Earticle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of applying a functional pillow of body classification on elderly persons’ neck muscles and range of motion. Twenty-five subjects aged >65 years participated in an 8-week program that included applying a functional pillow of body classification. Neck muscle function was measured by using Myotone (Myoton AS, Estonia) at pre-intervention, at 4 weeks of the intervention, and at 8 weeks after the intervention. The subjects’ neck ranges of motion changed significantly between preintervention and after 8 weeks. Furthermore, the splenius muscle significantly changed after using the functional pillow of body classification and there was an improvement in the subjects’ neck ranges of motion and muscle functions. Based on these results, we conclude that using a functional pillow of body classification improved neck range of motion and neck muscle function, which led to the improvement of body posture and muscle functions.

This study was aimed at investigating the reliability of ultrasonography for imaging the thickness of abdominal muscles during abdominal stabilization strategies in the supine and standing positions in young and older adults. Sixty adults, including 30 young and 30 older adults, voluntarily participated in this study. We captured the ultrasonographic image of the anterolateral wall of the trunk during rest, hollowing, and bracing strategies in the supine position at 90 knee flexion (crook-lying) and standing position. The thicknesses of the abdominal muscles, which are the external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis muscles, were measured. To analyze the reliability of the thickness of the abdominal muscles, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% confidential interval (CI) were calculated. The young adults group showed a high level of reliability in all abdominal muscles during rest, hollowing, and bracing strategies regardless of measuring position. The older adults group showed a high level of reliability in the external and internal oblique muscles during rest, hollowing, and bracing strategies in both the supine and standing positions. However, in the standing position, the older adults group showed a medium level of ICC value in the transversus abdominis during hollowing (ICC: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.49-0.90) and bracing strategies (ICC: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.43-0.88). Our results suggest that ultrasonography is a reliable tool for measuring the thickness of all abdominal muscles of young adults during hollowing and bracing strategies. However, the deep abdominal muscles of the older adults were affected by the measuring position on ultrasonography. Thus, when using ultrasonography during hollowing and bracing strategies, researchers should consider the subject's age and measuring positions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a newly developed automatic passive stretching exercise device called “Foot Stretcher” for patients with chronic stroke by examining its effect on functional disability, stiffness, strength, range of motion (ROM), static postural control and gait parameters, and user experiences with the device. The combined method of quantitative and qualitative analyses was adopted in the study. Five patients who had a chronic stroke performed passive stretching exercise by using the device within patient-selected dorsiflexion and plantar flexion angles for 30 min/day, 3 days/week, for 3 weeks. Foot function index (FFI), seated and standing arch height index (AHI), arch rigidity index (ARI), muscle strength and ROM of the affected side, and static postural control and gait parameters were measured before and after the intervention. User experience was assessed through individual interview at the end of the intervention period. Significant improvements were observed in the FFI (P = 0.043), seated AHI (P = 0.042), ARI (P = 0.043), and muscle strength in plantar flexion (P = 0.043). All the participants had positive attitudes toward the device. The automatic foot stretching exercise device was feasible for improving the patients’ functional ability and foot arch stiffness, but not enough to improve muscle strength and ROM in dorsiflexion, and static postural control and gait parameters.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of balance on using foam roller and Swiss ball exercises in patients with hemiplegia. Twenty-one male and female subjects underwent a pretest for dynamic and static balance. They were then randomly divided into foam roller, Swiss ball, and classic physical therapy groups (control group). Three sessions of treatments per week were conducted, with each session lasting 30 minutes, for a total of 4 weeks. After completion of all the studies, all the subjects underwent a test for all the categories reviewed during the pretest to evaluate changes in balance. The results were as follows: The foam roller and Swiss ball groups showed significant differences in dynamic and static balance. The posttest dynamic and static balance significantly differed between the foam roller and Swiss ball groups in terms of the parameters measured (p<.05). However, no significant within-group differences in dynamic and static balance were found in both groups. These findings indicate that the foam roller and Swiss ball exercises are more useful than the classic physical therapy for increasing dynamic and static balance in patients with hemiplegia.

This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness between lumbar stabilization exercise and lumbar strengthening exercise programs in increasing pain intensity and lumbar function in patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease. Forty patients diagnosed as having a lumbar degenerative disk disease participated in an 8-week exercise program and were randomly divided into spinal stabilization and lumbar strengthening exercise groups. Pain intensity and lumbar disability were measured before and after each exercise program by using a visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index. Paraspinal lumbar muscular strength in four directions was evaluated by using Centaur. After 8 weeks of each exercise intervention, VAS score, ODI, and lumbar muscular strength significantly decreased in both groups (p<.05). In comparing VAS score, ODI, and lumbar muscular strength between the 2 groups, more-significant decreases were observed in the lumbar stabilization exercise group than in the lumbar strengthening exercise group (p<.05). In recommendation, the data from this research are useful for developing a more effective rehabilitation program for patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease. Furthermore, more studies can be conducted in the rehabilitation of patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease.

This purpose of this study was to investigate registered Pilates instructors, Pilates journals, Pilates science institutions, and published experimental studies on Pilates for establishing a system and the identity of Pilates in the Republic of Korea. We obtained data from the databases of the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, National Research Foundation of Korea, and Korea Scholarly Information. Our results show that the numbers of registered private Pilates instructors, science institutions, and randomized controlled trials were 104, 1, and 11, respectively. We confirmed the need to establish a Pilates system and its identity to further develop the use of Pilates in the Republic of Korea.

Functional tests in physical therapy and rehabilitation have focused on the assessment of motor outputs at behavioral and kinematic levels. However, the problem in degree of freedom suggests that altered test outcomes in patients could result from multiple motor coordination patterns. Although the behavioral and kinematic outcomes allow for various assumptions, muscle activities directly present motor neural activities that provide better information about the motor neuron system in clinical populations. To understand motor commands in human multi-joint movements, muscle synergy offers new modular patterns from multiple muscle coactivations. Muscle synergy analysis has demonstrated unique motor patterns in neurological patients, neonates, and athletes as compared with those of healthy adults. Furthermore, earlier researchers found common muscle synergies between different motor behaviors. These results support a notion that muscle synergy analysis is useful for defining general motor patterns specific to an individual and offers clinical insight for establishing rehabilitation strategies.