• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.8 no.11
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• pp.1785-1792
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• 2013

For patients suffering from spinal cord injuries, both of the possibility of having complications with the respiratory system and the related fatal rate are still high, while pneumonia is the most important cause of these fatalities. This research was carried out to find out what effects does a breathing exercise have on the respiratory functions and the improvement in the quality of life. The study was carried out for male patients suffering cervical spinal cord injuries for the purpose of inspiratory muscle strengthening. The objects of the study were 17 non-smoking-at-present male patients with C4 to C6 cervical spinal cord injuries. They had practiced inspiratory muscle strengthening training for three times a week for six weeks. The quality of life and the dyspnea (breathing difficulty) were self-measured before and after the training. As a result, the change in respiratory function was only significantly reduced (p<0.01) within the chronic group. In terms of the changes in the quality of life, the sub-acute group has only seen a significant improvement (p<0.05) for the VT(vitality), while the chronic group has seen significant improvements(p<0.05, p<0.01) in: GH(general health); BP(back pain); and VT(vitality). In this research, the inspiratory muscle strengthening has reduced the dyspnea (breathing difficulties) and improved the quality of life.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.38-58
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• 2004

The regain of independent ambulatory ability is a important goal in the rehabilitation program of hemiplegic patient. Not only the function of lower extremity muscles, but also trunk muscles which stabilize extremities and pelvis, are important factors in normal gait. Therefor, it is necessary to develop an effective program which can improve muscle strength and symmetric activity of trunk muscles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of trunk muscle strengthening by forceful respiratory exercise on the gait asymmetry ratio in hemiplegic patient. 45 Hemiplegic patients due to stroke was randomized in 3 groups, forceful expiratory training(FET), forceful inspiratory training(FIT) and control group. In the experimental groups, ordinary physical therapy with forceful expiratory training and forceful inspiratory training for 20 minutes duration 3 times per week for 6 weeks were respectively performed. In the control group, only ordinary physical therapy was done. Before and after experiments, temporal-spatial gait parameters was measured in all patients. The data of 28 patients who carried out the whole experimental course were statistically analysed. The results of these experiment are as follows : 1. In comparison of difference of single support time asymmetry ratio among 3 groups, the FET group was significantly decreased than the control group (p<.05). 2. In comparison of difference of step length asymmetry ratio among 3 groups, the FIT group was significantly decreased than the control group (p<.05). Based on these results, it is concluded that the forced respiratory exercise program for 6 weeks can be improve the gait asymmetry ratio in hemiplegic patients. Therefore, the forced respiratory exercise is useful to improve the walking ability in hemiplegic patients. Since this study dealt only with the patients who could walk more than 3 meters in distance on floor independently, the further study for evaluating the influence of the forceful respiratory exercise on patients with acute stage stroke and also the development in various methods of use are expected.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.137-146
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• 2020

Purpose : The enhancement of abdominal muscles increases the activation and contraction of respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm. Generally, diaphragm exercises are applied to increase the breathing ability of patients with respiratory disease. Previous studies have shown that breathing capacity can be increased through abdominal muscle strengthening exercises. However, studies on breathing ability are rare and it is doubtful whether these affect respiratory ability more than diaphragm exercises. Therefore, this study seeks to compare whether abdominal exercises can improve breathing ability and whether any increase is comparable to diaphragm exercises. Methods : After selecting subjects, the place of intervention was separated for blindness. The plank group was allowed to relax for 30 seconds after 30 seconds of planking; this was set at three and increased by one set each week. Subjects in the draw-in group were allowed to relax for 30 seconds after maintaining the draw-in contraction state for 30 seconds and this was done for 15 minutes. Subjects in the control group underwent abdominal dilation for five seconds of inspiration time and expired air for five seconds by exposing the lips; breathing was performed repeatedly for 15 minutes. Subjects in each group measured their respiration function three times before intervention, three weeks after the commencement of intervention and after intervention. Spirovit SP-1 was used to measure respiratory function. In each group, repeated ANOVA was used to compare the respiratory function over time and one-way ANOVA was used to compare the respiratory function between groups. The post hoc was conducted using the LSD method. Results : There was a significant increase in respiratory ability between the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) and peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁)/forced vital capacity (FVC) according to the six-week period. However, there was no difference between each group. Conclusion : For patients with low respiratory muscle strength, plank exercises and abdominal draw-in are beneficial exercises for improving respiratory function. These are expected to be widely used in clinical practice for patients with weak respiratory muscles.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.11-18
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• 2021

