• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. Methods: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultrasonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. Results: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdominis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p<0.05). No significant difference in the muscle thickness of both muscles was observed between the groups with the exception of the right abdominis (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of transverse abdominis in core muscles.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.398-405
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• 2021

Objective: The interest of clinicians is increasing due to the newly established medical insurance for pulmonary rehabilitation. Improvement of respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function is an important factor in pulmonary rehabilitation, and this study aims to investigate the correlation between changes in respiratory muscle contraction thickness that can affect respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Methods: Thirty-one subjects (male=13, female=18) participated in this study. The respiratory muscle strength was measured by dividing it into inspiratory/forced expiratory muscles, and the pulmonary function was measured by forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC. To evaluate the respiratory muscle length increase, in resting and concentric contraction thickness of diaphragm, external/internal oblique, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis were measured by using ultrasonography. Results: Inspiratory muscle strength showed a significant correlation with the length increase of the inspiratory muscle (r=0.368~0.521, p<0.05), and forced expiratory muscle strength showed a significant correlation with length increase of forced expiratory muscle (r=0.356~0.455, p<0.05). However, pulmonary function was not correlated with the length increase of the respiratory muscle. Conclusions: In this study, a correlation between respiratory muscle strength and respiratory muscle length increase was confirmed, but no correlation with the pulmonary function was found. It is considered that the respiratory muscle strength can be improved by increasing the respiratory muscle thickness through appropriate respiratory muscle training.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1957-1963
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dynamic stabilization exercise on unstable surface on thickness, muscle density and white area index (WAI) of transverse abdominis muscle and multifidus muscle. The subjects were 20s healthy adults and 27 people were measured for muscle thickness and muscle density, white area index after the experiment conducted during a six-week dynamic stabilization exercises divided into three groups, each in a different plane. The results showed a significant difference between the three groups (p <.05). Repeated measures analysis of variance (repeated ANOVA) results, transverse abdominis muscle and multifidus muscle thickness showed a significant difference between the groups in the time difference (p <.05), and between multifidus muscle density and white area index in the comparison between groups showed a significant difference (p <.05). In conclusion, showed significant difference in lumbar stabilization exercise part. These results seems to be utilized as a basis for future research on the lumbar stabilization exercise.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.127-135
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the side-bridge exercise on the thicknesses of the external and internal obliques, the transverse abdominis, and the erector spinae, which are some of the trunk muscles of healthy adult males and females. Methods: There were 30 subjects divided into two groups with 15 subjects in the modified side-bridge exercise group and 15 subjects in the bridge exercise group. The changes in each variable were analyzed before the exercise, after three weeks, and after six weeks of exercise using a two-way repeated analysis of variance. The significance level was set at 0.05. When there was any interaction between the time of measurement and each group, a paired t-test was conducted to find the difference within groups and an independent-sample t-test was conducted to find the difference between groups. The significance level for both tests was set at 0.01. Results: There was a significant difference in the external and internal obliques and the erector spinae according to changes over time and the interactions between the time and groups (p < 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in the transverse abdominis only according to the interaction between the length of times (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study results indicated that the modified side-bridge exercise significantly increased the thickness of the external and internal obliques and the erector spinae. This suggests the usability of the exercise in lumbar stabilization exercises in future studies and clinical fields.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.281-286
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• 2015

Purpose: The study was to determine whether mechanical horseback-riding training according to velocity may improve trunk muscles thickness in healthy adults. Methods: Twenty healthy adults participated in this study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups as follows: 10 subjects in high velocity mechanical horseback-riding training (MHRT) and 10 subjects in low velocity MHRT. Subjects in all groups performed a total of 18 sessions 3 times a day for 20 minutes and this experiment lasted for 6 weeks. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test were used in analysis the results of trunk muscle thickness. Ultrasonography was performed to evaluate for thickness of rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), transverse abdominis (TrA), erector spine (ES), and multifidus (MF) in trunk muscles. Results: Results on the changes of EO, IO, and ES of high velocity MHRT showed a significant increase after 6 weeks (p<0.05). Regarding the changes of EO, IO, ES, TrA, and MF of low velocity MHRT, a significant increase was observed after 6 weeks (p<0.05). The differences in change of trunk muscle thickness before training, after 6-week training between groups, TrA and MF of low velocity MHRT were significantly higher (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, the velocity of MHRT was shown to affect change of trunk muscle thickness in healthy adults. In particular, low velocity MHRT may serve as a useful method to provide for TrA, MF thickness improvement related to trunk stabilizers.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.293-302
