• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2013

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the program focusing on gluteal muscle exercise combined lumbar stabilization had an effects on pain, functional disability and lumbar instability in chronic low back pain patients who had lumbar instability. METHODS: Thirty four patients were recruited in this study. The participants were randomly allocated stabilization exercise group (SEG) (n=17) and gluteal muscle exercise group (GEG) (n=17). The gluteal muscle exercise group conducted gluteal muscle exercises combined lumbar stabilization and stabilization exercise group did only lumbar stabilization exercise for 30 minutes three times a week for six weeks. Pre-exercise assessment tools, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Korean version Oswestry Disability Index level (KODI) were used for pain and functional disability each. Also, these were scored by the tool of lumbar instability. The pain, functional disability levels, and lumbar instability after six weeks with this exercise were re-evaluated. RESULTS: First, SEG showed a significant decrease in the lumbar pain, functional disability levels and lumbar instability. Second, GEG showed a significant decrease in the lumbar pain, functional disability levels and lumbar instability. The third, GEG showed even more significant decrease in the lumbar pain levels, functional disability levels and lumbar instability than SEG. CONCLUSION: Gluteal muscle exercises combined lumbar stabilization are more effective than only lumbar stabilization exercise in the pain levels, functional disability levels and lumbar instability for the chronic low back pain patients with lumbar instability.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.19-27
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a multi-modal exercise program for patients with chronic low back with respect to pain intensity, trunk muscle strength and Oswestry disability index. Methods: Thirty patients with chronic low back pain were recruited and divided equally into two groups. The multi-modal training program comprised a series of exercises such as warm-up, stabilization exercises, stretching, endurance exercises, and cool down whereas the control group performed only stabilization exercises. The both group spent an equal amount of time performing 60 minutes per day, three times per week, for five weeks. Results: The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in range of motion, trunk muscle strength, the visual analogue scale, and the Oswestry Disability Index (p<.05). Intergroup comparison showed a statistically significant difference in the range of motion of the lumbar spine and the degree of disability in the experimental group. Muscle strength and pain were statistically significant in both groups. Conclusion: The multi-modal exercise program is effective for patients with chronic low back pain, as it reduces lower back pain, increases trunk muscles strength, and decrease the potential for becoming disabled.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.33-44
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• 2017

Background: Lumbar stabilization exercise and gluteal muscle strengthening exercises are widely used to treat for lower back pain patient. The present study aimed to compare the effects of lumbar stabilization exercise and gluteal muscle strengthening exercises on chronic lower back pain with lumbar spine instability, with regard to pain intensity, disability, and psychosocial factors. Methods: Among 53 patients with chronic lower back pain, those with spine instability were selected using 5 examination tests. The selected 28 patients were randomly assigned to lumbar stabilization exercise group (LSE, n=15) and gluteal strengthening exercise group (GSE, n=13). Each group performed the corresponding exercise for 40 minutes, twice a week for 4 weeks. To analyze and compare the effects, pain intensity, the level of low back disability, and psychosocial factors were assessed before and after intervention. Results: There was significant difference in lower back pain intensity between the two groups before and after intervention. The change in low back disability was significant in the GSE group alone following intervention (p<.05), but no other significant difference was found between the groups. Among psychosocial factors, the changes in the fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ)-physical activity and FABQ-total were significant in the LSE group alone following intervention (p<.05). However, no significant difference were found in these factors between the two groups before and after intervention. Conclusions: LSE and GSE for lower back pain with lumbar spine instability showed no significant difference for pain intensity, physical disability, or psychosocial functioning.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2021

Background: Degenerative arthritis accounts for a large portion of the elderly, causing a lot of inconvenience in daily life. Total knee replacement (TKR) are performed to relieve pain in the knee joint. The purpose of this study was to determine whether knee joint stabilization exercises are effective in improving balance and walking ability in degenerative arthritis patients who have undergone TKR. Methods: A total of 30 TKR patients participated in this study. They were assigned to two groups. The experimental group, the group that underwent knee stabilization exercises, joint mobilization and general physical therapy. On the other hand, and the controlled group, the group that underwent joint mobilization and general physical therapy. All exercises were conducted thrice a week, for four weeks. The main balance outcomes were evaluated using the posture balance training system, while walking ability was assessed using a wireless 3-axis accelerometer. Results: The experimental group had significantly higher scores in postural stability testing (PST), limits stability testing, and waling ability. The post-intervention evaluation, there were significant differences in all variables between the two groups. However, no significant difference was noted in the foam eyes closed test in PST. Conclusion: This study suggests that knee joint stabilization exercises effectively improve the balance and walking ability of TKR patients. Thus, it could be presented as useful in clinical practice.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

