Earticle

This study aims to investigate the effects of squat training combined with virtual reality program on lower extremity muscle activity and balance abilities of healthy university students. The subjects of this study were assigned to either the experimental group or the control group using the drawing lots method to minimize selection bias. The experimental group conducted squat training using a VR fitness program while wearing an oculus rift, whereas the control group performed squat training without VR equipment. Both groups trained for 30 minutes per day, three times a week, for a total of six weeks. Lower extremity muscle activity and balance abilities were assessed before the experiment and after six weeks. Muscle activity was measured using wireless surface electromyography, and balance was measured using BioRescue. As a result of this study, significant differences were observed in both groups regarding lower extremity muscle activity and balance abilities before and after the experiment. The experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in muscle activity compared to the control group after six weeks. Additionally, in terms of balance abilities, the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement compared to the control group. The results of this study indicate that squat training combined with virtual reality positively affects lower extremity muscle activity and balance abilities compared to the control group. Therefore, in the absence of issues such as 3D motion sickness, squat exercises combined with virtual reality using VR-HMD can be used as an important intervention method in clinical settings to enhance muscle activity and balance abilities.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mirror therapy combined with motion observation on grip strength in patients with chronic stroke. From April 2023 to June 2023, 20 patients with chronic stroke for more than 6 months were divided into two groups of 10 people each, and general mirror therapy and mirror therapy combined with motion observation training were applied once a week for 20 minutes for 10 weeks. The collected data were analyzed for general characteristics through descriptive statistics, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to determine the difference in change before and after intervention between the experimental and control groups. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare post-intervention values and changes in outcome measures between the 2 groups. The grip strength showed a significant difference (p<.05) in palm grip strength and lateral grip strength in the mirror therapy group combined with motion observation (p<.05), but there was no significant difference in the traditional mirror therapy group (p>.05). There was no significant difference in 3-point grip strength and tip pinch grip strength in both groups (p>.05). Both mirror therapy combined with motion observation and traditional mirror therapy for chronic stroke patients showed a statistically significant increase in grip strength. Based on these results, it is expected that mirror therapy combined with motion observation using a tablet PC will help stroke patients recover their grip strength in the future. It is expected that it will develop into another therapeutic intervention method for functional recovery, and various and continuous research will be needed to prove its clinical value.

