• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.47-55
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to compare the static balance of standing position between adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and a normal group that were aged-matched. There were forty subjects included in this study. Twenty-seven healthy subjects (age, $13.9{\pm}1.2$ yrs; height, $161.9{\pm}7.5$ cm; weight, $52.2{\pm}7.7$ kg) and thirteen AIS subjects (age, $14.2{\pm}2.2$ yrs; height, $161.5{\pm}8.7$ cm; weight, $48.1{\pm}8.1$ kg) were participated in the study. The thirteen subjects in the AIS group had a major Cobb angle between $20.1^{\circ}$ and $49^{\circ}$. Each group was tested with the Balance Performance Monitor (BPM). The parameters for static balance were sway area, sway path, max velocity, mean balance, anterior-posterior angle, and left-right angle of each group with their eyes opened and again with their eyes closed. Both sides of the forward reach test and the lateral reach test were also performed on each group. Results from the BPM tested showed significantly increases in all parameters of static balance with those patients with AIS under the conditions where eyes were opened and closed. In the right and left forward reach test, there was no significant difference between normal and AIS groups. However, in the lateral reach test with right and left direction, there were significant differences between normal and AIS groups. For the normal subjects, there were significant differences in the parameters with sway path and anterior-posterior sway angle between the eyes opened and closed. However, there were no significant differences in the all parameters between eyes opened and closed for the AIS subjects. These results suggest that, balance programs could be used in the rehabilitation setting for intervention of AIS and evaluation of AIS. Further study is needed to measure many patients with AIS and other functional balance scales for clinical application.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.181-185
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• 2012

Purpose: We investigated balance change in patients with low back pain (LBP) by comparing postural sway velocity between young LBP patients and healthy subjects. Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled 37 young patients with over 3-month duration of LBP and 38 healthy subjects between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. All subjects were targeted by measuring their balance during quiet standing with open eye and closed eye conditions. The postural sway velocity between the LBP patients and healthy subjects was compared. As well, postural sway velocity was determined in the LBP patients with both eyes open and closed. Results: Significant differences were evident in the anteroposterior and mediolateral mean velocity of center-of-pressure between LBP patients and healthy subjects, and in LBP patients in the eye open and eye closed conditions. Conclusion: The balance of young LBP patients was worse than healthy subjects during quiet standing, and was especially lessened in the absence of vision.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.413-420
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to determine differences of balance performance to upright standing, forward bending posture, and sudden load during forward bending posture in subjects with and without a history of low back pain. A study was conducted on 8 subjects with low back pain and 13 healthy subjects. Dynamic Balance System was used to measure the postural sway index, left-right sway index, and anterior-posterior sway index on balance performance. There were no differences between subject groups on balance performance during upright standing. Balance performance was increased in forward bending posture and decreased in sudden load during forward bending posture in subjects with low back pain. These results suggest that subjects with low back pain demonstrated increased activity and decreased reaction times of trunk muscles.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.168-174
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between balance control ability and leg circumference, proprioception, range of motion (ROM), and muscle strength in young adults. Methods: The subjects of this study were 30 university students who were enrolled in D university in Gyeongbuk province. We measured the dynamic balance and static balance using the Biorescue. The muscular strengths of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were measured using a muscle contraction dynamometer. The ROM and proprioception were measured using an inclinometer. Pearson correlation analysis was used to test the correlations between balance control ability and variables. Results: Sway length was significantly correlated with knee and hip joint muscle strength, ROM, and proprioception of hip and ankle joints (p<0.05). Sway speed was significantly correlated with ROM and proprioception in hip joints (p<0.05). Limit of stability was significantly correlated with muscle strength and ROM in ankle joints, and proprioception in hip, knee, and ankle joints (p<0.05). Conclusion: The sway length was most related to hip extension and ankle joint plantar flexion in the range of motion and ankle joint plantar flexion in proprioception. Overall, balance training for young adults will be of effective help if the treatment focuses on the knee and hip joints, range of motion and the ankle and hip joints' proprioception.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.70-74
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the application of whole body vibration training (WBV) on the balance ability of patients with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) type C or D spinal cord injury. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twelve patients with spinal cord injury were enrolled in this study. The participants were randomized to an experimental group (n=6) or control group (n=6). The subjects in the experimental group received WBV exercise and the control group received the sham exercise without vibration. The vibrations were adjusted vertically to the patient at a 30 Hz frequency and 3 mm amplitude. The whole body vibration lasted for 16 minutes in total including 5-minutes warm-up and cool-down at the beginning and end of the program, respectively. The static sitting balance ability was assessed by measuring the postural sway while sitting on the force plate with the eyes opened or closed. Postural sway length was measured for 30 seconds with a self-selected comfortable position. Results: In the static balance test, the anterio-posterior, medio-lateral, and total postural sway length with the eyes open and closed was improved significantly before and after the intervention in the experimental group (p<0.05). The experimental group showed significantly more improvement than the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that WBV training has a positive effect on improving static sitting balance and enhanced control of postural sway in patients with an ASIA-C or D type spinal cord injury.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