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of plank exercises involving the contraction of the adductor muscle of the hip joint on core muscle thickness and to propose an effective plank exercise method. Methods: A total of 30 healthy young adults (17 males, 13 females) voluntarily participated in the study. The subjects were randomized to the prone plank exercise with hip adductor contraction (n=10), the prone plank exercise (n=10), and the supine plank exercise (n=10) groups. Muscle thickness measurements were taken prior to starting the exercise program and after completing the program at the end of a 4-week period. The muscle thickness of the rectus abdominis (RA), multifidus (MF), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TrA) muscles were measured using ultrasonography. Each group performed the stipulated plank exercise five times a week as follows: 5 sets of 20 seconds during the first week, 5 sets of 30 seconds in the second week, 5 sets of 40 seconds in the third week, and 5 sets of 40 seconds in the last week. Results: The three different types of plank exercises all showed significantly increased thickness of the RA, MF, EO, IO, and TrA (P<0.05). Furthermore, changes in the thickness of both the MF and TrA were statistically more significant in the groups that did the prone plank exercise with the hip adductor contraction and the supine plank exercise than in the prone plank exercise group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The study results suggest that the prone plank exercise with hip adductor contraction is a more effective method for overall activation of the RA, MF, EO, IO, and TrA than the prone plank exercise and the supine plank exercise.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was an investigation of the effects of the bridge exercise with the sensory feedback of combined abdominal drawing-in on transverse abdominal and balance in patients with stroke. Methods: Forty subjects were randomly assigned into two groups. Subjects in the bridge exercise group (BG, n = 20) or feedback drawing-in bridge exercise group (FDBG, n = 20) were studied for 30 minutes each, twice daily, for four weeks. Outcomes were measured using affected weight distribution (AWD), anterior limit of stability (ALOS), posterior limit of stability (PLOS), timed up-and-go test (TUG), the Berg balance scale (BBS), and transverse abdominis thickness (TRA) before and after the four-week intervention period. Results: There were significant effects in the FDBG pre-intervention and post-intervention in AWD, ALOS, PLOS, TUG, BBS, and TRA. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the bridge exercise with sensory feedback combined with abdominal drawing-in could be beneficial for patients with stroke in terms of transverse abdominal and balance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify the effect of trunk strengthening exercise using oscillation by comparing trunk muscle thickness, as well as balance of healthy adults during exercises performed with an oscillatory device and non-oscillatory device. METHODS: Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the trunk strengthening exercise using oscillation (TSEO) group (n=11) or the trunk strengthening exercise using non-oscillation (TSEN) group (n=11). Subjects in all groups performed the exercises three days per week for 6 weeks. All subjects performed four types of exercises: pull over, seated twist, power push, and diagonal power plank. Trunk muscle thickness of the rectus abdominis (RA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), transverse abdominis (TrA), and multifidus (MT) were measured with an ultrasonography. The balance ability were evaluated using the Romberg test with eyes open, eyes closed, one-leg standing test (OLST), and limits of stability (LOS). All tests were performed before the intervention, as well as after 6 weeks and 8 weeks of exercises. RESULTS: There was a significant difference of RA, IO, TrA, and MT according to the main effect of the time (p<.05). There was a significant difference of IO and LOS according to interaction effect between the time and group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: As intended, the cyclic forces induced by the oscillating device did increase trunk muscle thickness. However, the effect was limited and significant only for the IO muscle. Combining trunk strengthening exercise with oscillation appears to be more effective in improving dynamic balance.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to compare measurements of abdominal muscle thickness using ultrasonography imaging (USI) to those using a special transducer head device, during five different trunk stabilization exercises, ultimately to determine which exercise led to the greatest muscle thickness. Thirty eight healthy subjects participated in this cross-sectional study. The five types of trunk stabilization - i.e., a sit-up on the supine, an upper and lower extremity raise with quadruped on the prone, a leg raise in sitting on the ball, trunk rolling on the ball, and balance using sling on the prone position - were each performed with an abdominal draw. The thickness of the abdominal muscle - including the transverse abdominal (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) - was measured by USI with a special transducer head device, at rest and then at contraction in each position. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated ANOVA with the level of significance set at ${\alpha}$=.05. The results were as follows: 1) the TrA thickness was statistically significant (p<.05), whereas the IO and EO thicknesses were not (p>.05); 2) among the five types of trunk stabilization, TrA thickness significantly increased with the balance using a sling in the prone position, (p<.05), whereas no significant difference was noted for the four types of trunk stabilization (p>.05); 3) reliability data showed that there was a high degree of consistency among the measurements taken using the special transducer head device (ICC=.92). In conclusion, the balance using a sling in the prone position was more effective than any of the four other types of trunk stabilization in increasing TrA thickness in healthy subjects.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.415-420
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare the thickness of the abdominal muscles during single leg holding exercise (SLH) in a hooked lying position on stable surface and on a foam roller. Healthy twenty subjects who had no medical history of lower extremity or lower back pain were recruited for this study. Muscle thickness of transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) was recorded using real-time ultrasonography during SLH. Paired t-test with Bonferroni adjustment was used to compare the muscles thickness during SLH on stable surface and on a foam roller. The result showed that TrA and IO muscle demonstrated greater thickness during SLH on foam roller than those on the stable surface. This finding suggests that SLH on an unstable foam roller is more effective to increase thicknesses of TrA and IO muscles than stable surface.