscle. Thus, therapeutic intervention is required for the middle scalene muscle in the case of temporomandibular joint disorder.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.65-74
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was investigated of effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with mirror therapy on static balance, weight support and ankle movement incline with chronic stroke patients. Design: Two-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Thirty chronic stroke patients participated in this study. The study design is a two-group pretest-posttest design. A total of 30 people participated in the study, and 15 people were each assigned to the experimental group and control group. Experimental group received neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with mirror therapy 30 minutes, and conventional physical therapy 30 minutes. Control group received conventional physical therapy 30 minutes. Both groups were conducted 5 times a week for 4 weeks. static balance and weight support was measured by force plate and ankle movement incline was measured by goniometer. Results: As a result of comparing the static balance, weight support and ankle movement incline change between experimental group and control group, statistically significant differences were found in all variables (p<.05). In the evaluation before and after the intervention, there was a statistically significant difference in all variables in the experimental group (p<.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the control group (p>.05). Conclusion: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with mirror therapy intervention improves static balance, increase paretic side weight support and ankle movement incline in chronic stroke patients. It could be an effective intervention for improve static balance, weight support and ankle movement for chronic stroke patients.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this research was to verify the relationship between three-dimensional (3D) ground reaction force (GRF) and severity of leg length discrepancy (LLD) while walking at a normal speed. It used a 3D motion analysis system with force platforms in standing workers with LLD. Methods: Subjects comprising 45 standing workers with LLD were selected. Two force platforms were used to acquire 3D GRF data based on a motion analysis system during gait. Vicon Nexus and Visual3D v6 Professional software were used to analyze kinetic GRF data. The subjects were asked to walk on a walkway with 40 infrared reflective markers attached to their lower extremities to collect 3D GRF data. Results: The results indicated the maximal force in the posterior and lateral direction of the long limb occurring in the early stance phase during gait had significant positive correlation with LLD severity (r = 0.664~0.738, p <0.01). In addition, the maximal force medial direction of the long limb occurring in the late stance phase showed a highly positive correlation with the LLD measurement (r = 0.527, p <0.01). Conclusion: Our results indicate that greater measured LLD severity results in more plantar pressure occurring in the foot area during heel contact to loading response of the stance phase and the stance push-off period during gait.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.463-469
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of plantar-flexor muscle fatigue on the force sense and joint reposition sense of ankle joints in the healthy adults. Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects (male: 9, female: 6) participated in this study. A digital dynamometer was used to measure the force sense error while a wireless motion capture device was used to measure the joint reposition sense error. To induce plantar-flexor muscle fatigue for a dominant lower extremity, the subjects were asked to perform plantar flexion until exhaustion while barefoot. The differences in force sense error and joint reposition sense error for the ankle joint were measured immediately. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare these values before and after inducing plantar-flexor muscle fatigue. Results: The force sense error and joint reposition sense error of ankle joints after inducing plantar-flexor muscle fatigue increased significantly compared to the values before inducing muscle fatigue. Conclusion: This study suggests that plantar-flexor muscle fatigue could degrade the force sense and joint reposition sense in ankle joints. In addition, it could deteriorate ankle proprioception.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2011

Purpose : Sit-to-stand (STS) is one of the important activities of daily living (ADL) and each of its parameters is used frequently. This study aimed to examine the influence of different seat height on performance time and floor reaction force strength during an STS movement. Methods : Fifteen young-adult male subjects participated in this study. The subjects were divided into three groups based on lower leg length. Subjects performed an STS movement twice from chairs at height adjusted by the lower leg length of each subject. To examine the influence of the chair seat height, ground reaction forces during a STS performed with 3 chair heights adjusted to each subjects lower leg length were compared. Results : Vertical ground reaction force and time during an STS movement were measured to evaluate. Parameters regarding ground reaction force were selected for analyses. Significant differences were found in ground reaction force at G1 was greater than G2 and G3. Conclusion : The STS movement achievement strategy differed since chair seat height changes relatively by the difference in lower leg length. When conducting the ability to achieve STS movement rating test, chair seat height considering each subject's lower leg length may be needed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2022

