• PNF and Movement
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.137-144
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effects of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) on muscle activity in the trunk and legs while subjects walk on a ramp. Methods: The subjects were healthy adult males (n=15) and females (n=8) in their twenties. The subjects were asked to maintain the ADIM contraction for 15 minutes using a pressure biofeedback unit. Their muscle activity was then measured while ascending or descending the ramp with or without the ADIM contraction maintained. Activity in the sternocleidomastoid, splenius capitis, rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominal, transversus abdominis, erector spinae, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis muscles was measured using surface electromyography (TM DTS, Noraxon, USA). A paired t-test was conducted using SPSS 18.0 (IBM) for statistical data processing. Results: Maintaining the ADIM contraction during ascension led to a significant increase (p<0.05) in muscle activity for the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis, but a significant decrease (p<0.05) in muscle activity for the erector spinae, when compared to the same activity without the ADIM maintained. Furthermore, maintaining the ADIM contraction during descent led to a significant increase (p<0.05) in muscle activity for the rectus abdominis, external abdominal oblique, transversus abdominis, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis, but a significant decrease (p<0.05) in muscle activity for the erector spinae, when compared to the same activity without the ADIM maintained. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it maintains the ADIM and reduces lumbar muscle activity at the waist and increases muscle activity in the legs when walking on a ramp. Therefore, maintaining the ADIM contraction during ramp walking is recommended as training to improve the function of patients' muscular skeleton.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.7-18
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• 2012

Purpose : This study was to compare the difference Trunk Control Test(TCT), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke(PASS-TC), and Trunk Impairment Scale(TIS) and its subscales in relation to the difference MBI(Modified Barthel Index), BBS(Berg Balance Scale), and to establish the association between MBI, BBS, Fugl Meyer-motor function(FM-M), and to predict MBI-subscales from the variables. Methods : 58 stroke patients, attending a rehabilitation programme, participated in the study. Trunk control was measured with the use of the TCT, PASS-TC, TIS, and the performance of Activities daily living was obtained by MBI, and dynamic balance ability(by BBS). Trunk control scores from the difference MBI, BBS were compared using the 1-way ANOVA(Mann Whitney U test) and the data were analyzed using Pearson product correlation. Multiple stepwise regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for ADL subscale. Results : Trunk control scores showed significant differences between MBI(F=2.139~13.737, p<.05~.001), BBS(t=3.491~7.705, p<.01~.001). It was significantly related with value of the MBI(r=.25~.50), BBS(r=.38~.68), FMM( r=.31~.48). Stepwise linear regression analysis showed an additional, significant contribution of the TCT, in addition to the PASS-TC, dynamic sitting balance subscale of the TIS for measures of MBI subscales. Conclusion : Measures of trunk control were significantly related with values of MBI, BBS score, so the management of trunk rehabilitation after stroke should be emphasized. The use of both quantitative and qualitative scales was shown to be a good measuring instrument for the classification of the general performance of the stroke patients. Further study about trunk control is needed using a longitudinal study design.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.9-17
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• 2012

Purpose : This study's purpose is consideration about change of the hand grip strength according to different posture and shoulder flexion angle. The shoulder joint permits the greatest mobility and carries out the important function of stabilization for hand use. Hand grip activity is important to evaluate while assessing loads of shoulder in hand mobilities. Methods : Thirty(15 male, 15 female) college students with unknown shoulder dysfunction participated subject in five different positions of elbow extension with sitting and standing posture, different positions is followed : (1) shoulder $0^{\circ}$ flexion (2) shoulder $45^{\circ}$ flexion (3) shoulder $90^{\circ}$ flexion (4) shoulder $135^{\circ}$ flexion (5) shoulder $180^{\circ}$ flexion. Results : On the average, in the hand grip strength, the standing posture is higher than sitting posture. Sitting posture showed a most high level at the man's $0^{\circ}$ and woman's $135^{\circ}$. And standing posture showed a most high level at the man's $135^{\circ}$ and woman's $90^{\circ}$. Conclusion : The paired t-test was used to determine the different in grip strength between sitting and standing posture by shoulder angle change. There was no significant difference between the five position by sitting and standing posture. In man, correlation analysis revealed significant connection for all five position by sitting and standing posture. And in woman, correlation analysis revealed connection for all five position by sitting and standing posture.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.415-424
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to compare changes in abdominal muscle thickness in different standing postures with a handheld load between subjects with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: Twenty subjects with CLBP and 20 controls participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging was used to assess the changes in the thickness of the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles. Muscle thickness in three different standing postures (standing at rest, standing with loads, standing with lifting loads) was compared with the muscle thickness at rest in the supine position and was expressed as a percentage of change in the thickness of the muscle. Results: While standing with loads, the change in IO muscle thickness in the CLBP patients increased more significantly than in the pain-free controls (p < 0.05). The standing with lifting loads posture showed a significant increase in the change in thickness of the TrA compared with the standing with loads posture (p < 0.05). In addition, the standing with lifting loads posture showed a significant decrease in the change in the thickness of the EO when compared with the standing with loads posture (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The automatic activity of the IO muscle in subjects with CLBP increased more than that of the pain-free controls in the standing with loads posture. These findings suggest that IO muscle function may be altered in those with CLBP while standing with loads. Additionally, TrA the activation level was found to be associated with increased postural demand caused by an elevated center of mass.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.359-370
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• 2022

