• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2016

Background: Many studies regarding task-oriented training have recently demonstrated functional improvement in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis. The task-oriented approach is very diverse, and chronic stroke patients must have access to a sustained systematic treatment program to enhance their walking ability. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of the task-oriented circuit training and treadmill training on walking function and quality of life in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Fourteen patients with chronic stroke volunteered for this study. The subjects were randomly divided into a task-oriented circuit training group and a treadmill training group with 7 patients in each. Each training regimen was performed for 30 min a day and 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Assessment tools included the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUGT), 10-m Walk Test, 6-min Walk Test (6MWT), and the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Results: The change in results of the TUGT, 6MWT, and SIS measured prior to and following the training regimens appeared to be significantly different between the two groups (p<.05). In addition, after the intervention, significant differences were found for all parameters in the task-oriented circuit training group and for the TUGT, 6MWT, and SIS in the treadmill training group (p<.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that task-related circuit training and treadmill training may be helpful to improve walking function and quality of life of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis. Additionally, a task-related circuit training program may achieve more favorable outcomes than a treadmill program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.435-443
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• 2010

Purpose : The goal of this study was to identify the effects of treadmill walking training (TW) and ergometer bicycle training (EB) on gait and balance in stroke patients. Methods : The subjects consisted of 42 stroke patients. They were randomly divided to two groups: TW(n=20) and EB(n=22). Each group trained along with the conventional physical therapy, three times a week for six weeks. The ability of gait was assessed by the 10m walk test and Timed Up and Go test(TUG). The ability of balance was assessed by Berg Balance Scale(BBS) and Balance Performance Monitor(BPM). Results : There was no significant difference between the 10m walking test and TUG groups, but there was a statistical difference between before and after the training for all groups. The result of BBS that assessed balance showed a significant reduction between before and after the training for all groups, but there was no difference between the two groups. While the two groups showed no difference in the BPM assessment, only the EB showed a significant improvement of before and after the training in each group. Conclusion : The outcomes suggest that stroke patients can improve their gait and balance performance through the TW and EB trainings. Although dynamic mean balance showed significance from EB, no significant difference was found between two groups. Even though it cannot be determined through this study which training group is more effective among the above mentioned two, it could be suggested that each training is effective to gait ability and the ability of balance of stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2017

Objective: Elderly people with dementia experience not only cognitive dysfunction but also motor function deficits, such as balance and gait impairments. Recently, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to reduce pain as well as to control muscle spasm, spasticity and motor performance in various types of subjects. The purpose of this study determined the effect of a single trial TENS on balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-two subjects with dementia were assigned to the TENS group (n=12) and ten subjects were assigned to the control group (n=10) randomly. Subjects were classified into two groups: the TENS group (n=12) and the placebo-TENS group (n=10). The TENS group had electrical stimulation applied on the calf muscle for 15 minutes, while the placebo-TENS group had not received real electrical stimulation. The timed up and go test (TUG) and functional reach test (FRT) were used to measure the balance function, and the 10 meters walk test (MWT) and 6MWT were used to assess gait ability. All tests were performed before and after intervention under a single-blinded condition. Results: After intervention, there were significant improvements in TUG, FRT, 10MWT, and 6MWT results in the TENS group (p<0.05), while the placebo-TENS group did not show significant changes in all outcome measurements. There were also differences in all tests between the two groups at post-measurements (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a single trial TENS application on the calf may be used to improve balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Objectives : The aim of this study was to report the effectiveness of Combined Korean Medicine treatment on a intracerebral hemorrhage patient with hemiplegia and gait disturbance. Methods : A 56-year-old, female patient with hemiplegia and gait disturbance was treated by Korean Medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine. The effect of the treatment was evaluated by Manual Muscle Test(MMT), Modified Rankin Scale(MRS), Korean version of Modified Barthel Index(K-MBI). The gait of the patient was evaluated by 10m walk test, Timed Up&Go Test(TUG), Functional Ambulatory Category(FAC), GAITRite and Symmetry Criterion(SC). Results : After treatment, MMT, MRS, K-MBI, gait parameters and gait symmetry were improved. Conclusions : This study suggests that Combined Korean Medicine treatment might be effective for a intracerebral hemorrhage patient with hemiplegia and gait disturbance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.57-65
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• 2015