This study compared the effect of therapeutic exercise with conservative treatment in women with chronic neck pain. Subjects were allocated to control, neck isometric exercise, and cervical stabilization exercise groups consisting of 29, 32, and 31 patients, respectively. The conservative treatment for the control group consisted of hot packs, ultrasound, interferential current therapy, and intermittent cervical traction. The neck isometric exercise group performed a neck isometric exercise and the cervical stabilization exercise group performed a cervical stabilization exercise. To compare the three groups, the levels of perceived pain, neck disability, and psychological depression were assessed on admission, at discharge, and one month after discharge. On admission and at discharge, the pain and neck disability scores did not differ significantly among the groups. However, one month after discharge, both the neck isometric and cervical stabilization exercise groups had significantly improved perceived pain levels as compared to control (p<.05). The improvement in the degree of neck disability was most significant in the cervical stabilization exercise group (p<.05). On comparing the changes in the variables at the three assessments for each group, there was a significant difference between the control and cervical stabilization exercise groups (p<.05). The findings indicate that therapeutic exercises, especially cervical stabilization exercises, are more effective for improving pain and neck disability than conservative treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

Purpose : This study was conducted to find out the effect on the activity of trunk and lower limbs muscles during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping taping for trunk stabilization movement. Methods : The study subjects were recruited by using the on-campus bulletin boards for healthy adult males and females in their 20s attending K University in Changwon-city, South Gyeongsang Province. The subjects were 30 persons (15 males and 15 females) who agreed to the study purpose in accordance with the criteria for selection and exclusion. Results : The results were obtained by measuring the muscle activity of the trunk and lower limbs during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic fixed tapping. The effects on erector spinae and hamstring muscles was statistically significantly lower (p<.05), it was confirmed that there were no statistically significant differences between the multifidus and gluteus maximus muscle (p>.05). Conclusion : Through this study, it was found that the excessive flexion of the waist was significantly reduced from erector spinalis and hamstring muscle after abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping tapping compared to the general bridging exercises.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2011

Objective : This study aims to examine how lumbar stabilization exercise and resistive exercise affect lumbar and lower extremity muscular strength of the aged. Method : Randomly selected 15 female senior citizens aged 65 or older at S, Y, and J senior citizens' center located in D city who meet the requirements for the study were divided into a resistive exercise group of 7 and a stabilization exercise group of 8 for which 60-minute-exercise sessions were administered three times a week for 12 weeks. Measuring lumbar and lower extremity muscular strength was measured six weeks and 12 weeks after exercise, respectively. Results : First, both resistive exercises and stabilization exercises are effective to improve lumbar muscular strength. Second, resistive exercise is effective to improve flexural muscle strength as well as lower extremity muscular strength, and stabilization exercise is effective for both flexion and extensor muscle strength. Conclusion : The 12 week lumbar stabilization exercise program appeared to be effective to improve lumbar and lower extremity muscular strength of the aged. This indicates that applying this program to identify and prevent frequent risk factors of falling can lead to the prevention of secondary problem factors of falling accidents.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.19-29
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• 2004

