• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.298-302
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• 2017

With an increasing aging population and improved standards of living, more attention has been paid to health. Although walking exercise is known as an aerobic exercise, it imposes repeated and continuous impacts on the joints of the lower extremities. Therefore, when overweight gives a burden to the lower extremity or there is a joint disease, exercise limit occurs. The articular cartilage, weakened with age, also makes it difficult for the elderly to perform walking exercises. Accordingly, this study conducted a comparative analysis between regular walking using only the lower extremity and Nordic walking, which has been known as stable. For analysis, electromyography (EMG) was performed and the ground reaction force of the upper and lower extremities were measured in the same exercise. Integrated EMG (iEMG) revealed that the upper extremity muscles were more active in Nordic walking than in regular walking, where lower extremity muscles were relatively more inactive. In addition, when EMG measurements were performed at each measurement point during walking exercise, the pattern was different. Nevertheless, the result was the same as in iEMG. The load that occurs in each exercise was measured using the ground reaction force system. As a result, Nordic walking had a lower load than regular walking. Therefore, it was found that Nordic walking minimized the load on the lower extremities owing to the effect of whole-body exercise and was a safer and more efficient exercise method.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1683-1686
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• 2018

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common reason for seeking physical therapy (PT) care. Recent studies suggest that axial loading can have a positive impact on the intervertebral disc by improving its tensile strength. Further, whole body vibration (WBV) appears to improve spinal muscle relaxation. Therefore, this case study describes the use of axial loading using a mini-trampoline in a female with chronic LBP. This case report is a single subject design. This patient is a 29-year-old female with a six-month history of low back pain following a motor vehicle accident. MRI found herniated discs at L4 and L5, clinical tests were positive for pain in the L4 and L5 dermatome and myotome the slump test was positive for neural tension, and LBP was constant at 4-6/10 over the past four months. She received axial loading exercises using a mini-trampoline and performed six sessions that were, scheduled twice a week for three weeks. Her Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score improved from 40% at the time of her first visit to 22% at her final visit. Pain measure on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) after the first treatment was 7/10, and her pain after the final treatment was 0/10. These changes in the pain scores are clinically significant and exceed the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). This patient had a significant improvement in her pain using the NPRS and the ODI. This case study suggests that axial loading may be an effective treatment for some individuals with discogenic chronic low back pain.