Purpose: Physical therapists are required to properly choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF model). The aims of this study were to determine whether neurological physical therapists in clinical settings in South Korea know about the ICF model and to investigate the current trends of outcome measures (OMs) used by them. Methods: Two hundred and one physical therapists who worked with patients with neurological disorders participated in this study. The survey was conducted via e-mail and asked about commonly used OMs and the considerations for selecting OMs. Results: All physical therapists involved in this study responded completely, and 45.8% of participants learned about the ICF model, while 37.3% understood the detailed information related to the ICF model. The rest of the participants did not know or just heard about the ICF model. The most frequently used tools at the body function/structure level were the Range of Motion (98%), Manual Muscle Test (97%), Berg Balance Scale (83.1%), and Modified Ashworth Scale (70.6%) when allowing repetition. At the activity level, the 10-meter walk test (71.1%), 6-minute walk test (54.2%), and Functional Ambulatory Category (43.3%) were used, while the Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (23.9%) was used at the participation level. There was a positive relationship between the number of tools used and years of work, as well as the level of understanding of the ICF model. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to learn the ICF model in a clinical setting. In addition, the medical system needs to be modified to encourage physical therapists in South Korea to use proper OMs within the ICF model.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.129-137
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• 2023

Purpose: The physical therapy diagnosis process requires high-level background knowledge, the ability to obtain added information from patients, accurate examination skills, and a framework for transforming thoughts into a diagnostic decision. Thus, the physical therapy diagnostic process is highly complicated and difficult work. To function as autonomous professionals, physical therapists must develop effective clinical diagnosis skills. As such, mobile application aids can help with accurate and scientific diagnoses. Therefore, this study aims to develop and evaluate the usability of a mobile application for physical therapy diagnoses. Methods: In this study, a diagnostic application was developed using App Inventor, the development environment was the Chrome web browser for Windows 10, and the mobile application was run on a Google Pixel 5. The developed application was evaluated for usability by 20 physical therapists with more than 5 years of clinical experience in the musculoskeletal physical therapy field, and a usability evaluation was conducted using a 5-point Likert scale for accuracy, convenience, satisfaction, and usability. The collected Likert scores were converted into percentages and analyzed as descriptive statistics. Results: The graphical user interface consisted of an initial screen with program guidance, 18 screens presenting the algorithm, and 12 screens presenting the estimated diagnosis based on the algorithm. As such, the usability evaluation of the developed application was as follows: accuracy 100%, convenience 90%, satisfaction 91%, and usability 88%. Conclusion: The newly developed mobile application for physical therapeutic diagnoses has a high accuracy, and it will aid in building an easy and reliable physical therapy diagnosis system.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.139-146
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• 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide basic information to create an efficient training program to improve shoulder stability and function in patients with injuries and in patients having undergone surgery of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles, which have a relatively high incidence of injury in shoulder joint disease. Further, independent activities of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles were investigated according to forearm rotation and the neutral and lateral rotation postures. Methods: The activities of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles were measured using surface electromyography in 22 healthy adults in Busan, and isokinetic muscle strength measurement equipment was used to measure muscle strength during shoulder lateral rotation. The subjects performed lateral rotation of the shoulder in three different forearm postures (neutral, supine, prone) to measure shoulder muscle activity and lateral rotation strength. Results: The independent activity ratio (% Isolation) of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles during lateral rotation of the shoulder joint demonstrated a significant difference (p<0.05) according to the change in forearm posture. Conclusion: The supraspinatus muscle showed independent activity ranging from highest to lowest in the order of pronation, neutral, and supination of the forearm, while the independent activity of the infraspinatus muscle ranged from highest to lowest in the order of neutral, supination, and pronation of the forearm. Therefore, the most active forearm positions for the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles are pronation and neutral, respectively.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.73-81