Progressive, individualized, and intensive rehabilitation programs play an important role in improving functional impairments after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in older adults with hip fractures. This study aimed to investigate the effects of disability-oriented intensive physiotherapy on pain, motor function, and activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly inpatients undergoing THA for hip fractures. A total of 43 elderly inpatients who underwent THA for hip fractures were recruited for this retrospective study from January 2022 to October 2023 in an intensive rehabilitation hospital in the Republic of Korea. All participants received disability-oriented intensive physiotherapy for a total of 208 sessions (6–8 sessions/day, 30 minutes/session, 7 days/week) over 4 weeks during hospitalization. Pain, lower extremity muscle strength, balance, functional ambulation ability, and ADL were assessed using the numeric rating scale (NRS), manual muscle testing (MMT), berg balance scale (BBS), functional ambulation category (FAC), and modified barthel index (MBI), respectively. A paired t-test was used to analyze changes in dependent variables following intervention. All dependent variables, including NRS (pain), MMT (lower extremity muscle strength), BBS (balance), FAC (functional ambulation ability), and MBI (ADL) scores, revealed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test (p=.000–.005). Our findings suggest that disability-oriented intensive physiotherapy for patients who underwent THA is an effective protocol for improving physical function or reducing THA immobilization-related functional impairments. Therefore, this physiotherapy protocol should be encouraged in skilled inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Muscle spasm in the upper trapezius are common in individuals suffering from neck pain and postural imbalance. While static stretching and active release techniques (ART) are widely used therapeutic interventions, their specific impact on muscle characteristics such as thickness remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of static stretching and ART on upper trapezius muscle thickness. A total of 22 participants with upper trapezius spasm were randomly assigned to either a static stretching group or an ART group, and both groups underwent a 5-minute intervention. Each intervention consisted of two sets of 2 minutes, with a 30-second rest between sets. Muscle thickness of the upper trapezius was measured before and after the intervention using ultrasound. The results showed that both static stretching and ART significantly reduced upper trapezius muscle thickness, with ART demonstrating a significantly greater reduction. This finding suggests that ART is more effective than static stretching, likely because it directly addresses shortened tissues and adhesions while incorporating active movement. Therefore, ART may be considered a more suitable treatment option for patients with upper trapezius muscle spasms and excessive muscle tension.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of scapular retraction exercises at different shoulder abduction angles on shoulder muscle activity to efficiently strengthen the muscles. This study was conducted with 30 healthy male participants in their 20s enrolled at G University. The reason for selecting adult males among the participants was to minimize bias in the results and reduce potential variables that could arise during data analysis. The experiments for this study began with a preliminary test in March 2024, and participants were recruited and the study was conducted by the end of april 2024. The participants positioned themselves against a wall with an attached protractor, and muscle activation was assessed during retraction exercises at 60°, 90°, and 120°. The muscles examined included the upper trapezius, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior. Resistance was applied by having the participants hold an elastic band while abducting their shoulders, and they maintained each end position at the three angles for 10 seconds. The middle trapezius showed the highest muscle activity at 90° of shoulder joint abduction. This is because the lever arm is at its maximum length and has a more efficient line of force than the upper and lower trapezius during this movement. The upper trapezius showed the highest muscle activity as the angle increased, while the middle and lower trapezius showed the highest activity at 60° and 90°. The serratus anterior showed the highest activity at 60°. Therefore, it can be concluded that scapular retraction exercises are widely used in shoulder stabilizer exercises.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage; the main symptom of OA is pain, and in addition, stiffness, edema, and movement disorders occur. The prevalence of OA is increasing worldwide, and it is estimated that 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women over 60 years of age suffer from OA. It is also expected to continue to increase due to aging and weight gain. The extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that penetrates tissues with high-amplitude sound waves generated by high-voltage condenser spark discharges, producing several beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation, pain relief, cell proliferation and angiogenesis, etc. This literature review was conducted to provide more specific clinical evidence for application of ESWT for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) recovery by investigating various ESWT protocols and outcome measures. The databases of PubMed, PEDro, Google Scholar and Cochrane were searched using combinations of the following terms: osteoarthritis AND extracorporeal shockwave therapy. 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the inclusion criteria were included in this literature review and extracted data included sample size, sample characteristics, ESWT protocol, control treatment and outcome measurement. This literature review suggests that ESWT is beneficial in improving pain and function in patients with KOA.

This study aimed to investigate the differences in the activation of the lower extremity and back muscles according to the inclination angle during the sit-to-stand (STS) test. STS is commonly performed in daily life and is a prerequisite for independent upright mobility. STS is a complex process that requires coordinated contraction of the lower extremities and trunk. Although previous studies on STS have analyzed the kinematic characteristics of chair height and seat angle, there have been no studies on the effect of seat angle on the lower extremity and back muscle activities while standing up from a sitting position. Twenty healthy adults were enrolled in this study and performed STS. Measurements were conducted from sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit for rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (GA), and erector spinae activation using surface electromyography( EMG). Muscle activation was measured three times for 5 seconds in each posture, and the %RVC value was calculated after excluding for the first 1 second and the last 1 second of 5 seconds the measurement. In this study, pppmuscle activity in the GA was significantly lower at A10 and N than at P10 (p<.007). Muscle activity in the RF was significantly lower at A10 than at P10 (p<.007). The muscle activity in the ES was significantly lower at A10 than at P10 (p<.042). The anterior seat inclination position is thought to be applied as a therapeutic rehabilitation method because STS is possible with little muscle activation of the lower extremities and back muscles.

