• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

This study was designed to examine the effects of electroacupuncture and treadmill exercise on the improvement of muscle atrophy and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) expression in an ischemic stroke model induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. This study selected 120 Sprangue-Dawley rats, divided them into six groups, and assigned 5 rats to each group. Experiments were conducted for 1, 3 days and 1, 8 weeks, respectively. In each group, changes in weight of muscle and relative muscle of tibialis anterior muscle, histologic observations, and BDNF expression were observed and analyzed. For the changes in muscle weight of unaffected and affected sides of tibialis anterior, muscle atrophy was expressed in an affected side 3 days after ischemic stroke was induced. There was a statistically significant difference in Group VI 1 and 8 weeks after ischemic stroke was induced, compared to Group II (p<.05). For the changes in relative muscle weight of unaffected and affected sides of tibial anterior muscle, there was significant decrease in each group 3 days after ischemic stroke was induced, compared to Group I, while there was a statistically significant increase in Group VI 1 week after ischemic stroke was induced, compared to Group II (p<.05). For neurologic exercise behavior test, Group VI generally had the highest score, compared to other groups. The results of the behavior test suggests that 8 weeks after ischemic stroke was induced, Group VI improved in degeneration and inflammation of muscle fiber and decreased in destruction of nerve cells and cerebral infarction, thus indicating a similar state of muscle fiber and brain tissue in Group I. In immunohistochemical observations, Group 1 week showed increase in BDNF. Based on these results, electroacupuncture and treadmill exercise may improve muscle atrophy and change in BDNF expression of ischemic stroke rats and contribute to the improvement of exercise function.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1486-1489
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• 2018

This study aimed to investigate the influence of walking on crural muscle tone and stiffness in individuals with bilateral pronated foot. This study consisted of 16 healthy male. Subjects were divided into a pronated foot group (n = 8) and a normal foot group (n = 8). The navicular drop test on both foot and muscle tone and stiffness in tibialis anterior muscle, medial gastrocnemius muscle, and peroneus longus muscle of both lower extremities were measured before and after 30 min of walking. In this study, the measured navicular drop test before walking was significantly different between pronated foot group and a normal group(p < .05). After 30 min of walking, significantly, increased medial gastrocnemius muscle stiffness of the non-dominant leg was found in the pronated foot group (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in medial gastrocnemius muscle stiffness between the two groups (p > .05). Based on this study, pronated foot needs to be managed to prevent the abnormally increased medial gastrocnemius muscle stiffness.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2015

Background : The purpose of this study was find out more effective method for improving muscle strengthening in lower extremities according squatting exercise method among knee joint angle 45, 60, 90 degree and between gym ball behind back and wall. Methods : Participants were 21 university students(males 10, females 11) who didn't have any problem with orthopedic surgery. We divided participants to two groups with gym ball group and wall group. Gym ball group were performance squatting exercise with gym ball behind back. Each group had performance squatting exercise according knee joint angle 45, 60, 90 degree. We collected data from E.M.G of Biceps femoris, Gastrocnemius, Vastus medialis and lateralis, Tibialis anterior in lower extremity according knee joint angle 45, 60, 90 degree of each groups. We analyzed data using by ANOVA and ANCOVA of SPSS PC ver. 12.0 in order to determine more effective method according various squatting exercise. Results : Each groups show significantly difference value of biceps femoris, vastus lateralis and medialis, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius lateralis and medialis among knee joint angle 45, 60, 90 degree. But there was no significantly difference value between gym ball group and wall group according knee joint angle. Conclusions : We suggested that squatting exercise with gym ball was more effective method improving lower extremity muscle strengthening, and changing knee joint angle was more effective compared than continued knee joint angle.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.163-168
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• 2012

