• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2020

Objective: Many caregivers often carry infants using baby carriers until they are approximately 36 months old. The purpose of this study was to compare the muscular activity of the trunk and lower leg muscles during trunk flexion-extension movements in correspondence to various wearing methods of a baby carrier blanket. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Sixteen healthy adult women were to wear baby carrier blankets in five different ways in terms of direction and height, followed by flexion-extension of the trunk. Erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis, rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF) muscle activities and triaxial acceleration of trunk were investigated. Results: The front-wearing method of the baby carrier blanket increased the muscular activity of the ES muscle, and wearing the baby carrier blanket at waist height in the same direction was significantly higher than wearing it at pelvic height (p<0.05). As the angle of flexion increased during trunk flexion-extension, the muscle activity of the ES, BF, and the RF increased. There was a greater increase in muscle activity of the ES and the BF during extension compared to flexion (p<0.05). Conclusions: If it is difficult to wear a baby carrier blanket due to lumbar pain, it is recommended to lower the wearing height of the baby carrier to the pelvic level so that the external load can be transferred to the lower extremity. In addition, it appears to be necessary to hold the baby and distribute the load onto the waist through proper body control when performing flexion-extension movements of the trunk. More objective and scientific research that includes various daily tasks and evaluation methods are needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.501-507
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• 2012

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the effects of trunk flexion on the kinetic characteristics of the lumbar according to the degree of hamstring flexibility. METHODS: This study has as its subjects 29 young adults and divides them into the group (NSRTG, n=15) with the normal length of hamstrings according to SRT and the group (SSRTG, n=14) tending to have shortened hamstrings. Sit and Reach Test was conducted to evaluate the degree of hamstring flexibility. And to examine the kinetic difference of the lumbar at the trunk flexion, it was compared and analyzed by using the picture archiving and communication system (PACS). RESULTS: SSRTG showed more significant difference than NSRTG in the analysis on the trunk flexion of NSRTG and SSRTG. CONCLUSION: According to the analysis, the shortening of hamstrings is the factor that affects the dynamic stability of the lower lumbar through the reduction of the pelvic anterior tilt at the trunk flexion.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.398-403
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• 2023

Objective: This study compared trunk muscle activity and balance by applying hip joint flexion according to sitting posture to healthy adults Design: Cross-sectional study Methods: Twenty-four healthy adults (18 men and 6women) were instructed to perform the hip flexion while assuming two types of posture (erect sitting and slump sitting). EMG (Electromyography) data (% maximum voluntary isometric contraction) were recorded three times from the rectus abdominis, interanl oblique abdominis, external oblique abdominis and erector spine of participant's both side and the mean values were analyzed. Results: During hip flexion in erect sitting, rectus abdominis, internal oblique abdominis and external oblique muscles showed a statistically significant difference compared to hip flexion in a slump sitting position (p<0.05). In addition, the left and right deviation of hip flexion in the erect sitting position was found to be smaller than that of hip flexion in the slump sitting position. Conclusions: In this study, we compared the trunk muscle activity and balance of hip flexion in a standing sitting position and a bent sitting position. However, since only a temporary effect was verified with the cross-sectional study design, it is thought that an experimental study that can verify the long-term effect is needed in the future. Therefore, it is thought that it would be better to analyze by adding more variables than this study.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to measure the change of strength of trunk flexion and extension on abdominal and back muscles. Methods : Each taping group 1(n=14), taping group 2(n=14), taping group 3(n=14) and control group(n=15) were measured a muscle strength by Biodex at first test, second test, third test and forth test in 3 days. Results : The strength of trunk flexion and extension was significantly different among the experimental groups (p<.05). It also shows that significant increasing of muscle strength at 48 hours after application of taping (p<.05). Conclusion : In conclusion, we were found that taping technique base on taping type show immediately assistance of muscle strength and enduring effect for 48 hours.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.178-184
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• 2020

Background: Stroke patients have reduced trunk control compared to normal people. The ability to control the trunk of a stroke patient is important for gait and balance. However, there is still a lack of research methods for the characteristics of stroke control in stroke patients. Objects: The aim of this research was to determine whether trunk position sense has any relation with balance and gait. Methods: This study assessed trunk performance by measuring position sense. Trunk position sense was assessed using the David back concept to determine trunk repositioning error in 20 stroke patients and 20 healthy subjects. Four trunk movements (flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation) were tested for repositioning error and the measurement was carried out 6 times per move; these parameters were used to compare the mean values obtained. Subjects with stroke were also evaluated with clinical measures of balance and gait. Results: There were significant differences in trunk repositioning error between the stroke group and the control group in flexion, lateral flexion to the affected side, lateral flexion to the unaffected side, rotation to the affected side, and rotation to the unaffected side. Mean flexion error: post-stroke: 7.95 ± 6.76 degrees, control: 3.32 ± 2.27; mean lateral flexion error to the affected side: 6.13 ± 3.79, to the unaffected side: 5.32 ± 3.15, control: 3.57 ± 1.92; mean rotation error to the affected side: 8.25 ± 3.09, to the unaffected side: 9.24 ± 3.94, control: 5.41 ± 1.82. There was an only significant negative correlation between the repositioning error of lateral flexion and the Berg balance scale score to the affected side (-0.483) and to the unaffected side (-0.497). A strong correlation between balance and gait was found. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that stroke patients exhibit greater trunk repositioning error than age-matched controls on all planes of movement except for extension. And lateral flexion has correlation with balance and gait.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.75-83
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• 2020

