Earticle

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.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of cervico-thoracic (C-T) mobilization technique and therapeutic exercise on muscle activity, craniovertebral angle (CVA), and neck disability index (NDI) in patients with neck pain. Methods: : A total of 30 patients with neck pain were included and divided into C-T mobilization combined with Pilates group (Experimental group; EG) and thoracic mobilization and self-exercise (Control group; CG) group; each group consisted of 15 patients. The exercises were performed by patients in both groups three times a week, for four weeks. NDI was used to measure functional disability and sEMGﾠwas used to measure muscle activity. Results: The EG participants showed significant improvement in the CVA and NDI after the intervention than the CG (p<.05). While both groups presented after intervention decreased muscle activity(upper trapezius), there were no statistically significant differences between the groups (p>.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that thoracic mobilization technique combined with Pilates exercise may have beneficial effects on CVA and NDI in patients with neck pain and forward head posture.

Background: In this study, the abductor hallucis activity and medial longitudinal arch angle were compared by performing four exercises, namely the short foot exercise, the short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension, the short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension with a load of 1㎏ on the sole, and the short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension with a load of 2㎏ on the sole. Methods: Four short foot exercises as described above were performed by 20 healthy adult males and females. The abductor hallucis activity and medial longitudinal arch angle were measured and analyzed by surface electromyography and the Kinovea software program. Results: The short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension, short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension with a load of 1kg on the sole, and the short foot exercise with 2nd~5th toe extension with a load of 2㎏ on the sole showed significantly higher abductor hallucis activity than the short foot exercise alone. Among these, the short foot exercise with the 2nd~5th toe extension was the most effective. All exercises showed a significantly decreased medial longitudinal arch angle post-exercise than pre-exercise, and the short foot exercise with the 2nd~5th toe extension showed a significantly decreased medial longitudinal arch angle compared to the other three exercises. Conclusion: It is believed that the short foot exercise with the 2nd~5th toe extension can be proposed as an effective exercise that can replace the short foot exercise alone.

Bac㎏round: Most Pilates programs for older adults have been based on mat Pilates, and there has been limited research on Pilates with mini-balls. Therefore, this study aims to compare the effects of Pilates with mini-balls and mat Pilates interventions on strength, total body endurance, flexibility, and dynamic equilibrium to determine the differences. Methods: The elderly aged 65 or older living in Gyeongsan, Daegu, were divided into two groups, and the experimental group (n=10) conducted a Pilates exercise program using mini balls for 12 weeks, and the control group (n=10) conducted a mat Pilates exercise program for 12 weeks without mini balls. Strength, endurance, flexibility, and dynamic equlibrium were measured as a pre-test, and post-test was performed in the same way after 12 weeks of application. Results: Comparing the mini-ball Pilates group to the mat Pilates group, there was a significant difference (p<.05) in the 'chair sit and reach' after the intervention. In the within-group comparison, there was a significant increase (p<.05) in 'arm curl right', '30-second chair stand', '2-minute walk', 'back scratch', 'chair sit and reach', and '2.44m up and go' in the experimental group using the mini-ball Pilates program. Mat Pilates program significantly increased the within-group comparisons in '30-second chair stand' and 'chair sit and reach' (p<.05). Conclusion: It is suggested that mini-ball Pilates has a positive effect on the senior fitness and will be a good exercise method for using it as an exercise program for the elderly in the future.

Background: Bulgarian split squat (BSS) is beneficial to improve dynamic balance ability and muscle activity of lower extremities, however its effects have not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to compare changes in dynamic balance ability and muscle properties according to various modifications of BSS exercises. Methods: Thirty healthy male volunteers participated in this study, and they were randomly divided into three different groups. The subjects performed the BSS exercise either on a stable surface with the eyes opened (n=10) or eyes closed (n=10), and on an unstable support plane with eyes opened (n=10) conditions, respectively. Dynamic balance ability was measured via Biodex balance system under the eyes-opened and closed conditions. Additionally, muscle properties of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) were evaluated. Results: Dynamic balance ability did not show the significant differences among the groups that performed the BSS exercises. However, in the Unstable group, there were significant differences in the overall stability index and anterior posterior stability index under the eyes-closed condition between pre-exercise and post-exercise. In comparison of muscle properties according to the groups, RF muscle showed a significant difference in amount of change of elasticity (p=.038). Additionally, there were significant changes in post measurements of VM muscle tone (p=.016), stiffness (p=.012) and elasticity (p=.002). VL muscle, however had no significant differences in muscle properties. Conclusion: These results indicate that BSS exercises could induce the alteration of RF and VM muscle properties, in particular VM muscle which is susceptible to weakness. Thus, BSS could be applied in various ways as an effective rehabilitation exercise.