Proprioception training has been considered a secondary method to facilitate postural control ability. This study investigated the effects of two different proprioception training methods - the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and visual feedback-based joint position and force reproduction (VF) - on postural control advancements. Sixteen healthy people volunteered for this study, and they randomly grouped two. Each group participated in the PNF and VF training for three weeks. We evaluated each subject's proprioception levels and balance ability before and after the training. We used a clinometer and electromyogram (EMG) for VF training. The joint position reproduction test was also used to evaluate the position and force aspects of the proprioception level. We analyzed the trajectory of the center of pressure (COP) while subjects were standing on the firm floor and balance board with one leg using a pressure mat. The improvement of the position aspect of the proprioception level of the VF group (4.93±4.74°) was larger than that of the PNF group (-0.43±2.08°) significantly (p=0.012). The improvement of the anterior-posterior COP velocity of the PNF group (0.01±0.01 cm/s) was larger than that of VF group(0.002±0.01 cm/s) significantly (p=0.046). Changes of position error in the PNF group (rho=0.762, p=0.028) and tibialis anterior force reproduction error in the VF group showed a significantly strong relationship with balance ability variables. These results showed that different PNF and VF have different effects on improving two aspects of proprioception and their relationship with the balance ability. Therefore, these results might be useful for selecting proprioception or balance rehabilitation considering the clinical and patients' situation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.443-448
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• 2008

Beak trimming in laying hens is a routine practice in which about 1/3-1/2 of the upper and lower beak is removed with the aim of reducing cannibalism. This experiment aimed to identify if this procedure causes pain by examining self-administration of an analgesic (carprofen) and pecking behaviour in 80 laying pullets beak-trimmed by two different methods at one day of age using hot-blade cauterisation or infra-red cauterisation. We also tested a control treatment, pullets with intact beaks, and a positive control treatment of pullets beak trimmed at 10 weeks of age which were expected to experience some pain due to recent severing of the underlying nerves in the beak. At 11 weeks of age birds trimmed at 10 weeks of age pecked more (p<0.001) gently ($0.6{\pm}0.06N$) at a disc attached to a force-displacement transducer than birds trimmed at 1 day of age with an infra-red machine ($0.9{\pm}0.1N$) or a hot blade ($1.1{\pm}0.07N$) and intact birds ($1.2{\pm}0.1N$). Maximum force of pecks recorded was also lower (p<0.001) in birds trimmed at 10 weeks of age than birds trimmed at 1 day of age with an infra-red method or a hot blade and intact birds. However, the pecking force in birds trimmed at 10 weeks of age was not increased by providing them with analgesic-treated feed, though birds that ate more carprofen had a higher maximum force of peck (p = 0.03). Pecking force in birds beak-trimmed at 1 day of age was the same as the pecking force of intact birds, and was unaffected by feeding pullets carprofen. A method of self-administration of an analgesic had previously revealed that chickens in neuromuscular pain arising from lameness consumed more of a feed containing carprofen than healthy chickens. However, we found no evidence that beak-trimmed pullets consumed more carprofen-treated feed than pullets with an intact beak. It should be noted that the three beak trimming methods resulted in an average 34% reduction in beak length, considered a light trim, and is perhaps not representative of commercial birds where greater portions of the beak are removed. We conclude that although carprofen has been reported to have an analgesic effect on neuromuscular pain in chickens, it appears to have no analgesic effect on potential neuropathic pain arising from the nerves severed by a light beak trim.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2007

Objectives : We find that the reaction force on the elbow joint during elbow flexion, extension with and without an object in the hand can be calculated the equations of motion that the sum of the torque and the sum of the force acting on the elbow joint must be zero and (moment of inertia x angular acceleration) and (mass x acceleration). Methods : we have calculated the equations of motion (${\Sigma}F=0$, ${\Sigma}{\tau}=0$, ${\Sigma}F=ma$, ${\Sigma}{\tau}=Ia$) to investigate the reaction force on the elbow joint during elbow flexion, extension by means of the simplified free-body technique for coplanar forces. Results : we found that the reaction force on the elbow joint during elbow flexion, extention as constant acceleration motion is more than constant velocity, static motion. Also, we found that the relation between during flexion and during extension like this ; $J_{flexion}$ < $J_{extension}$.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how the position of tibial rotation affects peak force and hamstring muscle activation during isometric knee flexion in healthy women. Methods: Seventeen healthy women performed maximum isometric knee flexion at 30˚ with three tibial rotation positions (tibial internal rotation, neutral position, and tibial external rotation). Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the medial hamstring (MH) and lateral hamstring (LH) muscles. The strength of the knee flexor was measured with a load-cell-type strength-measurement sensor. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that MH and LH activities and peak force were significantly different among the three tibial rotation conditions (p < 0.01). The post-hoc comparison revealed that the MH EMG activity in tibial neutral and internal rotation positions were significantly greater than tibial external rotation (p < 0.01). The LH activity in tibial external rotation was significantly greater than the tibial neutral position and internal rotation (p < 0.01). The peak force of the knee flexor was also greater in the external tibial rotation position compared with the tibial neutral and internal rotation positions (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hamstring muscle activation could be changed by tibial rotation.