• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated the changes that effects of load stimulation (LS) on static balance and muscle activities in normal healthy elders and chronic stroke patients. Methods: Subjects were instructed twenty normal healthy elders (8 men and 12 women) and ten chronic stroke patients (4 men and 6 women). They were tested while standing on a force platform under two conditions; LS, no LS were applied in random order. Prior to testing, adhesive surface EMG electrodes were fastened to the skin overlying the right (non-paralytic side in stroke patient) bellies of tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. They were assessed on postural sway and %MVC (Maximum voluntary contraction) of TA and LG. Results: Participants showed that the application of LS brought about a decrease in postural sway as expressed by average sway path and velocity. %MVC of TA and LG were increased. The application of LS to normal and stroke patients decreases postural sway during quite stance. Conclusion: These findings the application of LS to normal and stroke patients improves static balance.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2022

Background: During postural control, older adults are more dependent on proprioception than are young adults. Ankle proprioception, which plays an important role in maintaining postural balance, decreases with age. Published studies are insufficient to establish a significant age difference in postural sway resulting from the known age-related decrease in ankle proprioception and do not examine various detailed test conditions. Objects: The present study aimed to compare ankle proprioception between older and younger groups along dimensions of position vs. force proprioception and dorsiflexion vs. plantarflexion. The present study also aimed to compare postural sway between young and older women during quiet standing under two sensory conditions. Methods: We recruited seven young women aged 21-24 and seven older women aged 60-63. Ankle proprioception was assessed as the accuracy of the joint position sense (JPS) and the force sense (FS). Postural sway was assessed using center-of-pressure measurements recorded during quiet standing under two sensory positions: eyes open and eyes closed with head tilted back. Results: Older women had lower JPS in dorsiflexion and lower FS in plantarflexion than did younger women. We found no significant age differences in JPS in plantarflexion or in FS in dorsiflexion. We observed a main effect of group on postural sway in two sway parameters out of three. We observed significant differences in JPS with dorsiflexion, and in FS with plantarflexion. Conclusion: Proprioception for ankle plantar flexor decreased more significantly with aging than did that for ankle dorsiflexor, accounting for the impaired postural balance observed in older women.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.527-539
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of ankle joint mobilization on equilibrium ability of supinated foot. Both Joint mobilization group(n=20) and control group(n=20) were measured an equilibrium ability by Balance performance monitor at pre-test, post-test in 2 weeks, post-test in 4 weeks and follow-up test in 2 weeks. The sway area, sway path length and sway maximum velocity of the joint mobilization group were significantly reduced among the experimental period (p<.05). The reduction of sway area, sway path length and sway maximum velocity were significantly different between the joint mobilization group and the control group at in 2 weeks, 4 weeks and follow-up test(p<.05). In conclusion, we were found that ankle joint mobilization could reduce sway area, sway path length and sway max velocity and improve a balance for the individuals with supinated foot.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 1997

Postural balancing in human is known to be maintained by the complex mechanism coupled with cerebellum, equilibrium organ of ear, proprioception and other various organs. We developed a Computerized Balance Evaluation and Training system(COBET system) to evaluate postural control and to rehabilitate geriatrics and disabled patient. In addition, 55 normal adult were tested to investigate the influencing factors on balancing posture. For the analysis of static postural sway, areas of the moving center of pressure were calculated under 8 different positions of subjects. And subjects were also asked to follow the visual targets on monitor for the evaluation of the dynamic postural sway. In comparison of the first and the second sets of tests, there was test-retest reliability($\textit{p}$< 0.05). The controllability of the static pmtwn sway was decreased as the ages of subjects increase. When the ages of subject are over 60, the controllability was significantly decrease4 The dynamic postural sway was significantly greater in the age groups of 7th and 8th decade than the younger groups. It is concluded that COBET system is a reliable system in the evaluation of postural sway. The COBET system is considered to be a valuable training modality for the disabled patients as well as the elderly.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.49-57
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• 2015

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify whether static and dynamic balance in young men were influenced by the different height of insoles in their shoes. Methods : Eighteen healthy young men (mean $20.61{\pm}1.38years$) were recruited for this study. The subjects' static and dynamic balance were assessed while wearing three different height' insoles (0cm, 2cm, 3cm) in their tennis shoes. Anterioposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) sway velocity was measured for 20 seconds using a force plate (Good balance system, Finland) under four conditions including normal standing with eyes open and with eyes closed, and tandem standing with eyes open and with eyes closed. The Functional Reach Test (FRT) and Timed Up & Go (TUG) were also performed for each subject under each condition. Results : 1) ML and AP sway velocities in young men were significantly different according to the height of the insole in normal standing with eyes open and eyes closed. 2) ML and AP sway velocities in young men were not different according to the height of the insole in tandem standing with eyes open. 3) ML sway velocities in young men were significantly different according to the height of the insole in tandem standing with eyes closed, whereas AP sway velocities did not differ by height of the insole in tandem standing with eyes closed. 4) FRT scores in young men were significantly different according to the height of the insole. 5) TUG scores in young men were not significantly different according to the height of the insole. Conclusions : This study's results indicate that the static and dynamic balance in young men can be influenced by shoe insole height.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.576-579
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• 2018

