• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to find out which exercise is more effective for the activation of the trunk, when the suspension plank and modified bridge exercise are performed. Weakening of the trunk muscles can lead to secondary injuries such as back injuries. In order to prevent injury, trunk muscles must be strengthened, and representative trunk strengthening exercises include planks and bridges. Each has been developed with a modified method, but since there is no paper comparing which exercise is more effective for trunk muscle strength, it was written to compare the two exercises. METHODS: The subjects were a random sample of 30 healthy men who agreed to participate in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups of 15 people each, and the suspension plank and the modified bridge exercise were performed for six weeks. The thickness of the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal abdominal oblique (IO), external abdominal oblique (EO), rectus abdominis (RA), multifidus (MF) was measured before and after the exercise. The two groups were analyzed using an independent t-test and paired t-test to compare the muscle thickness and the difference before and after exercise. RESULTS: The trunk muscle thickness was increased in both groups with suspension plank and modified bridge exercise, and there was a statistically significant difference. When comparing the two groups, the suspension plank group also showed a significant difference in RA (p<.05). CONCLUSION: As a result of this study, suspension plank exercise can have a positive effect on activating the trunk muscles and strengthening the strength of RA. Therefore, it is considered that suspension plank exercise is a more effective intervention to strengthen trunk muscle than modified bridge exercise.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.196-200
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the muscle activity of the trunk muscles during balance exercises on a stable and unstable surface in patients with stroke. Methods: Thirteen subjects (8 males, 5 females) with stroke were enrolled in the study. Muscle activity was recorded using surface EMG electrodes from the affected side of the erector spinae, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles. The exercise was performed under three conditions. For the first condition for balance exercise, subjects were instructed to sit on an exercise mat with legs extended. The second condition was to sit with legs extended, with a balance pad under their buttocks. The third condition was to sit with legs extended, have a balance pad under the buttocks and a balance cushion under the lower legs. Results: This study showed significant differences in EMG activities during both arm lifting exercise and weight shifting exercise between conditions. This study showed that the EMG activities of the erector spinae, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles were significantly higher when the trunk exercise was performed using the balance pad with balance ball than when using the stable surface. Conclusion: In conclusion, performing balance exercises using an unstable surface is a useful method for facilitating trunk-muscle strength and hence trunk stability.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.298-303
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effects of slashpipe exercise on reducing the thickness of the left and right external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and multifidus muscles. Methods: A total of 29 healthy adult men and women were included in the study. They performed trunk flexion in the supine position and trunk extension in the prone position with a slashpipe and weight bar. The external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis muscles were measured in the supine position, while the erector spinae and multifidus muscles were measured in the prone position. The data were analyzed using the SPSS ver 21.0 statistical program. The difference in thickness between the right and left sides of the trunk muscle was analyzed by repeated measures analysis. The statistical significance level was set to p<0.05. Results: The results showed that the slashpipe exercise reduced significantly the difference in thickness of the oblique internus and erector spinae muscles compared to the weight bar exercise. Conclusion: The chaotic fluidity of the fluid filled inside the slashpipe could be used as sensory feedback information on body mal-alignment, which would have positively affected the symmetrical contraction of the trunk muscles as a trigger for self-correction. Therefore, it will have a useful effect not only on the health of the general public, but also on low back patients and athletes with muscle asymmetry.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

Purpose : This study was conducted to find out the effect on the activity of trunk and lower limbs muscles during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping taping for trunk stabilization movement. Methods : The study subjects were recruited by using the on-campus bulletin boards for healthy adult males and females in their 20s attending K University in Changwon-city, South Gyeongsang Province. The subjects were 30 persons (15 males and 15 females) who agreed to the study purpose in accordance with the criteria for selection and exclusion. Results : The results were obtained by measuring the muscle activity of the trunk and lower limbs during abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic fixed tapping. The effects on erector spinae and hamstring muscles was statistically significantly lower (p<.05), it was confirmed that there were no statistically significant differences between the multifidus and gluteus maximus muscle (p>.05). Conclusion : Through this study, it was found that the excessive flexion of the waist was significantly reduced from erector spinalis and hamstring muscle after abdominal drawing-in bridging exercises by verbal cue on the unstable supporting surface after pelvic rearward sloping tapping compared to the general bridging exercises.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to compare measurements of abdominal muscle thickness using ultrasonography imaging (USI) to those using a special transducer head device, during five different trunk stabilization exercises, ultimately to determine which exercise led to the greatest muscle thickness. Thirty eight healthy subjects participated in this cross-sectional study. The five types of trunk stabilization - i.e., a sit-up on the supine, an upper and lower extremity raise with quadruped on the prone, a leg raise in sitting on the ball, trunk rolling on the ball, and balance using sling on the prone position - were each performed with an abdominal draw. The thickness of the abdominal muscle - including the transverse abdominal (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) - was measured by USI with a special transducer head device, at rest and then at contraction in each position. