• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.12
• /
• pp.487-494
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mechanical horseback riding training on trunk control, balance function in stroke patients. 15 stroke patients were recruited for this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental(n=7) and control(n=8). All subjects received a routine physical therapy. The mechanical horseback riding training was for 30 min in the case of the EG subjects. This study was carried out approximately 8 weeks from March 4 to May 3. The assessment tools of this study involved the trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test. The measurements were recorded before the intervention and after the intervention. In the cases of the EG subjects and CG subjects, the variables measured after the intervention significantly differed from trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test before the intervention (p<.05). Also, there were significant differences in trunk control test, postural assessment scale for stroke, Berg balance scale and timed up and go test at post test between the 2 groups (p<.05). The findings indicate that mechanical horseback riding training exerts a positive effect on trunk control, balance function in stroke patients. Further studies are required to generalize the result of this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.295-302
• /
• 2013

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term lumbar stabilization exercise to patients suffering from chronic low back pain(CLBP) on the strength of their lumbar flexor and extensor and the postural balance of them and to suggest effective treatment duration for them. METHODS: Study subjects were 20 patients with CLBP who's been reported the pain for more than 12 weeks. For these subjects, muscle strength of both extensor and flexor of lumbar and the balancing ability were measured before and after the intervention. Lumbar stabilization exercise was composed of matt, ball and sling exercise. The intervention was applied for total 12 sessions for 4 weeks (3 times a week) and each session was for 40 minutes. RESULT: For muscle strength of both extensor and flexor of lumbar, there was significant differences after the application of lumbar stabilization exercise(p<.05). For balancing ability, stabilization shows significant differences in all of the positions except PC(eyes closed on pillows)(p<.05). Distribution of weight shows no significant differences but it was generally distributed within normal range after the exercise and Fall index shows significant differences between before and after the exercise(p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results could have positive effect on deciding different periods of therapeutic intervention.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.158-161
• /
• 2019

Objective: Attentional focus is one of the critical factors that has consistently been demonstrated to enhance motor performance and motor skill. Focusing attention on the inside of the body while engaging in a particular exercise is called internal focus (IF) and focus on the external environment is called external focus (EF). The purpose of this study was to identify effects of IF and EF of attention on postural balance in healthy school-aged children. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Twenty-four healthy school-aged children participated in this study. School-aged children was defined as children ages 8-12 years old. They performed the one-legged standing with EF (focusing on the marker at the level of participants' chest and 150 cm away), IF (focusing the supporting feet), and control (no instruction) respectively. The order of the focus condition was randomly selected. The center of pressure (COP) range, distance, and velocity was measured to compare the effects of applying different attentional focuses in the three conditions. Results: The results of our study show that differences in COP range, distance, and velocity among groups were not significant between the different attentional focuses, although all variables of EF were smaller than IF. It is postulated that the reason for this may be that school school-aged children between 8-12 years old go through a transitional phase from IF to EF in effective motor learning. Conclusions: These findings reveal that the type of attentional focus did not have any effect on postural balance in healthy school-aged children.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a 12-week combined cognitive and physical exercise program on cognitive and physical functions in older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Design: A one-group pretest-posttest study. Methods: Twelve participants with MCI engaged in a weekly 60-minute session of combined cognitive and physical exercise program. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), while physical function was evaluated through measures of muscle strength, postural balance, and walking capabilities. Muscle strength assessments included the arm curl test, handgrip strength, and the 5 sit-to-stand test. Postural balance was evaluated using the one-leg stance test, timed up-and-go test, functional reach test, and four square step test. Walking function was analyzed through a gait analysis device. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were compared to determine the effects of the exercise program. Results: The results demonstrated significant improvements in MoCA, arm curl test, timed up-and-go test, walking speed, and cadence following the 12-week intervention (p<0.05). MoCA scores revealed enhanced cognitive performance, while measures of muscle strength, including the arm curl test, exhibited significant changes. Improvements in timed up-and-go test scores indicated enhanced mobility, accompanied by increased walking speed and cadence, as evidenced by gait analysis. Conclusions: This study suggests that a structured 12-week program incorporating both cognitive and physical exercises can lead to meaningful improvements in cognitive and physical functions among older adults with MCI.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2017

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the age-related ability of dynamic balance recovery through perturbation response during standing. Method: Six older and 6 younger adults participated in this study. External perturbation during standing as pulling force applied at the pelvic level in the anterior direction was provided to the subject. The margin of stability was quantified as a measure of postural stability or dynamic balance recovery, and using principal component analysis (PCA), the regularity of the margin of stability (MoS) was calculated. Results: Our results showed that in the older adult group, 60.99% and 28.63% of the total variance were captured using the first and second principal components (PCs), respectively, and in the younger adult group, 81.95% and 10.71% of the total variance were captured using the first and second PCs, respectively. Conclusion: Ninety percent of the total variance captured using the first two PCs indicates that the older adults had decreased regularity of the MoS than the younger adults. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that aging is associated with non-regularity of dynamic postural stability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.155-161
• /
• 2020

