• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1023-1032
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• 2001

The muscles relating to movement of painful low back was analyzed kinematically, by method of applying elastic tapes and putting non-elastic tapes on muscles involving those movements which cause pain and limitation of range of motion (ROM) in low back and trunk. Taping therapy which is effective for improvement of painful low back and which is supposed to facilitate the total and continual movement based on the postural reflexes will be presented in this paper. Fifty cases who had painful low back were investigated. Patients with painful low back were at first asked pain point and direction of painful movement, and then tested the muscles which are cause of those pain and limited motion. Before attaching tape, all subjects were divided into two groups, flexor pattern and extensor pattern, according to direction of increasing pain. Elastic tapes were applied from origin to insertion of objective muscles and non-elastic tapes were put on effective points of the muscles which were associated with respect to pain and limited ROM. As a result of this study, all subjects with low back pain significantly improved in pain and ROM at the low back. The longest treatment duration group for the low back pain cases was herniated lumbar disc(10.4 days) group. Low back pain have been treated by so many ways. muscles factor should be emphasized to be distinguish1y important to reduce low back pain. The muscles relating to make directly painful motion in low back and trunk should be confirmed by means of taping and painful motion should be analyzed by point of view of postural reflexes.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.19-26
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• 2006

Purpose: This study aimed the effects of percutaneous electric nerve stimulation (PENS) applied to different parts of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats on the change of glucose and nerve. Methods: rats (ten weeks old) were selected as the subjects; the normal group was five rats, and the diabetes induction group II, III and IV were five rats, respectively, which were randomly sampled from the twenty-five streptozotocin-administered rats with more than $240\;d{\ell}/m{\ell}$ of blood sugar. For PENS, electric current with 2 Hz of stimulation frequency and $200\;{\mu}s$ of pulse duration was applied to the subjects for fifteen minutes a day, six days a week, for three weeks. Calculation of glucose and weight, and nerve conduction test were conducted forty-eight hours and three weeks after streptozotocin administration, respectively. Results: As for change of glucose and weight, the group III with stimulation to the acupoints and the group IV with stimulation to non-acupoints showed significant differences from the control group II (p<0.05). As for MNCV (motor nerve conduction velocity), the group III with stimulation to the acupoints showed significant differences from the group IV with stimulation to non-acupoints and the control group II (p<0.05). Conclusion: PENS had the effects of inhibiting increase of glucose, change of weight and decrease of nerve conductive function between the distal and proximal ends of the peripheral nerve in the STZ-induced diabetic rats.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.718-724
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• 2012

This study aims to examine effects of vision control balance training applied to stroke patients on their balance. 26 stroke patients, the subjects of this study, were divided into an affected side 1/2 vision control group (9), a non-affected side 1/2 vision control group (9), and a non-vision control group (8). After vision control standing on Posturo-med, all of the three groups received balance training 20 minutes four times per week for 8 weeks watching themselves 1M away from a mirror. To measure their balance abilities, measurements were made on their time of balance maintenance and muscle activity prior to the intervention, four 4 after the intervention, and 8 weeks after the intervention. Vision control balance training applied to stroke patients resulted in increase in their time of balance maintenance and significant improvement in vastus medialis muscle activity (p<0.05). This study result is that vision control balance training is considered an effective exercise method for balance training of stroke patients.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.392-401
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• 2018

Background: Physical activity (PA) is critical for maintaining the health and well-being of older people in community and also institutional settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of PA and related individual and organizational factors among older nursing home residents with and without dementia. Methods: This is a secondary data analysis study of a nationwide survey of 92 long-term care facilities in Korea, and the study sample includes older residents with dementia (n= 753) and without dementia (n= 480). The level of PA was measured by PA time and whether or not residents had an outdoor activity over the past 3 days. Multi-variate, multi-level analyses were conducted. Results: More than half of the sample in both groups had no or less than 1 hour of PA. About one out of four older people in our sample had no outdoor activity over the past 3 days regardless of whether or not they had dementia. Among the people without dementia, several individual-level factors were associated with PA, including dependency for activities of daily living, social activity participation, and caregivers' belief in the functional improvement of residents. Unlike the non-dementia group, individual- and organizationallevel factors including staffing level and having the relevant equipment for PA were associated with PA among those with dementia. Conclusion: Study findings provide evidence on the lack of PA among older nursing home residents, and the importance of institutional capacity with regard to human resources and physical equipment for promoting PA among people with dementia, in particular. Policies and supports are needed to promote the implementation of healthy aging programs including PA for older nursing home residents. Such programs should be person-centered with consideration to the physical and cognitive status of individual residents.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2018