Purpose : This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of an action-observational task oriented training on balance and gait ability of patients with chronic stroke. Method : The subjects of this study were 30 patients with chronic stroke who agreed to participate and were picked up. Participants were randomly divided into equal groups; namely, an experimental group that underwent action-observational task oriented training for at least 30 minutes/day for 6 weeks and a control group that underwent general task-oriented training. Patients' balance was assessed using the Sway Length(SL), Sway Area (SA) and Limit of Stability (LOS) test. In addition, gait ability was assessed using the 10 Meter Walking Test (10MWT). Gait time and speed taken to walk 10 metres were used to examine gait ability. Result : There were significant improvements in the subscales of the balance and gait ability test of those who participated in the action-observational task oriented training, while the control group showed no significant changes. Conclusion : Therefore, Action-observational training effectively improved the balance and gait abiltiy in patients with chronic stroke.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of foot orthotic on postural sway. Subjects were 15 patients(7 men and 8 women) who prescribed foot orthotic at B hospital and L rehabilitation medicine clinic in Seoul. Postural sway during a single limb stance was measured using the CMS 10 Measuring System when subjects positioned on the balance trainer under two treatment conditions(orthotic and nonorthotic). RCSP(resting calcaneal stance position) while subjects were standing on the glass plate was measured using the angle finder after subjects were positioned in prone to divide equally lower leg and calcaneus using the goniometer. The result was as follows. There were significant difference between postural sway of orthotic and nonorthotic conditions(t=4.888, 4.589, p<0.001), and the leg of the small RCSP within a subject has the small postural sway index($x^2=26.000$, p<0.001). In conclusion, foot orthotics provide structural support for detecting and controlling postural sway in patients prescribed foot orthotics.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.481-486
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effect of calf muscle fatigue on postural sway according to foot posture (a pes cavus, a normal foot, and a pes planus). Methods: The subjects of this study were 12, 11, and 9 students of U University with a pes cavus, a normal foot, and a pes planus, respectively, according to a Navicular Drop Test. Postural sway was measured with a balance instrument (BioRescue, RM Ingenierie, France) while the subjects stood static on two legs as well as during one-leg standing using the dominant leg in two conditions (with the eyes open and with the eyes closed for 30 seconds). Muscle fatigue was then induced in the calf muscle of the dominant leg, and both muscle fatigue and postural sway were measured using an EMG. To compare the degree of postural sway between the three groups after muscle fatigue was induced, the change values were calculated. The results were analyzed using a Kruskal-Wallis test, and a post-hoc test was conducted using the Bonferroni correction. Results: Significant inter-group differences were detected for postural sway during two-leg standing with the eyes closed and during one-leg standing with the eyes open and with the eyes closed (p<0.05). The post-hoc test showed significant differences between the pes cavus and normal foot groups and between the pes planus and normal foot groups for all three variables (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was detected between the pes cavus and pes planus groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the pes cavus and pes planus cause more fatigue and postural sway than a normal foot. Therefore, attention should be paid to changes in balance caused by muscle fatigue.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.63-73
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• 2020

Purpose: To investigate breathing-related changes in the balance ability of healthy adults. Methods: The participants were 36 healthy adults in their 20s and 30s. All participants were trained in three breathing (neutral, thoracic, and abdominal) methods one week before measurements. We used AccuSway to measure each participant's balance ability, using each breathing technique, in two postures (bipedal and unipedal). Results: During the bipedal balance task, abdominal breathing produced significant increases in path length and sway velocity. Abdominal breathing resulted in significant changes in sample entropy at the anteroposterior location compared with neutral breathing (p<.05). In the normalized anteroposterior location, there were significant changes in backward movement during thoracic and abdominal breathing compared with those during neutral breathing (p<.05). During the unipedal balance task, path length and sway velocity increased significantly during voluntary breathing compared with those during neutral breathing (p<.05). There was a significant change in backward movement when abdominal breathing-compared with neutral breathing-was used in the normalized anteroposterior location (p<.05). In the normalized left-right location, there was a significant shift to the right during thoracic breathing compared with that during neutral breathing (p<.05). Conclusion: Compared with neutral breathing, altered voluntary breathing patterns affect balance in healthy adults. Our results indicated that that static balance was more affected by abdominal breathing than by neutral breathing. Future studies should examine variables such as the breathing volume, rhythm, and method.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4098-4106
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• 2012

This study aims to investigate the effect of trunk muscle strengthening exercises on balance performance of sitting posture and muscle tone, targeting the children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. 16 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy in IV phase of GMFCS were sampled at random and the tests were conducted for 6 weeks, 3 times per week. For experimental groups, only trunk muscle strengthening exercises were conducted and for control groups, only basic physical therapy was conducted. The trunk muscle strengthening exercise consisted of 2 exercises to strengthen abdominal muscles and back muscles. BPM(Balance Performance Monitor) was used to measure balance performance and MMAS(Modified Modified Ashworth Scale) was used to measure muscle tone. As a result, the changes of sitting balance performance in experimental groups and control groups show significant difference in the changes of sway path and sway velocity(p<.05), the comparison of changes in sitting balance performance in between experimental groups and control groups show significant difference in the changes of sway path and sway velocity(p<.05). Knee flexor muscles and hip adductor muscles in both groups show no significant difference in changes of the muscle tone(p>.05). Therefore, the balance performance in both experimental groups and control groups was improved. However, the experimental group had more significant improvement in balance performance and no change in muscle tone was detected in both groups. Thus, these findings show trunk muscle strengthening exercises are effective in improving the balance performance of sitting posture for the children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy without changing muscle tone.