Background: The effect of the Valsalva maneuver applied in resistance exercise has shown contradictory results. This study aims to investigate the effect of the Valsalva maneuver on resistance exercise by examining the changes that occur by applying the Valsalva maneuver during trunk flexion and extension resistance exercise in healthy adults. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: 34 healthy adults were conveniently recruited. According to the with or without Valsalva maneuver, the flexion and extension of the trunk were measured and evaluated. Results: Paired t test showed that there was a statistically significant difference in maximum torque of trunk flexion in the resistance exercise with Valsalva maneuver. However, there was no statistically significant difference in trunk extension (p<.05), in the total and average work of trunk flexion and extension (p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study in which the difference in the amount of exercise according to the application of the Valsalva maneuver was not significant, show that the practice of the Valsalva maneuver, which has a risk of injury, should be avoided in rehabilitation exercises.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of isometric upper limb contraction on the trunk and lower extremity muscles during the sit-to-stand activity in elderly females. METHODS: Eighteen healthy elderly females performed three directional isometric upper extremity contractions (flexion, extension, and horizontal abduction movements) using an elastic band during sit-to-stand activity. Electromyography signals were collected from the internal oblique, erector spinae, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris muscles. RESULTS: Internal oblique activity was greater in bilateral shoulder flexion and bilateral shoulder horizontal abduction than in neutral position (p<.05). Erector spinae and rectus femoris muscle activities in bilateral shoulder flexion was greater than in neutral position and bilateral shoulder extension (p<.05). Biceps femoris activity was significantly greater in bilateral shoulder flexion than in bilateral shoulder extension and horizontal abduction, and in neutral position compared to bilateral shoulder extension (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that incorporating isometric upper limb contraction may be beneficial for enhancing the contribution of trunk and lower extremity muscle activities to trunk stabilization during sit-to-stand activity. Therefore, isometric upper limb contraction during sit-to-stand tasks, especially in flexion, may be used to elicit contraction of the lumbopelvic region muscles within a tolerable range, for developing endurance and strength in the elderly.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.19-24
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of PNF lower extremity flexion pattern on the eletromyographic (EMG) activity in rectus abdominis, internal oblique abdominal, external oblique abdominal, erector spinae. Methods : Twenty-six healthy adults volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were required complete following two PNF lower extremity patterns; flexion-adduction-external rotation with knee flexion (D1) and flexion-abduction-internal rotation with knee flexion (D2). A paired t-test was used to determine the influence of the PNF two patterns on muscle activity for each muscle and descriptive statistics was used to determine local/global muscle ratio. Results : The D1 pattern was showed significant rectus abdominis (p<.05) and Median of internal oblique/rectus abdominis ratio was 2.23 and internal oblique/external oblique ratio was 1.53. The D2 pattern showed significant erector spinae (p<.05) and Median of internal oblique/rectus abdominis ratio was 3.06 and internal oblique/external oblique ratio was 1.72. Conclusion : The D1 pattern made rectus abdominis activation increase. The D2 pattern made erector spinae activation increase. As compared D1 and D2 pattern on trunk muscle activation, it's will be useful decision making for the trunk muscle strength and stabilization.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.413-423
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• 2001

Low back disorders (LBDs) are one of the most common and costly work-related musculoskeletal disorders. One of the major possible risk factors of LBDs is to work with static and awkward trunk postures, especially in a complex trunk posture involving flexion, twisting and lateral bending simultaneously. This study is to examine the effect of complex trunk postures on the postural stresses using a psychophysical method. Twelve healthy male students participated in an experiment, in which 29 different trunk postures were evaluated using the magnitude estimation method. The results showed that subjective discomfort significantly increased as the levels of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increased. Significant interaction effects were found between rotation and lateral bending or flexion when the severe lateral bending or rotation were assumed, indicating that simultaneous occurrence of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increases discomfort ratings synergistically. A postural workload evaluation scheme of trunk postures was proposed based on the angular deviation levels from the neutral position. Each trunk posture was assigned numerical stress index depending upon its discomfort rating, which was defined as the ratio of discomfort of a posture to that of its neutral posture. Four qualitative action categories for the stress index were also provided in order to enable practitioners to apply corrective actions appropriately. The proposed scheme is expected to be applied to several field areas for evaluating trunk postural stresses.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2022

Background: Trunk movements are an important factor in activities of daily living; however, these movements can be impaired by stroke. It is difficult to quantify and measure the active range of motion (AROM) of the trunk in patients with stroke. Objects: To determine the reliability and validity of measurements using a digital goniometer (DG) and smart phone (SP) applications for trunk rotation and lateral flexion in stroke patients. Methods: This is an observational study, in which twenty participants were clinically diagnosed with stroke. Trunk rotation and lateral flexion AROM were assessed using the DG and SP applications (Compass and Clinometer). Intrarater reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the validity of the DG and SP in AROM measurement. The level of agreement between the two instruments was shown by Bland-Altman plot and 95% limit of agreement (LoA) was calculated. Results: The intrarater reliability (rotation with DG: 0.96-0.98, SP: 0.98; lateral flexion with DG: 0.97-0.98, SP: 0.96) was excellent. A strong and significant correlation was found between DG and SP (rotation hemiplegic side: r = 0.95; non-hemiplegic side: r = 0.90; lateral flexion hemiplegic side: r = 0.88; non-hemiplegic side: r = 0.78). The level of agreement between the two instruments was rotation (hemiplegic side: 23.02° [LoA 17.41°, -5.61°]; non-hemiplegic side: 31.68° [LoA 23.87°, -7.81°]) and lateral flexion (hemiplegic side: 20.94° [LoA 17.48°, -3.46°]; non-hemiplegic side: 27.12° [LoA 18.44°, -8.68°]). Conclusion: Both DG and SP applications can be used as reliable methods for measuring trunk rotation and lateral flexion in patients with stroke. Although, considering the level of clinical agreement, DG and SP could not be used interchangeably for measurements.