Along with the aging society, the prevalence of dementia is also increasing. Dementia causes short-term memory loss as well as difficulties of performing daily activities and gradually causes suffering of the patients and their family. In spite of various programs for prevention of dementia of older people are being implemented, there is a lack of developing natural-based program for physical and mental health promotion. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs for the elderly living alone who are more vulnerable to dementia because of their social and economic isolation. The purpose of this study was to develop a natural-based program and investigate the effects of 10 weeks forest therapy program for dementia prevention to improve the psychological and physical health of the elderly living alone. The experimental subjects were 30 elderly (aged 65 or older) and 31 elderly participated in control group. The Stress response, depressive symptoms, weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass and muscle mass were measured for pre and post test. The results showed that the experimental group showed subjective stress relief (t=5.249, p=.000), improvement in symptoms of depression (t=4.152, p=.000), and decreases in weight (t=2.686, p=.012), BMI (t=2.629, p=.014) and fat mass (t=2.918, p=.007) after the forest therapy program. The experimental group showed lower stress reactions(t=-7.185, p=.000) and less depressive symptoms (t=-5.303, p=.000) than control group after participating the program. These results suggest that periodic forest exposure can help having less stressful and depressive status than non-forest exposure and the forest therapy program can reduce participants' psychological and physical risk factors of dementia.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.863-870
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• 2004

The main objectives of this research are to analyse and evaluate the demolishing walls initiative in Daegu city as the collaborative urban environment improvement initiative in South Korea using the actor network theory concept. Local authorities are unable to effectively and efficiently improve urban environment because of their limited statutory and financial powers. This inability crucially led to the formation of the demolishing walls initiative in Daegu city with building a coalition of the local people, interest groups and public and non-governmental organisations in the operational processes in order to improve the physical and social urban environments. Furthermore, co-ordination between local authorities and landscape architecture specialists not only to change the way in which they tackle urban environmental problems but also to make the local people aware of their potential ability in positively improving the urban environment.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.61-68
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of noninvasive electrical stimulation combined with trunk stabilization exercise on balance and fall risk in patients with stroke. Methods: Twenty-two patients with stroke were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into experimental and control groups, each with 11 patients. noninvasive electrical stimulation combined with trunk stabilization training was applied to the experimental group, and sham noninvasive electrical stimulation combined with trunk stabilization training, to the control group. Both groups were treated for 6 weeks, five times a week for 30 min each time; the balance and fall risk of patients with stroke were measured before and after treatment, and the changes in the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: The experimental group's left and right weight-bearing indices (affect and non-affect sides) and the front and rear weight-bearing indices, were significantly improved (p<.05, p<.001). when the changes in balance ability between groups were compared before and after treatment. The total fall efficacy score in the experimental group was substantially lower than that in the control group when the changes in fall efficacy score were compared between groups following treatment (p<.001). Conclusion: The improvement in balance and fall risk in patients with stroke can be attributed to using noninvasive electrical stimulation in combination with trunk stabilization training. This clinically helpful treatment method for patients with stroke warrants further promotion and implementation in the clinic.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to ascertain the effects of the lower extremity muscle strengthening exercise on balance and ambulation of children with cerebral palsy. Methods: 10 subjects who participated in this research undertook the 12-week the lower extremity muscle strengthening exercise program, which consisted of a series of mat exercises and sling exercises. The statistical significances were examined by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, a non-parametric test, for evaluating the improvement of balance and ambulation of the subjects. In order to evaluate the correlation among the variables, Pearson's correlation coefficients were also calculated. In all statistical analyses the significance level was selected as ${\alpha}$=0.05. Results: Berg balance scale(BBS) was significantly increased after the intervention(p<.05). Percentage weight bearing(PWB) was decreased after the intervention, but there was no significant difference. Time up and go test(TUG) value was significantly decreased(p<.05). Gait velocities was increased after the intervention, but there was no significance. Stride length, step lengths of the affected side and the sound side were significantly increased after the intervention(p<.05). In the correlation analyses of the measures before the intervention, TUG had significant negative correlation to BBS and gait velocity(p<.05). Stride length, step lengths of the sound side and the affected side had significant positive correlation between themselves(p<.01). In the correlation analyses of the measures after the intervention, TUG had significant negative correlation to BBS and gait velocity(p<.05). BBS revealed significant positive correlations to stride length, step lengths of the sound side and the affected side(p<.05). Stride length, step lengths of the sound side and the affected side had significant positive correlation between themselves(p<.01). Conclusion: Based upon the outcomes as above, it is likely that the muscle strength exercises have substantial effects on balance and ambulation of children with cerebral palsy. Thus various lower extremity muscle strengthening exercise programs are required to be studied and developed in order to contribute to functional improvements of children with cerebral palsy.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2024

