• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.123-134
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• 2009

Objectives : We supposed that abdominal muscles are related to chronic cough, because abdominal pressure and respiratory muscles are influenced by abdominal muscle function. We have evaluated the effect of myofacial releasing of abdominal muscles with oriental medical treatment by experimenting two patients suffering from chronic cough. Methods : One patient was treated with acupuncture therapy and muscle stretching exercise for myofacial releasing of abdominal muscle. The other patient was treated with hot pack therapy and abdominal respiration training for myofacial releasing of abdominal muscle. Results and Conclusions : After oriental medical treatment of abdominal muscles in two cases, We figured out that the patients were on the mend. These results suggest that myofacial releasing of abdominal muscles using oriental medical treatment was effective in improving chronic cough.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.2065-2070
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• 2020

Background: Weakness of the abdominal and mid thoracic muscles the lead to thoracic kyphosis of stroke patients. The trunk muscles activity of stroke patients is significantly related to upper extremity. Objectives: To investigate the effect of seated exercise of thoracic and abdominal muscles on upper extremity function and trunk muscles activity in stroke patients. Design: One-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: A total of 27 stroke patients were recruited. All stroke patient were given seated abdominal exercise (posterior pelvic tilt exercises) and thoracic exercise (postural-correction exercise). All exercises were conducted for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks. The manual function test (MFT) and electromyography (EMG) were measured, and EMG electrodes were attached to thoracic paraspinal muscles and lower rectus abdominal muscles. EMG signal is expressed as %RVC (reference voluntary contraction). Results: Experimental group showed significant increases in abdominal muscles, paraspinal muscles activity and MFT total score, items of arm motion (forward elevation of the upper extremity, lateral elevation of the upper extremity, touch the occiput with the palm) in MFT after four weeks. Conclusion: These results suggest that, in stroke patients, seated exercise of thoracic and abdominal muscles contribute to improve trunk muscles activity and upper extremity function in stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.444-449
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study is to observe the change in the thickness of abdominal muscles when electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is applied to the abdomen during rest and abdominal muscle exercise to investigate the effect of EMS applied to the abdomen on the superficial and deep muscles thickness. Design: Cross sectional design. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study. Subjects were performed resting position, resting position with EMS, curl-up and curl-up with EMS. The electrode of the EMS belt is attached to the abdominal wall between the 12th rib and iliac crest. The thickness of abdominal muscles including rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TrA) were captured in each position by ultrasound image during expiration. All subjects were performed four positions randomly. Data were analyzed using repeated ANOVA with the level of significance set at 𝛼=0.05. Results: The muscle thickness of RA, EO, IO and TrA were significantly different at each position (p<0.05). The thickness of all abdominal muscles increased significantly when curl-up than curl-up with EMS. Both RA and EO thickness were significantly increased at resting position than resting position and EMS were combined(p<0.05). But IO and TrA thickness were decreased at resting position when EMS were combined. Conclusions: The results suggest that EMS activates superficial abdominal muscles RA and EO. Therefore, abdominal strengthening exercise combined EMS can activate abdominal muscles and can be applied to various patients and rehabilitation in clinical practice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.231-238
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• 2013

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to find out the thickness variation of the superficial and deep abdominal muscles by measuring the thickness of the abdominal muscles. METHODS: 35 young, healthy adults(24 mens and 11 womens) participated in this study. The first, when only bridge exercise we had measured the thickness of their abdominal muscles by the ultrasound. The second, when the abdominal drawing-in during maintaining the bridge exercise we had measured the thickness of their abdominal muscles by the ultrasound. A pared t-test was used to determine a statistical significance for the thickness variation of the superficial and deep abdominal muscles. RESULTS: Results of before and after comparative analysis. The surperficial muscles(rectus abdominis, external obilique) statistically significantly reduced in the thickness and the deep muscle(transeverse abdominis) statistically significantly increased in the thickness. CONCLUSION: We have shown that the abdominal drawing-in exercise during maintaining the bridge exercise was effective to increase in strengthening abdominal deep muscle selectively.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.245-252
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the abdominal muscle activity difference while performing the abdominal bracing technique focusing on inspiration (abdominal bracing group), the general abdominal bracing technique (general bracing group), and the abdominal hollowing technique (abdominal hallowing group) Design: A cross-sectional study design. Methods: Thirty-three healthy participants were recruited for this study. The participants were allocated to 3 different groups; Abdominal bracing group, general bracing group, and abdominal hallowing group. The surface electromyography was placed over the rectus abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles to collect the activation of abdominal muscles during the trial. Results: The muscle activity of the abdominal bracing group and general bracing groups was significantly higher in all abdominal muscles than in the abdominal hollowing group (p<0.05) Both rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles showed higher muscle activations in the abdominal bracing group over the general bracing group (p<0.05). However, the ratio of bilateral external obliques and rectus abdominis to bilateral internal obliques was highest when the hollowing technique was applied (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of study showed the abdominal bracing technique that emphasized inhalation rather than the abdominal hollowing technique or general abdominal bracing technique increased the activity of the abdominal muscles. Therefore, this study is considered to be a data for effective training if the abdominal bracing technique that emphasizes inhalation is applied as a method to increase the activation of the abdominal muscles.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.32-39
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• 2013