Many muscles of the trunk and hip are capable of contributing to the stabilization and protection of the lumbar spine. To have optimal effectiveness, a training program should include dynamic back/stomach/hip exercises. This study was designed to assess the L5 level paraspinal, external abdominal oblique, and gluteus maximus muscle activities during various low back stabilization exercises. Participants were 26 healthy adults (13 males, 13 Females), aged 21 to 28 years. The surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from the L5 level paraspinal, external abdominal oblique, and gluteus maximus muscles. The recorded signal was averaged and normalized to the maximal electromyographic amplitude obtained during the maximal voluntary contraction. The measurements were taken during 3 low back stabilization exercises. One-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to examine the difference, and a post hoc test was performed with least significant difference. A level of significance was set at p<.05. The significance of difference between men and women, and between the electromyographic recording sites was evaluated by an independent t-test. The EMG activity for the externus oblique and gluteus maximus muscles had significant differences among 3 exercises (p<.05). In males, the EMG activity for the external abdominal oblique muscle had significantly increased differences during exercises 1 and exercise 2 (p<.05). The gluteus maximus muscle had significantly increased differences during exercise 2 and exercise 3 (p<.05). In females, the multifidus muscle had significantly increased difference during exercise 3 (p<.05), the external abdominal oblique muscle had significantly increased difference during exercise 1 (p<.05). and the gluteus maximus muscle had significantly decreased difference during exercise 3 (p<.05). The results were that the external abdominal oblique muscle was apparently activated during the curl-up exercise in females and males, and the multifidus muscle was apparently activated during the bridging exercise in females and during the sling exercise in males and females.1)In comparison of the %MVC between males and females, exercise 2 and exercise 3 apparently activated of the multifidus and gluteus maximus muscles in both males and females (p<.05). The EMG activity of the gluteus maximus muscle of the males significantly increased during exercise 2 and exercise 3 (p<.05). The EMG activity the multifidus muscle of the females was significantly increased during exercise 2 and exercise 3 (p<.05). More research is needed to understand the nature of motor control problems in the deep muscles in patients with low back pain.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.291-302
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercise on the onset time of trunk muscle contraction in the elderly. Methods: Elderly subjects were divided into 2 groups: a neck and trunk stabilization exercise group (NTSG) and a control group (CG). The NTSG performed both neck and trunk stabilization exercises and the CG performed gait training on a treadmill, at 30 min per session, 3 times per week, over 8 weeks. Surface electromyography was employed to measure the onset times of trunk muscle contractions in the right anterior deltoid, rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominis, internal oblique abdominis, and erector spinae muscles. Results: The NTSG subjects showed earlier and statistically significant onset of contraction in trunk muscles as compared to the CG. Conclusion: The combination of neck and trunk stabilization exercises may more effectively improve the onset of muscle contractions in the elderly than other types of exercise. The present study's findings may be used as basic data for the development of exercise programs suitable to the elderly, specifically for the design of home exercise programs.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.60-67
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• 2017

Background: Scapular downward rotation syndrome (SDRS) is a common scapular alignment impairment that causes insufficient upward rotation and muscle imbalance, shortened levator scapulae (LS) and rhomboid, and lengthened serratus anterior (SA) and trapezius. A modified shrug exercise (MSE), performing a shrug exercise with the shoulders at $150^{\circ}$ abduction, is known as an effective exercise to increase scapular stabilizer muscle activation. Previous studies revealed that scapular exercise are more effective when combined with trunk stabilization exercises in decreasing scapular winging and increasing scapular stabilizer muscle activation. Objects: The purpose of our study was to clarify the effect of MSE with or without trunk stabilization exercises in subjects with SDRS. Methods: Eighteen volunteer subjects (male=10, female=8) with SDRS were recruited for this experiment. All subjects performed MSE under 3 different conditions: (1) MSE, (2) MSE with an abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM), and (3) MSE with an abdominal expansion maneuver (AEM). The muscle thickness of the lower trapezius (LT) and the SA were measured using an ultrasonography in each condition. Electromyography (EMG) data were collected from the LT, LS, SA, and upper trapezius (UT) muscle activities. Data were statistically analysed using one-way repeated analysis of variance at a significance level of .05. Results: The muscle thickness of the LT and the SA were the significant different in the MSE, MSE with ADIM (MSE+ADIM) and MSE with AEM (MSE+AEM) conditions (p<.05) In both LT and SA, the order of thick muscle thickness was MSE+AEM, MSE+ADIM, and MSE alone. No significant differences were found in the EMG activities of the SA, UT, LS, and LT in all condition. Conclusion: In conclusion, MSE is more beneficial to people with SDRS when combined with trunk stabilization exercises by increased thickness of scapular stabilizer muscles.