The purpose of this study was to confirm how the thoracic spine correction applied to patients with cervical radiculopathy affects pain and dysfunction compared to the sham thoracic spine manipulation. The subjects of this study were 30 patients diagnosed with cervical neuropathy who understood and agreed to the purpose of this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to thoracic spine manipulation group and sham thoracic spine manipulation 15 patients. In order to confirm the degree of improvement in pain was performed to confirm the numeric pain rating scale, cervical active range of motion, Korean version of Neck Disability Index, and ultrasonography measurement was performed to confirm mechanical changes in the median nerve. After baseline measurement, thoracic spine manipulation and sham thoracic spine manipulation were applied to each group, and general physical therapy(electrotherapy and heat therapy) was applied to the two groups for 30 minutes. After that, re-evaluation was conducted in the same manner as above to find out the changes. Statistical analysis used SPSS version 22 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the general characteristics of each group. ANOVA was used to compare the results of pain, range of motion, neck disability index, and median nerve changes before, after, and follow-up(p<.05). As a result of the study, pain was significantly decreased in the follow-up evaluation compared to before and after intervention, and cervical active range of motion was significantly increased in both before and after intervention and follow- up evaluation. The neck disability index significantly improved in the follow-up evaluation before, after intervention. In conclusion, the application of thoracic spine manipulation to subjects with cervical spine-related pain showed an effect of improving the pain and range of motion. In particular, it shows an immediate effect on improving the score of the neck disability index, so it is necessary to actively use it. In future studies, it is necessary to study the effect of long-term intervention by securing more subjects and expanding the intervention period.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of linear and spiral exercises using elastic bands on proprioception, muscle strength, and balance in adults with chronic ankle instability. The subjects were 32 adults with chronic ankle instability who were randomly divided into 2 groups and applied linear exercise and spiral exercise using an elastic bands, respectively. A goniometer was used to measure proprioception, Commander echo muscle tester was used to measure muscle strength, and the Balancia software program and Y-balance test were used to measure balance. As a result, proprioception, muscle strength, and balance were significantly improved within the group in linear and spiral exercises using elastic bands (p<.05). In proprioception, the error angle was further reduced in spiral exercise using elastic band after intervention (p<.05). Therefore, we suggest that spiral exercise using elastic band is more effective for adults with chronic ankle instability.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of thoracic range of motion (ROM) training using Pilates on driver distance. A total of 40 amateur golfers in their 20s and 50s were assigned to two different groups of 20 each, namely the pilates thoracic rotation exercise group and the full body stretching exercise group. The thoracic ROM was measured before and after the exercise. In addition, carry (m), total (m), ball speed (m/s), and club head speed (m/s) were measured before and after the exercise. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 28 statistical program. The summarized results of this study were as follows: First, the carry, total, and left thoracic ROM were improved in the pilates thoracic rotation exercise group, but not club head speed, ball speed, and the right thoracic ROM (p<.05). Second, the left thoracic ROM was improved in the full body stretching exercise group (p<.05), but the right thoracic ROM was significantly reduced (p<.05). However, there was no significant difference in the driver distance in the full body stretching exercise group (p>.05). Third, there was a significant difference in the right thoracic rotation ROM and carry, total, and ball speed while evaluating the driver distance between the two groups after training (p<.05). Fourth, no correlation was observed between the thoracic rotation range of motion and the driver distance (p<.05). In conclusion, the pilates thoracic rotation exercises were found to be effective in improving driver distance, with notable improvements in carry, total distance, and left thoracic ROM. However, both exercise groups exhibited an increase only in left thoracic mobility. Future study should investigate the incorporation of balance and spinal stabilization movements to comprehensively enhance the thoracic ROM.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a virtual reality (VR) program on balance ability and brain waves in stroke patients, and to provide additional therapeutic evidence for brain plasticity and clinical treatment. The study involved a total of 20 stroke patients, using a pre-post single measurement experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (N=10), which used a VR program, or the control group (N=10), which performed seated balance training using the gym ball tool without VR. The VR program included 15 minutes of tennis and 15 minutes of badminton for the experimental group, while the control group used the gym ball tool for seated balance exercises, performing balance training for 15 minutes in the front-back direction and 15 minutes in the side-to-side direction. Additionally, balance ability was assessed for 20 minutes before and after training, and brain waves were measured for a total of 10 minutes in 2-minutes and three times intervals before and after the training. Balance ability assessments showed a significant increase in the movement of center of pressure (COP) from 12.97±10.51 before training to 23.75±15.40 after training in both groups. Notably, brain wave measurements indicated a significant increase in the Fp1 region from 0.363±0.054 before training to 0.424±0.044 after training, and a significant change in relative beta waves in the O2 region from 0.316±0.107 before training to 0.419±0.142 after training (p<.05). This study demonstrated that balance exercises based on virtual reality activate brain plasticity, leading to changes in brainwave patterns and positive effects on balance ability. It is believed that this approach could not only improve the quality of life for stroke patients but also offer a new paradigm in stroke rehabilitation therapy.