Abdominal curl-up exercise may excessively increased superficial neck flexor such as sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. Also, the muscle activity of the abdominal muscles haven't investigated during abdominal curl-up with craniocervical flexion (CCF). Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine the effect of CCF on the muscle activity of the abdominal and SCM muscles during abdominal curl-up. Twelve healthy subjects (six men and six women) with no history of abdominal or lower back pain within 6 weeks were recruited. Surface electromyographic signals were collected on SCM, rectus abdominis (RA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles bilaterally during performing the traditional abdominal curl-up and the abdominal curl-up with CCF. Paired t-tests were used to compare the differences in the muscle activity of the bilateral SCM, RA, EO, and IO muscles between the traditional abdominal curl-up and the abdominal curl-up with CCF (p<.05). There was significantly lower electromyogram (EMG) activity of the both SCMs during the abdominal curl-up with CCF (Right SCM, $39.50{\pm}15.29%MVIC$; Left SCM, $38.24{\pm}17.31%MVIC$) than with the traditional abdominal curl-up (Right SCM, $54.85{\pm}20.05%MVIC$; Left SCM, $53.18{\pm}26.72%MVIC$) (p<.05). The activity of abdominal muscles were not significantly different between the traditional abdominal curl-up and the abdominal curl-up with CCF. The abdominal curl-up with CCF requires significantly less muscle activity of SCM. Consequently, the abdominal curl-up with CCF is recommended to prevent excessive activation of superficial cervical flexors during abdominal curl-up exercise.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.39-47
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• 2020

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate a comparative study on the effects of maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and thickness of the abdominal muscles through two Kegel exercise postures. Methods : Twenty eight (male= 7, female= 21) subjects participated in this experiment. They performed Kegel exercise in sitting and hooklying. The order of exercise was conducted in the order chosen by the subjects to exclude the learning effect. The MVV was measured using a spirometer. The thickness of the abdominal muscles were measured by ultrasound. The MVV and thickness of the abdominal muscles were measured according to the manual in a sitting and hooklying position before the experiment. After each exercise, the MVV and thickness of the abdominal muscles were also measured in the same way. A one way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the MVV and thickness of the abdominal muscles according to two postures and post hoc analysis, Bonferroni was used. Results : As a result of this study, significant differences in the MVV were observed after exercise than before exercise (p<.05). However, as a result of post hoc analysis, there was no difference in the MVV according to the postures (p>.05). Significant differences in thickness of the abdominal muscles were observed after exercise than before exercise (p<.05). However, as a result of post hoc analysis, there was no difference in thickness of the abdominal muscles according to the postures (p>.05). Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, the MVV and the thickness of the abdominal muscles were confirmed in the sitting and hooklying posture after Kegel exercise. However, further studies on vital capacity and abdominal muscles according to Kegel exercise postures should be conducted.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.295-300
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the abdominal muscles, which are the major lumbar stabilizers along with the respiratory muscles, are affected by smoking. We compared abdominal muscle activity between smokers and non-smokers during the sit-to-stand movement. Methods: A total of 28 healthy adult males (14 smokers and 14 non-smokers) in their 20s-30s voluntarily participated in the study. The subjects performed the sit-to-stand movement, and then their abdominal muscle activity was measured. The surface electromyography system was employed to measure the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) values of the subjects' rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominal, internal oblique abdominal, and transversus abdominis muscles. Then, the values were quantified into %MVIC. Results: The activity of the rectus abdominis muscle was higher in the smokers than in the non-smokers. Conversely, the activity of the internal oblique abdominal and transversus abdominis muscles, which are deep abdominal muscles, was higher in non-smokers than in smokers, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Smoking can inhibit the activity of smokers' deep abdominal muscles and increase the activity of their superficial muscles, thus making it detrimental to their musculoskeletal system.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.7-12
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• 2010

Purpose: This study investigated changes in the thickness of the transversus abdominis (TrA), internal abdominal oblique (IO), and external abdominal oblique (EO) muscles between crook lying and wall support standing positions during abdominal hollowing (AH), using ultrasound imaging. Methods: Experiments were conducted on 20 healthy male adults (mean age=$22.45{\pm}4.08$ years) who voluntarily agreed to participate in the experiments. The changes in the thickness of the subjects' abdominal muscles were measured during AH in crook lying and wall support standing positions. Results: The difference in the thickness of TrA between the two positions during AH was statistically significant, but the differences in the thicknesses of IO and EO were not significant. Conclusion: Activity of the TrA, which is a deep muscle, was stimulated in the standing position, which is, therefore, more functional than the crook position, but the activities of IO and EO muscles did not decrease. Therefore, various methods to induce the activity of TrA while decreasing the activities of IO and EO, in the functional standing position that can stimulate deep muscles, need to be designed.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.301-306
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to describe and identify the relationship between gait and contracted ratios of the transverse abdominal (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles. Methods: This study was conducted on 50 elderly people. The contracted ratios of the lateral abdominal muscles (LAM) were measured using the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) and ultrasonographic imaging. Gait was measured using the timed up and go test and the 10 m walk test. Results: The contracted ratios of the TrA and IO muscles significantly increased after ADIM. Those of the TrA muscles showed a significant correlation with gait in the limited community ambulatory group. The contracted ratios of the IO and EO muscles showed a significant correlation with gait in the community ambulatory group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a specific training on the relationship between gait speed and the activation of the LAM in elderly people.