Elderly women are reported to have greater risk of falls. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the possible gender differences in the reaction performance of ankle joint muscles, which have dominant role in the control of sagittal plane balance. Twenty-six elderly men and women with comparable mean age participated in this study. Reaction times to the audible beeps were measured in the tibialis anterior muscle and gastrocnemius muscle. Reaction time variables included premotor time, electromechanical delay and total reaction time. Gender difference in each reaction time was investigated by independent t-test. In both muscles, premotor time was longer in men but the electromechanical delay was longer in women (p < 0.05). Resulting total reaction time was longer in men in tibialis anterior muscle (p < 0.01) and it tended to be longer in men also in gastrocnemius muscle (p = 0.25). The results demonstrates that the overall reaction performances of elderly women is better than or comparable to those of elderly men in ankle joint muscles. This suggests that the reaction performance of ankle muscles is hardly the cause of the greater risk of falls in elderly women.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.21-30
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in mechanical properties of human tibialis anterior following eccentric exercise. Healthy subjects (n=12) performed 120 maximum eccentric contraction of ankle dorsiflexor. Before and 1- and 24- hour after the eccentric exercise, ankle dorsiflexion moment-angle relationships were obtained. Along with significant decrease in maximum isometric muscle strength, the shift of the optimum ankle joint angle toward the longer muscle length direction was observed, independent of the ranges of motion of the eccentric exercise. The results of this study demonstrated that eccentric exercise-induced micro muscle damage(Morgan & Allen, 1999) does rut seem to be a sole mechanism of eccentric contraction-induced muscle damage, suggesting further investigation for the better understandings of this phenomenon.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.337-344
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• 2019

The purpose of this study men and women 20 to 30 of 16 patients wearing thick insoles 5cm before and after squat exercise based on the angle of the knee joint(0-, 60-, 90-degree) was to observe the muscle activities. For this through the analysis of the rectus femoris EMG, vatus medialis vatus lateralis, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius MVIC were quantified using. The results following results were obtained. After wearing the thick insole standing position(0') had increased EMG activity of vastus lateralis muscle, the knee angle is rectus femoris, vatus medialis, vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius muscles were increased muscle activity. thick insole of the ankle joint, causing plantar flexion forward weight distritbution by focusing is normally the body would lead to an array. When an array of everyday life, these abnormalities increases energy consumption, and muscle fatigue, increase will cause an imbalance in the muscles. Therefore, wearing thick insoles by changing the activity of the muscles may cause knee pain.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.272-277
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to confirm the effect of static stretching of the plantar flexor for 5 minutes on balance and ankle muscle activity when walking in young adults. Methods: This study experimented on 20 healthy college students without vestibular and musculoskeletal diseases. Subjects performed static stretching intervention of plantar flexor for 5 minutes on a stretch board set at 15° to 25° Balance was measured four times before intervention (pre), after intervention (post), 5 minutes after intervention (post 5 min), 10 minutes after intervention (post 10 min), and ankle muscle activity was measured during walking. For the analysis and post hoc analysis, one-way Repeated Measure ANOVA and Fisher's LSD (Last Significant Difference) was performed to find out the change in balance and the activity of ankle muscles before static stretching, pre, post, post 5 minutes rest, post 10 minutes rest. Results: There was no significant difference in weight distribution index (WDI) in balance, but stability index (ST) showed a significant difference, and there was also a significant difference in correlation pre, post, post 5min rest, post 10 minutes rest (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in ankle muscle activity during walking in Tibialis anterior (TA), Medial gastrocnemius (GM), and Lateral gastrocnemius (GL) (p>0.05). Conclusion: The stability index (ST) increased significantly immediately after static stretching and decreased after 5 minutes. After static stretching, at least 5 minutes of rest are required to restore balance.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of three different plates($0^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ$}, $20^{\circ}$)under heels on the lower limb muscles and erector spinae during squat exercise. Ten high school korean traditional wrestling players(age: $18.5{\pm}0.7$, weight: $1972.2{\pm}128.5N$, height: $177.8{\pm}6.0cm$, weight of barbell: $1004.5{\pm}132.4N$) performed squat exercise using three different tilting plates under heels at a cadence of 40beats/sec with 80% one repetition maximum load. Surface electrodes were placed on the participants' left and right erector spinae, and rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius, and lateral gastrocnemius in the right lower extremity. One S-VHS camcorder(Panasonic AG456, 60fields/s) was placed 10m to the side of the participant. To synchronize the video and EMG data, a synchronization unit was used for this study. Average and Peak IEMG values were determined for each participant. For each variable, a one-way analysis of variance was used to determine whether there were significant differences among three different tilting plates under heels. When a significant difference was found in plates type, post hoc analyses were performed using the Tukey procedure. A confidence level of p<.05 was used to determine statistical significance. As a result of this study, maximum nEMG values of the tibialis anterior in $0^{\circ}$ plates was significantly higher than the corresponding values for the other plates during the knee extension. This increased activation in the tibialis anterior muscle indicates an increase in displacement of center of gravity of body. It is very likely that additional muscle activation are needed to stop the forward and backward movement. The results also showed that muscular activities of quadriceps femoris and erector spinae were decreased with increasing angle of plates. This suggests that increasing angle of plate may help to sustain the balance and posture of squat exercise. It is considered that very few significant differences were found among three different plates($0^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$) since elite players with much experience in squat exercise, were chosen as a participant of this study. In order to obtain meaningful results regarding the tilting angle of heel plates in squat exercise, kinetic and 3D kinematic analysis will be needed in the future study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.107-112
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• 2015