Purpose : This study aimed to compare the effect of two modes (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combination patterns and ball exercise) of low back stability for chronic low back patients. Methods : The subjects were recruited fourty patients who had low back pain. All subjects were randomly assigned to PNF combination patterns group, ball exercise group. Measurements were performed fourtimes: pre test, 2weeks, 4weeks, and 6weeks. Main outcome measures comprised the visual analogue scale(VAS), balance performance monitor(BPM). Results : The results were as follows. In the comparison of VAS score, sway area, sway path, and sway velocity according treatment period, score was significantly reduced in both PNF combination pattern group and ball exercise group. In the comparison of the both VAS and sway area between groups, there were significant. PNF combination pattern group significantly more decrease than ball exercise group at 6 weeks. However, both sway path and sway max velocity between group, there were not significantly. Conclusion : These results of this study indicated that PNF combination pattern which performed for six weeks had a significant influence than ball exercise group on low back pain.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2006

Loss of postural balance can possibly lead to increased risk of slips and falls in work places. Present study was performed to investigate the effects of noisy environments on postural stability during standing. It is known that a sound is characterized by the frequency and pressure level of the sound. Therefore, effects of the frequency and pressure level on postural stability were of primary concern. Ten male subjects participated in the experiment. Subject's center of pressure(COP) position was collected on a force plate while they were exposed to different frequency and pressure levels of the sound. Measured COP was then converted into the length of postural sway path in both anterior-posterior(AP) and medio-lateral(ML) axis. Results showed that the length of sway path in AP axis was significantly affected by the frequency of sound. The length of sway path was lowest at frequency level of 2000Hz and increased below and above this frequency range. The sound pressure level, however, did not significantly affect the postural sway length in both AP and ML axis. The results imply that industrial workers in noisy environments should be aware that their abilities of postural balance can be disturbed significantly.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.39-47
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• 2020

Postural stability can reduce the likelihood of critical slip and fall accidents in workplaces. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of shoes type on the ability of postural control during quiet standing. The effect of workload on the body balance was also of primary concern. Thirteen healthy male undergraduate students participated voluntarily in the experimental study. Standing on a force plate with wearing slippers, sports shoes, or safety shoes, two-axis coordinate on subjects' center of pressures (COP) was obtained in the two levels, rest and workload. For the workload level, subjects performed treadmill exercise to reach the predetermined level of physical workload. By converting the position coordinates of COPs, the postural sway length in both anterior-posterior (AP) axis and medio-lateral (ML) axis was assessed. ANOVA results showed that, in AP direction, wearing slippers significantly increased the postural sway length compared to wearing sports shoes or safety shoes. No significant difference in the mean sway length in AP axis was observed between sports shoes and safety shoes. In ML direction, both the workload and the shoes type did not significantly affect the mean length of postural sway. However, the postural sway length increased marginally with the slippers especially during the workload condition. This study explains wearing slippers may interfere with the ability of postural control during quiet standing. Physical workload decreases the ability of postural stability further.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.255-262
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• 2014

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the effectiveness of TENS on balance in stroke patients by analyzing some components such as foot pressure, limit of stability and velocity sway after providing somatosensroy input using TENS. METHODS: Twenty five subjects participated and were randomly divided into two groups, TENS group (n=13) and control group (n=12) by the computer program. Interventions were given to subjects 5 days a week for four weeks. TENS group were treated with TENS for 60 minutes in addition to the conventional therapy which included 30-minute exercise and rehabilitation ergometer training for 15 minutes. Control group performed only conventional therapy. TENS was applied on the skin of soleus, tibialis anterior, tensor fascia latae and vastus medialis in affected side. Foot pressure, limit of stability and velocity sway for balance test were measured using Biorescue. RESULTS: TENS group was significantly increased limit of stability and foot pressure in affected side more than control group. And in eye closed condition, TENS group was significantly decreased velocity sway more than control group. CONCLUSION: The application of TENS is effective to improve the somatosensory input of affected side and to increase the motor function and balance ability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2016

Background: Posture balance control is the ability to maintain the body's center of gravity in the minimal postural sway state on a supportive surface. This ability is obtained through a complicated process of sensing the movements of the human body through sensory organs and then integrating the information into the central nervous system and reacting to the musculoskeletal system and the support action of the musculoskeletal system. Motor function, including coordination, motor, and vision, vestibular sense, and sensory function, including proprioception, should act in an integrated way. However, more than half of stroke patients have motor, sensory, cognitive, and emotional disorders for a long time. Motor and sensory disorders cause the greatest difficulty in postural control among stroke patients. Objects: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of visual and somatosensory information on postural sway in stroke patients and carrying out a kinematic analysis using a tri-axial accelerometer and a quantitative assessment. Methods: Thirty-four subjects posed four stance condition was accepted various sensory information for counterbalance. This experiment referred to the computerized dynamic posturography assessments and was redesigned four condition blocking visual and somatosensory information. To measure the postural sway of the subjects' trunk, a wireless tri-axial accelerometer was used by signal vector magnitude value. Ony-way measure analysis of variance was performed among four condition. Results: There were significant differences when somatosensory information input blocked (p<.05). Conclusion: The sensory significantly affecting the balance ability of stroke patients is somatosensory, and the amount of actual movement of the trunk could be objectively compared and analyzed through quantitative figures using a tri-axial accelerometer for balance ability.