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated ANOVA with the level of significance set at ${\alpha}$=.05. The results were as follows: 1) the TrA thickness was statistically significant (p<.05), whereas the IO and EO thicknesses were not (p>.05); 2) among the five types of trunk stabilization, TrA thickness significantly increased with the balance using a sling in the prone position, (p<.05), whereas no significant difference was noted for the four types of trunk stabilization (p>.05); 3) reliability data showed that there was a high degree of consistency among the measurements taken using the special transducer head device (ICC=.92). In conclusion, the balance using a sling in the prone position was more effective than any of the four other types of trunk stabilization in increasing TrA thickness in healthy subjects.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.290-295
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of robo-horseback riding with changes of pelvic tilting and speeds on muscle activities of trunk and lower limb in healthy adults. Methods: Thirty healthy adults were recruited for this study. Subjects performed robo-horseback riding at three pelvic postures (anterior tilting pelvic posture: AP, neutral pelvic posture: NP, posterior pelvic posture: PP) and different speeds (moderate and fast speed). Muscle activities were recorded from the trunk muscles (rectus abdominis [RA], T2 paraspinalis [T2 PS], L2 paraspinalis [L2 PS]) and lower limb muscles (rectus femoris [RF], vastus medialis [VM], vastus lateralis [VL], biceps femoris [BF], gastrucnemius [GCM]). Results: Significantly higher RA activities were observed under the PP condition than under the AP and NP conditions at both speeds. Significantly higher L2 PS activities were observed under the AP condition than under the PP and NP conditions at both speeds. Significantly higher T2 PS activities were observed under the AP condition than under the PP and NP conditions at fast speed. However, the muscle activities of the VM and GCM did not show significant changes with changes in pelvic posture at both speeds. All muscle activities were significantly higher under the fast speed than under the moderate speed in three pelvic postures. Conclusion: There were significant differences in the changes of pelvic tilting on muscle activities of trunk and lower limb were observed in healthy adults. NP condition can be introduced the most efficienct posture for muscle activities of trunk and lower limb in robo-horseback riding.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sling and vibrator application of knee push-up plus motion on trunk muscle activities. Ten healthy adult males(age, 23.00±0.45 years; height, 176.60±1.64 cm; body mass, 67.50±1.22 kg; and BMI, 21.65±0.34 kg/㎡) were participated in this study as subjects. Three types' knee push-up plus motions were performed(basic knee push-up plus motion, BKPP; knee push-up plus motion with sling, KPPS; knee push-up plus motion with vibration, KPPV). We measured the right side's trunk muscle activities of the upper trapezius(UT), pectoralis major(PM), serratus anterior(SA), rectus abdominis(RA), and external oblique(EO). The research findings were as follows. UT, PM, SA, RA, and EO muscle activities were greatest during KPPV(p<.001). These results are expected to serve as reference materials for knee push-up plus motion applications in training programs for trunk muscle strengthening.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of wall squat exercise according to the difference in the support surface on the thickness change of external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominalis of the trunk muscles and the change in distance of center of pressure when the eyes are opened and closed. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: The subjects were 26 healthy adults, 18 males and 8 females. The composition of each group using the single-blind method was 13 people in the unstable side wall squat exercise group and 13 people in the stable side wall squat exercise group. Experimental measurements were divided into before, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks after the experiment, and changes in muscle thickness and balance were confirmed. Muscle thickness was measured using ultrasinic, and static balance change was measured using Bio-rescue. Results: There were significant differences in the thickness changes of external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominalis according to the wall squat exercise method by period and in the interaction between the period and the group (p<0.05). As a result of the post-hoc analysis, there was a significant difference in the change between the two groups in external oblique muscle after 6 weeks. And there was a significant difference in the distance of the pressure center between eyes open and closed eyes (p<0.05). Conclusion: In terms of instability, wall squat exercise was positive for changes in trunk muscle thickness. It suggests the possibility of using it for trunk muscle strengthening training in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.300-305
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• 2012

Purpose: This study examined the muscle activity of the trunk muscles during weight shifting exercises on a stable and unstable surface. Methods: Ten healthy young subjects (4 males, 6 females) with no medical history of lower-extremity or lumbar spine disease were enrolled in this study. The muscle activity was recorded using surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes from the both sides of the external obliques and erector spinae muscles. Results: The EMG activities of the both rectus abdominalis, both external obliques and erector spinae muscles were significantly higher when the weight shifting exercise was performed on a firm surface than when a balance pad with a balance ball was used. In weight shifting exercises, the EMG activity of the contralateral external obliques and erector spinae muscles was significantly higher than that of the ipsilateral external obliques and erector spinae muscles under all three support surface conditions. Conclusion: Performing weight shifting exercise using an unstable surface is a useful method for facilitating the trunk-muscle strength and trunk stability.