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of lower limb and trunk muscles activation on seat angle and height during sit to stand and stand to sit. METHODS: Subjects were instructed to sit and stand on different angles and heights; $0^{\circ}$(43cm), $5^{\circ}$(48cm), $10^{\circ}$(51cm) and $15^{\circ}$(58cm). Measurements were conducted from sit to stand and stand to sit for external oblique, transversus abdominis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscle activation by surface EMG. The muscle activation was measured three times for five seconds in each posture, and the %RVC value was calculated after the exclusion of one second before and after this measurement. This calculation standardized the data from each participant so it could be comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: The external oblique, tibialis anterior, and erector spinae muscles showed significant difference in $10^{\circ}$(51cm), $15^{\circ}$(58cm) and $0^{\circ}$(43cm), rectus femoris, in $15^{\circ}$(58cm) and $0^{\circ}$(43cm)(p<.05) during sit to stand. The external oblique, tibialis anterior, and rectus femoris muscles showed significant difference in $0^{\circ}$(43cm) and $15^{\circ}$(58cm), erector spinae and vastus medialis muscles showed significant difference in $10^{\circ}$(51cm), $15^{\circ}$(58cm) and $0^{\circ}$(43cm)(P<.05) during stand to sit. CONCLUSION: The present study findings indicate that the toilet seat angle and height could affect muscle activities of the lower limb and trunk.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.35-42
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Kinesio taping and massage application to the calf muscles on ankle stability. METHODS: The study subjects were 66 healthy adults (male: 32, female: 34) who had no instability in their ankles. Subjects were randomly assigned to a Kinesio taping group or a massage group. The research tool used the Y-balance test to measure instability of the ankle. The distance between the right and left foot was measured from the center in the anterior, posterior-medial, and posterior-lateral directions. Massage was applied to the calf muscles three times over two weeks and Kinesio tape was attached to the calf muscle and tibialis anterior for 10 hours twice during the experimental period. RESULTS: The results showed that application of Kinesio taping resulted in increases in the distance between the feet increased in some directions. After the massage, the distance extended from the anterior and posterior-lateral directions was prolonged, and the ankle stability on the right and left sides was partially improved by massage application. CONCLUSION: Kinesio taping and massage applied to the calf muscles are appropriate interventions for the improvement of ankle stability. Based on the application times of massage, Kinesio taping appears to work more effectively for ankle stability.