Background: The consequences of falls are often debilitating, and prevention is important. In theory, the lower the center of mass (COM), the greater postural stability during standing, and a weight belt at the waist level may help to lower the COM and improve the standing balance. Objects: We examined how the limit of stability (LOS) was affected by the lowered center of mass with the weight belt. Methods: Twenty healthy individuals participated in the LOS test. After calculating each participant's COM, a weight belt was fastened ten centimeters below the COM. Trials were acquired with five weight belt conditions: 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% of body weight. Outcome measures included reaction time, movement velocity, endpoint excursion, maximum excursion, and directional control in 4 cardinal moving directions. Results: None of our outcome variables were associated with a weight belt (p > 0.075), but all of them were associated with moving direction (p < 0.01). On average, movement velocity of the COM and maximum excursion were 31% and 18% greater, respectively, in mediolateral than anteroposterior direction (5.4°/s vs. 4.1°/s; 97.5% vs. 82.6%). Conclusion: Our results suggest that postural stability was not affected by the weight-induced lowered COM, informing the development and improvement of balance training strategies.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.311-316
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Flatfeet are one of the risk factors of foot dysfunction and postural imbalance. The purpose of this study was to compare the limitation of stability (LOS) for the center of gravity (COG) between flatfeet and neutral feet on stable and unstable support surfaces. Methods: The study included 26 healthy, adult male participants: 14 with normal feet and 12 with flatfeet. The subjects were asked to incline the trunk maximumly to the left, right, anterior, and posterior directions and were asked to keep their feet on the floor with the knee extension. The subjects had 30 seconds of rest time between the tasks. The LOS (anterior, posterior, left, right) of COG was measured by Balance Trainer (BT4, Hur-labs, Tampere, Finland). An independent t- test was used to compare the LOS of COG between flatfeet and normal feet on stable and unstable support surfaces, respectively. Results: The LOS of the flatfeet group was generally decreased on stable support surfaces as compared to that of neutral feet, but it was not significantly different (p>0.05), while the LOS of the flatfeet group was significantly decreased compared to that of neutral feet on unstable support surfaces (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggested that the LOS of individuals with flatfeet may be decreased on unstable support surfaces and the postural balance of the flatfeet group may easily be disturbed on an unstable support surface.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.285-291
• /
• 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to propose clinical criteria to differentiate patients who are able to perform the step-through-step gait pattern in chronic stroke patients. METHODS: Sixty patients with chronic stroke patients participated this study. To differentiate patients who could perform the step-through-step gait pattern, age, gender, and causes of stroke were noted, a Chedoke-McMaster (CM) damage list, Fugl-Meyer (FM) assessment scales and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were determined. A 10 meter gait test and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test were conducted to determine the differences in gait speed and dynamic balance between patients walking with or without canes in the step-through-step gait pattern group. RESULTS: There was no significant statistical difference in age, gender, and stroke type between all subjects. There were significant differences in the CM scale for postural and lower extremities, and FM scale for lower extremities and BBS. The dynamic balance ability and gait speed showed significant differences between the subjects in the step-through-step gait pattern with or without a cane during gait. CONCLUSION: CM and FM scales for the lower extremities and postural control, as well as BBS scales, can be used as criteria to differentiate patients who are able to perform the step-through-step gait pattern. These results can also be used to provide beneficial information to patients that are walking with canes.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.316-323
• /
• 2017

Effort to improve balance ability in the field of rehabilitation has been constantly issued and developed up to now. A variety of subcomponent of postural control including function and cognition should be needed in many body systems and be complicatedly linked to each system. In South Korea, although decreased postural dysfunction due to neurological or musculoskeletal disorders has been well documented, we do not have many experience and knowledge of vestibular rehabilitation for maintain and improve balance function. In the United States, vestibular physical therapy is already acknowledged as clinical subspecialty by American Physical Therapy Association. However, there is no curriculum subject related to vestibular rehabilitation in standard education of physical therapy and no specialist who has clinical experience and knowledge of this realm. Therefore, we reviewed general information and basic knowledge of vestibular rehabilitation such as current state of vestibular disorder in South Korea, pathology, major causes of vestibular dysfunction including peripheral vestibular disorders, vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and central disorder, evaluation of vestibular dysfunction, and treatment for vestibular dysfunction new approaches. We expect that physical therapist in South Korea recognize clinical significance of vestibular exercise and that clinical concern and research will be begun in near future.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.17 no.3_4
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine changes of postural sway between the normal group and treatment group of same people through COP movements. Methods: Fifty men with no history of sensory, neurological and orthopedic disorders were participated in this study. Participants were tested on single limb balance during 30 seconds on EMED system with bared foot. Each of them performed two methods and 5 trials totally each method: (1) non-treated group (2) treated group(with big toe flexion limitation). Data on the moving length, average velocity, instantaneous maximum velocity, mediolateral(x axis) maximum velocity, and anteroposterior(y axis) maximum velocity of COP were measured in single limb standing position. Results: The moving length and average velocity of COP were significant difference between normal and treatment group(p<0.05). On correlation of parameters, the faster average velocity of COP, the higher moving length, instantaneous maximum velocity, mediolateral maximum velocity, and anteroposterior maximum velocity of COP increase. The more Instantaneous maximum velocity of COP, the faster is anteroposterior maximum velocity of COP. Conclusions: Limitation of big toe flexors function affected single limb balance of the normal.