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present specific criteria for setting goals for hand rehabilitation by comparing the degree of difference in grip force, coordination, and dexterity between the dominant and non-dominant hand according to gender. Methods: We recruited 100 healthy adults in their 20s and 30s. A handheld digital dynamometer was used to evaluate the grip force of each of the dominant and non-dominant hand, a chopsticks manipulation test was used to evaluate coordination, and the Purdue Pegboard test was used to evaluate agility. Results: In all subjects, the grip force, coordination, and dexterity showed statistically significant difference (p <0.01) between the dominant and non-dominant hand. In the comparison according to gender, both male and female dominant and non-dominant hands showed statistically significant differences in grip force, coordination, and dexterity (p <0.01). In the comparison according to grip force, there was a statistically significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant hand, and men showed stronger result values in both hands compared to women (p <0.01). In the comparison according to coordination, there was no statistically significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant hand in men and women (p >0.05). In the comparison according to dexterity, there was a statistically significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant hand, and women were shown to be faster in performance time with both hands, compared to men (p <0.01). Conclusion: Differences according to gender exist in grip force and dexterity but not coordination, and differences between dominant and non-dominant hand exists across all measurements. The results suggest setting a recovery goal according to dominance and gender during rehabilitation of hand function.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Purpose: The prevalent use of mobile devices may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders, such as forward head posture (FHP), among users. The measurement of the craniovertebral angle (CVA) using photographic images is frequently employed in assessing FHP. Although manual CVA measurement using photographic images is reliable in clinical settings, computer programs or mobile applications to support tele-physical therapy are not yet fully developed. Therefore, in the current study, we propose an automatic method for extracting CVA from photographic images of FHP subjects to facilitate tele-physical therapy. Methods: To develop the automatic CVA measuring computer program, photographic images were obtained from 10 FHP participants. The location information obtained from the markers attached to the tragus and the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra were used as coordinates. Using these coordinates, straight line 1 was generated by connecting the seventh spinous process of the cervical vertebra and the tragus, while straight line 2 was drawn parallel to the coordinate obtained from the seventh spinous process of the cervical vertebra. The arc tangent function was used to calculate the angle between the two straight lines. The automatic CVA measurement computer program utilizing photographic images was developed using MATLAB (ver. 2016b). Results: The results showed that the automatic CVA measurement computer program demonstrated stable repeatability and high accuracy. Conclusion: The proposed approach was able to automatically estimate the CVA using photographic images. The developed computer program can potentially be used for easier and more reliable clinical assessment of FHP.

• PNF and Movement
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.243-255
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• 2024

Purpose: Although foot muscle imbalance has been confirmed in patients with hallux valgus deformity, there is insufficient information on how corrective taping affects muscle activity and contraction rate of the foot muscles. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of Mulligan taping as a treatment method for hallux valgus deformity by examining changes in muscle activity and contraction rate when Mulligan taping with inelastic tape was applied to these patients. Methods: Thirty-two patients with hallux valgus deformity were randomly divided into two groups, experimental and control. In the experimental group, Mulligan taping with inelastic tape was applied to correct the hallux valgus angle of the big toe, and in the control group, placebo taping was performed in which inelastic tape was applied in a straight line without modifying the angle of the big toe. Muscle activity and muscle contraction rate were measured before and after the intervention, and changes were compared and analyzed. Results: In the experimental group where Mulligan taping was applied, the muscle activity and muscle contraction rate of the abductor hallucis muscle significantly increased after the intervention (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the muscle activity and muscle contraction rate of the adductor hallucis muscle and tibialis posterior muscle significantly decreased (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in muscle activity and muscle contraction rate in the control group, where placebo taping was applied (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Mulligan taping significantly changed muscle activity and contraction rates compared to placebo taping. By correcting the position of the big toe, the activity and contraction rate of the abductor hallucis muscle increased, while the activity and contraction rate of the adductor hallucis muscle and tibialis posterior muscle decreased. Therefore, Mulligan taping is considered an intervention that can prevent symptom worsening and enhance foot function by improving muscle imbalance in patients with hallux valgus deformity.