Hamstring shortening is one of the common musculoskeletal problems that lead to decreased flexibility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of temporary static and dynamic stretching on flexibility and strength in adults with shortened hamstring. Thirty adults with shortened hamstrings were randomly divided into two groups (static stretching group, dynamic stretching group), and flexibility and strength were measured after temporarily applying static or dynamic stretching for 20 minutes. A stand and reach test was used to measure flexibility, and a digital muscle strength meter was used to measure muscle strength. As a result, flexibility significantly increased within the static stretching group and dynamic stretching group (p<.05), but there was no significant difference between groups (p>.05). Muscle strength increased significantly within the static stretching group and dynamic stretching group (p<.05), but there was no difference between groups (p>.05). Therefore, we suggest that temporary static and dynamic stretching are effective methods in adults with shortened hamstrings.

The purpose of this study is to identified the effect of posture correction exercise for 12 weeks on cervical lordosis angle, craniovetebral angle (CVA), and neck disability index (NDI) in office worker in their 30s and 40s women with chronic neck pain. A total of 20 subjects were randomly assigned to the exercise group and the control group. The exercise group performed ballet posture correction exercise for 12 weeks. This program based on ballet and whole session was composed of 60 minutes per session once a day and three times a week. The other group didn`t conduct any other physical activity. The cervical lordosis angle showed an interaction effect between the times and the groups, and the main effect between the time was shown. It was significantly reduced in the exercise group within the group, and there was a significant difference in the comparison of the amount of change between the groups. The CVA showed an interaction effect between the times and the groups and significantly increased in the exercise group. Also, there was a significant difference between groups after 12 weeks and comparison of the amount of change between the groups. The NDI showed an interaction effect between the times and the groups, and the main effect between the times was shown. It was significantly decreased in the exercise group and significant differences were also found in between groups after 12 weeks and comparison of the amount of change between the groups. From the above results, it was found that 12 weeks of posture correction exercise had a positive effect on posture correction and pain relief in female office workers with chronic neck pain in their 30s and 40s women.