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on lung capacity of healthy men and women in their twenties by performing an intervention using the chest extension exercise and the bridge exercise, which are respiratory muscle strengthening exercises. Methods : Thirty adult men and women in their 20s participated in this study. All subjects participated in the study after hearing the explanation of the purpose and method of the study, filling out a consent form. All subjects were randomly assigned to the chest extension exercise (CEE) group and the bridge exercise (BE) group of fifteen each. Each exercise was performed twice a week for 4 weeks. Lung capacity was measured by forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) using spirometry. Lung capacity was measured before and after exercise. The measured data were compared through the dependent t-test and the independent t-test. The statistical significance level was set at .05. Results : After the intervention, the CEE group showed a significant increase in FVC and FEV₁ compared to before the intervention (p<.05). After the intervention, the BE group also had a significant increase in FVC and FEV₁ compared to before the intervention (p<.05). However, there was no difference in FVC and FEV₁ between groups before and after the intervention (p>.05). Conclusion : There was no difference between groups in lung capacity after exercise. However, both the chest extension exercise and the bridge exercise increased FVC and FEV1, which was thought to be because both exercise methods were effective in increasing lung capacity. Therefore, both chest extension exercises and bridge exercises can be effectively applied as a way to increase lung capacity.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.29-37
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to classify patients with chronic back pain according to the degree of their back pain, and to compare the pain dysfunction index with the qualitative changes in abdominal muscles. Therefore, we aimed to provide a basis for the treatment intervention method for patients with back pain. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic back pain were purposive sample to a group of 10 patients with a back pain index of 60 % or more and a group with less than 60 % of back pain, and the subjects who voluntarily participated in the study After receiving the letter, I conducted the research the dysfunction of back pain was measured by the Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (KODI), and the ultrasonic wave (Ultrasound MyLabOne, ESAOTE, Italy) And the white area index, and the abdominal muscle movement was used as the exercise instrument POWER breathe K5 (Hab direct, UK), which strengthens the respiratory muscles through threshold-muscle traction. Result: In this study, patients with chronic back pain were subjected to breathing exercises, which led to the decrease in back pain dysfunction. The ultrasonographic analysis of abdominal muscles revealed that both the white area index and muscle image density in the skeletal muscle and in the outer muscle of the abdomen gradually decreased over time. Conclusion: It is thought that introducing back pain patients to abdominal muscle reinforcement training is effective in improving the functions of the patients' muscles, thus increasing their quality of life.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.597-607
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• 2002

Background : Even though it is well known that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise capacity, and the quality of life, in patients with chronic lung diseases, not many patients can attend hospital based intensive PR in Korea. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for a home-based PR program, and study its effectiveness. Materials and Methods : Twenty patients with chronic lung diseases were randomly divided into two groups : a home PR group comprising of 10 male patients, with a mean age of 70 years, and a control group comprising of 10 male patients, with a mean age of 65 years. We developed exercise programs, depending on the exercise capacity of each patient, which were easy to do at home. The PR program consisted of a 12 week period of enforced aerobic (mostly walking) and muscle strengthening exercises, as prescribed by the exercise specialist, in accordance with the functional capacity of the patient. In addition to the education, nutritional and psychiatric consultation was undertaken, and respiratory muscle training arranged. Patients visited hospital every 2 weeks for evaluation and exercise prescription. Results : All patients finished the 12 week course of therapy. Following the home PR, the endurance times and work capacity of the upper and lower extremities were significantly increased in the treatment group in comparison to the controls. The six minute working (Eds note:should) 'working' read "walking"?) distance was increased from $465{\pm}60m$ to $508{\pm}37m$ and the maximal inspiratory pressure from $72.8{\pm}27.2cmH_2O$ to $91.4{\pm}30.9cmH_2O$. The quality of life, as assessed by St Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), was also improved following PR. (Eds note:do you have figures for before and after, and a reference for the SGRQ?i.e. for the main paper.) Conclusion : The home PR program we developed seemed to be applicable, and effective, to most of the patients with chronic lung diseases in this study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.736-745
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• 1996

Background : It is known that pulmonary rehabilitation improves dyspnea and exercise tolerance in patient with chronic lung disease, although it does not improve pulmonary function. But there is a controversy whether this improvement after pulmonary rehabilitation is due to increased aerobic exercise capacity. We performed this study to evaluate the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for 6 weeks on the pulmonary function, gas exchange, exercise tolerance and aerobic exercise capacity in patients with chronic lung disease. Methods : Pulmonary rehabilitations including education, muscle strengthening exercise and symptom-Umited aerobic exercise for six weeks, were performed in fourteen patients with chronic lung disease (COPD 11, bronchiectasis 1, IPF 1, sarcoidosis 1 ; mean age $57{\pm}4$ years; male 12, female 2). Pre- and post-rehabilitaion pulmonary function and exercise capacity were compared. Results: 1) Before the rehabilitation, FVC, $FEV_1$ and $FEF_{25-75%}$ of the patients were $71.5{\pm}6.4%$. $40.6{\pm}3.4%$ and $19.3{\pm}3.8%$ of predicted value respectively. TLC, FRC and RV were $130.3{\pm}9.3%$, $157.3{\pm}13.2%$ and $211.1{\pm}23.9%$ predicted respectively. Diffusing capacity and MVV were $59.1{\pm}1.1%$ and $48.6{\pm}6.2%$. These pulmonary functions did not change after pulmonary rehabilitation. 2) In the incremental exercise test using bicycle ergometer, maximum work rale ($57.7{\pm}4.9$) watts vs. $64.8{\pm}6.0$ watts, P=0.036), maximum oxygen consumption ($0.81{\pm}0.07$ L/min vs. $0.96{\mu}0.08$ L/min, P=0.009) and anaerobic threshold ($0.60{\pm}0.06$ L/min vs. $0.76{\mu}0.06$ L/min, P=0.009) were significantly increased after pulmonary rehabilitation. There was no improvement in gas exchange after rehabilitation. 3) Exercise endurances of upper ($4.5{\pm}0.7$ joule vs. $14.8{\pm}2.4$ joule, P<0.001) and lower extremity ($25.4{\pm}5.7$ joule vs. $42.6{\pm}7.7$ joule, P<0.001), and 6 minute walking distance ($392{\pm}35$ meter vs. $459{\pm}33$ meter, P<0.001) were significantly increased after rehabilitation. Maximum inspiratory pressure was also increased after rehabilitation ($68.5{\pm}5.4$ $CmH_2O$ VS. $80.4{\pm}6.4$ $CmH_2O$, P<0.001). Conclusion: The pulmonary rehabilitation for 6 weeks can improve exercise performance in patients with chronic lung disease.