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of balance training on different support surface (affected and non-affected sides) on the balance and gait function of chronic stroke patients. METHODS: The patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. Group 1 received balance training on the stable surface, group 2 received balance training on the unstable surface, group 3 received balance training on different support surface (affected side: stable surface, non-affected side: unstable surface), and group 4 received balance training on different support surface (affected side: unstable, non-affected side: stable). Twelve sessions (30 min/d, 3 times/wk for 4 wk) were applied. There were assessed before and after the intervention with Balancia, functional reach test (FRT), lateral reach test (LRT), timed up-and-go (TUG), and 10-meter walking test (10MWT). RESULTS: After the training, all of the groups improved significantly than before training in Balancia, FRT, LRT, TUG, and 10MWT. There were significantly variable in sway distance, FRT, LRT, TUG, and 10MWT among the 4 groups. Post hoc analysis revealed that the group 3 had significantly higher results than other 3 groups in sway distance, and FRT, LRT, TUG, and 10MWT. CONCLUSION: Balance training on different support surface (affected side: stable surface, non-affected side: unstable surface) could facilitate a stronger beneficial effect on balance and walking ability than other balance trainings on different support surface in patients with stroke.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.356-366
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to compare gait ability through gait evaluations in indoor and outdoor environments according to the general characteristics and walking ability of stroke patients. Design: Crossed-sectional study. Methods: The subjects of this study were 57 hospitalized stroke patients.The study subjects were asked to select an indoor environment and an outdoor environment in random order, and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Figure-Eight Walk Test (F8WT) and the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) were used to assess each environment. Results: The TUG, 10MWT, F8WT time and number of steps, and FGA showed a significant decrease in gait ability in the outdoor environment compared to the indoor environment (p<0.05). Although the TUG, 10MWT, and the time required for the F8WT were statistically higher in the outdoor compared to the indoor environment at points 2, 3, and 4, but not 5 of the functional ambulatory category (FAC), significant increases in the number of steps of the F8WT were found in the outdoor compared to the indoor environment for only points 2 and 3 of the FAC (p<0.05). In the FAC 3 and 4, there was a statistically significant decrease in the outdoor compared to the indoor environment only in the FGA (p<0.05). Conclusions: Therefore, it has been shown that the gait ability of stroke patients is reduced in the outdoor environment compared to the gait ability in the indoor environment.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.365-371
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of training in vestibular sensory stimulation on balance and gait of stroke patients. Methods: Twenty patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=10) or the control group (n=10). Patients in the experimental group received rotational stimulation training, vertical-horizontal stimulation training, gait training on a flat surface with vestibular sensory stimulation, and gait training on soft ground with vestibular sensory stimulation. Patients in the control group received general treadmill gait training. The intervention was applied four times per week, 25 minutes each time, for a period of four weeks. We measured Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Biodex Balance System, Timed up to Go (TUG) test and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) to evaluate balance and gait ability. Results: BBS differed significantly in both groups between before and after the intervention (p<0.05) and changes in BBS after the intervention differed between the two groups (p<0.05). According to the Biodex Balance System test result, only the experimental group showed significant changes in balance in the conditions of static eyes open (SEC), dynamic eyes open (DEO), and dynamic eyes closed (DEC) (p<0.05). TUG test results differed significantly between prior to and after the training in both the experimental group and the control group (p<0.05) and changes in TUG after the intervention differed significantly between the two groups (p<0.05). DGI results showed significant change after the intervention in the experimental group only (P<0.05). Conclusion: Training in vestibular sensory stimulation was effective in improving static-dynamic balance and gait ability of stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2016

PURPOSE: This study was examined the effects of aerobic exercise using a step box and lower extremity strengthening exercise with an elastic band on the balance ability and lower extremity muscular strength in elderly subjects. METHODS: Forty-one healthy adults were randomly divided into experimental group 1 (Exp 1, n=14), experimental group 2 (Exp 2, n=14), and a control group (n=13). The Exp 1 conducted lower limb strengthening exercise using an elastic band and the Exp 2 performed aerobic exercise with a step box 50 minutes per day, twice per week, for eight weeks. RESULTS: There was significant increase in the Exp 1 and Exp 2 in comparison of the change of lower limb muscle strength according to measurement time (p<.05). But there was no significant difference according to intervention methods. In one-leg standing test change among the three groups after the intervention, the Exp 1 and Exp 2 saw significant improvement compared to the control group (p<.05) but there was no significant difference according to intervention methods. The change of the functional reaching test results, the Exp 1 and Exp 2 saw significant improvement according to the time of measurement. In the change of the Timed Up and Go test, there was significant improvement in the Exp 1 and Exp 2 compared to the control group (p<.01), but there was no significant difference according to intervention methods. CONCLUSION: Exercise to lower extremity strengthening program accompanied with aerobic exercise is considered more effective in dynamical balance and ability to walk.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of goal-oriented side walking training on balance and gait in chronic stroke patients. Methods: This study involved 18 chronic stroke patients who were divided into an experimental group (n=9) and a control group (n=9). The experimental group performed goal-oriented side walking training, and the control group performed general side walking training. The walking variables assessed were walking speed, stride length, and 10-m walking time. The balance variables assessed were foot pressure, timed up and go test (TUG), and Berg balance scale (BBS). These variables were measured before and after the exercise. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was used to compare the participants' performances before and after the intervention in both groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was conducted for between-group comparisons after the intervention. Statistical significance was set at ${\alpha}=0.05$ Results: Walking speed, stride length, 10-m walking time, TUG, and foot pressure were significantly improved in both groups after the exercise (p<0.05). The between-group comparison showed a significant improvement in the goal-oriented side walking group (p<0.05). However, there were no significant between-group differences in 10-m walking times (p>0.05) and BBS (p=0.05). Conclusion: The results revealed that goal-oriented side walking training was effective in improving the balancing and walking ability of chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.99-110
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to suggest a way to easily understand and utilize the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) or Korean Standard Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (KCF), a common and standard language related to health information. METHODS: The tools used by physical therapists to evaluate the functioning of neurological patients were collected from 10 domestic hospitals. By applying the ICF linking rule, two experts compared, analyzed, and linked the concepts in the items of the collected tools and the ICF/KCF codes. The frequency of use of the selected tool, the matching rate of the liking results of two experts, and the number of the codes linked were treated as descriptive statistics and the code set was presented as a list. RESULTS: The berg balance scale, trunk impairment scale, timed up and go test, functional ambulation category, 6 Minute walk test, manual muscle test, and range of motion measurements were the most commonly used tools for evaluating the functioning. The total number of items of the seven tools was 33, and the codes linked to the ICF/KCF were 69. Twenty-two codes were mapped, excluding duplicate codes. Ten codes in the body function, 11 codes in the activity, and one code in the environmental factor were included. CONCLUSION: The information on the development process of the code set will increase the understanding of ICF/KCF and the developed code set can conveniently be used for collecting patients' functioning information.