Background: This study comparatively evaluated the effects of equipment-based pilates exercises (EPE) and lumbar stability exercises (LSE) in patients with chronic low back pain in terms of their Visual Analogue Scale(VAS), Oswestry Disability Index(ODI), and abdominal muscle thickness. Methods: A total of 30 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to either the EPE or the LSE. The VAS, ODI, and abdominal muscle thicknesses of the participants were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The EPE were more effective in terms of the duration of a sustained reduction in VAS scores. post hoc test revealed that EPE were more efficacious in terms of a sustained improvement in ODI scores. With respect to changes in abdominal muscle thickness, there was a significant difference in the thickness of internal oblique muscles(IO) and the external oblique muscles(EO) between the two groups. Conclusion: In this study, both types of exercise interventions resulted in improvements in the VAS, ODI scores, and abdominal muscle thickness in patients with chronic low back pain. However, EPE were found to be more effective than LPE in terms of longer sustained improvements in VAS and ODI scores. Also, with respect to abdominal muscle thickness, the thickness of EO and IO improved only in the EPE group.

Purpose: This study examined the possibility of muscle strength and balance ability improvement through coordinative locomotor training by making a difference on the supporting plane using a resistance band for adolescent athlete of Taekwondo sparring athletes. Methods: A total of 22 students were selected as to the participants of the study, and 11 students each were randomly assigned to the control and experimental group for coordination locomotor training using a resistance band on stable and unstable supporting surface. The training period was 60 min, three times a week, for 8 weeks in total. To confirm changes on balance ability of each participant, balance assessment devices are used. Moreover, surface electromyography was used for muscle strength evaluation. Results: After coordinated locomotor training using a resistance band for 8 weeks, the difference bet ween groups was not significant; Also, the improvement in strength was no significant difference in other muscles in the between groups, but there was a significant in the muscle activity of the rectus muscle of the right thigh in the experimental group. Conclusion: The participants demonstrated that coordinative locomotor training using the elastic band on an unstable supporting surface was able to obtain junctional effects for the prevention of exercise injuries in youth taekwondo sparring athletes, and muscle activity exercise of the rectus muscle of the right thigh was particularly effective.

Purpose: The current case study focuses on identifying the effects of manual therapy and home self-therapeutic exercise including on mouth opening and pain relief in patients with continuous neck pain with myofascial temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) accompanied by headache induced by masticatory myalgia Subjects: The study participant was a 27-year-old woman who was treated a year ago for pain related to TMDs accompanied by a headache. Methods: Manual therapy of the cervical spine with upper cervical spine posterior-to-anterior mobilization (C1~C2), upper cervical spine flexion mobilization (C0~C2), upper cervical spine lateral flexion mobilization (C0~C1), upper cervical spine thrust manual therapy (C1~C2) and manual therapy of the temporomandibular joint and muscles with transverse medial accessory temporomandibular joint mobilization, manual therapies for the temporal, the masseter, and medial pterygoid muscles were performed twice a week for about 30 minutes for 4 weeks. This protocol included 3 sessions in total. The home self-therapeutic exercise was to be performed two to three times a day. Results: The values more improved MMO increased to 41.4 ㎜, left masseter muscle PPT to 2.9 ㎏f/㎠, right masseter muscle PPT to 3.1 ㎏f/㎠, KHIT-6 to 46 points, neck pain intensity (by NRS) to 2 points, headache frequency to per weeks, cervical kyphotic angle to -8.06%, and GCPS to grade 1 (low-intensity pain without pain-related disorder). Conclusion: Manual therapy and home self-therapeutic exercise can be helpful for mouth opening and pain relief in patients with myofascial TMDs accompanied by secondary headaches induced by masticatory myalgia.