Background and purpose: The anti-aging standard forest healing program (ASFHP), which uses forest therapy, was reported to be effective in improving psychological, physical, and cognitive functions. However, there are several challenges to directly visiting the forest. This study aimed to investigate the impact of multi-session ASFHP with forest visit on the mental and physical health of the older people with visits to forest facilities and compared them with those of the same program conducted indoors. Methods: Individuals aged over 70 years with concerns about cognitive decline were recruited at dementia relief centers and divided into control and experimental groups. A total of 33 people were administered ASFHP under the supervision of a forest therapy instructor. The control group stayed indoors, while the experimental group visited a forest healing center and repeated the program 20 weeks. Results: The multiple-session ASFHP positively affected cognitive impairment screening test (CIST) total scores (p=0.002), memory (p=0.014), Korean version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status total scores (p<0.001), immediate recall (p=0.001), visuospatial/construction (p<0.001), language (p<0.001), forest healing standard questionnaire total scores (p=0.002), and cognitive function (p=0.019), regardless of location. The forest visits during the ASFHP showed positive effects on orientation (p=0.035), delayed recall (p=0.042), emotional stability (p=0.032), physical activity (p=0.005), and health (p=0.022). The CIST scores of the memory domain were the strongest indicator of the multiple-session ASFHP effects. Conclusions: The 20-week multi-session ASFHP with forest visit showed effects on cognitive improvement and physical and emotional stability compared to indoor education.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.73-85
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to discuss and analyze the change of GLUT-4 and muscle fiber type of streptozotocin(STZ)-diabetic rats over a period of 6 weeks. We divided into four groups; I(aquatic exercise and feeding of Cordyceps militaris; n=6), test group II(feeding of Cordyceps miliaris; n=6), test group III(aquatic exercise; n=6), control group IV(non-treatment; n=6). After experimenting we measured the blood glucose, body weight, muscle fiber type and GLUT-4 protein content. The change of glucose levels decreased greater in group I than the other group. The body weight gain was lower in the all groups. The change femoris muscle fiber type, the size of muscle fiber TypeII lessened more than the one of Type I in group IV. Decrease of muscle fiber size more diminishment in group I than the other group. GLUT-4 protein quantity decrease in group IV compared to normal group. It was significantly increased in group. I, III compared to group IV. But there was more increase in group I (p<.001). These results suggest that GLUT-4 and muscle fiber type II decrease in STZ-diabetic rats and that when we apply aquatic exercise and feeding of Cordyceps militaris in diabetic rats over a period 6 weeks, it is increase GLUT-4 and the increase of insulin sensitivity of peripheral tissue. So it is considered to be helpful in improvement of glucose homeostasis and in prevent from muscle atrophy resulted from complication.