Single-subject experimental design (SSED) is one of the most suitable research methods to fill the gap of experimental research in the field of neurorehabilitation. The biggest difference between the SSED and other research designs is that each research subject serves as their own control during the experimental process, allowing for the verification of treatment effects. Originally, in the SSED, the term 'single subject' means that each research subject acts as 'their own control.' In the SSED experiments, data are repeatedly recorded for each subject in two or three phases (baseline phase and intervention phase), and the intervention effect for each subject is verified by comparing data patterns between these phases. A replication strategy through repeated measurements is suggested in the SSED to address potential threats to internal and external validity. The SSED is considered an important and powerful method for demonstrating treatment effects and improving treatment content in the field of neurorehabilitation. In particular, the SSED is suitable for clarifying intervention effects for rare neurological diseases and provides evidence-based results necessary to develope neurorehabilitation interventions. Because it can be easily applied to various situations in neurorehabilitation settings, the SSED is considered a cost-effective research design. The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the SSED research methodology among all professionals in the field of neurorehabilitation and to provide practical advice for designing and implementing SSEDs in clinical practice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate variables related to job stress of physical therapists through meta-analysis. For this purpose, 20 studies examining job stress of physical therapists were selected and the effect size (ES) was calculated. The overall effect size was found to be .11, and this effect size was found to be significant. The largest effect size was found to be organizational commitment (ES=.242), and the smallest effect size was found to be educational level (ES=.069). As a result of analysis according to job stress sub-factors, although the effect size on job stress is small, the effect of psychopsychological factors among general characteristics such as age and gender, physical factors such as physical burden and pain, and psychopsychological factors such as self-efficacy and organizational commitment appeared to be large in size. Self-efficacy is a variable that significantly affects workplace culture and job demands, so it is necessary to first establish a strategy to mediate it. The results of this study suggest that psychosocial support measures are needed to reduce physical therapists job stress.

This study was to identify the effect of major satisfaction and career preference on entrepreneurial intention of students majoring in physical therapy. The survey was conducted on 567 students from August 21 to september 10 in south korea. The survey has been carried out through an online survey platform, google forms, for collecting data. The questionnaire included general characteristics, the relationship between major satisfaction and entrepreneurial intention, career preference and entrepreneurial intention, the complex effect of major satisfaction and career preference, consent to collection and use of personal information. The survey has shown not only that major satisfaction significantly affected entrepreneurial intention, but also career preference affected entrepreneurial intention as well. Major satisfaction and career preference are shown to have a positive correlation. Therefore, physical therapy students who had a high entrepreneurial intention, also had a high major satisfaction and career preference as well. The research shows the significance of major satisfaction and career preference. It's result is suggesting a new perspectives to physical therapy students on their careers while further providing basic data on startups and research in physical therapy. In addition, the research also provides physical therapy students a chance to consider different career options outside the mainstream and implicates the necessity to encourage students to build there own startup in the future as well.

Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are musculoskeletal disorders common in the elderly. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze and identify the association between sarcopenia and osteoporosis. This study utilized data from the national health and nutrition survey (2008-2011), a cross-sectional and national representative survey conducted by the korea centers for disease control and prevention, and the participants in this study finally selected 3,601 people who measured dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), which is used for sarcopenia and osteoporosis variables among the elderly aged 65 and over. As a result of adjusting all possible influencing factors such as health status, lifestyle and sociodemographic variables, the odds ratio for the association between sarcopenia and osteoporosis was 1.300 (95% CI: 1.055 – 1.601). To sum up the results of this study, sarcopenia and osteoporosis are independently related to each other, and based on this study, a continuous and systematic rehabilitation program for the treatment of the two diseases will be needed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of robot-based interventions for the elderly. To this end, 10 related papers were selected as the analysis subjects and a meta-analysis was conducted. The overall effect size of robot-based interventions for the elderly was .40, showing a significant effect size of medium size. As a result of meta-analysis of variance to investigate the moderator variables affecting the effect size, the effect size of mechanical robots (g=.47) was found to be larger than that of social robots (g=.40). Among the dependent variables, cognition and social support did not show significant effect sizes, but depression (g=.51), activities of daily living (g=.49), social behavior (g=.47), and quality of life (d=.27) showed significant effect sizes (p<.05). There was a significant difference in the effect size according to the intervention environment, and the effect size when the intervention was conducted at home was significantly larger than when the intervention was conducted in other places. The effect size of intervention 7 times a week was significantly larger than that of interventions of other frequencies. The results of this study demonstrate that robot-based interventions targeting the elderly are effective, and suggest that consideration should be given to dependent variables, intervention environment, and frequency of intervention when implementing intervention programs.