Earticle

The aim of the present study was to assess the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of manual muscle testing (MMT) of the soleus muscle according to the angles of the knee joint in prone position. The muscle strengths were measured in 50 healthy subjects (32 female, 18 male) using the hand-held dynamometer. The angles of the knee were set to three (70°, 90°, 110°). Two male testers measured subject's soleus muscle strength. Three test sessions were done on each subject by two testers. One and two test sessions conducted on same day by two testers to assess inter-rater reliability. One and three test sessions conducted on different days by one tester to assess intra- rater reliability. The reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable difference (MDD95). The intra-rater reliability was excellent when the angle of knee was 70° (ICC=.84; SEM=5.53; MDD95=15.33), compared to 90° (ICC=.78; SEM=5.43; MDD95= 15.10) and 110° (ICC=.65; SEM=7.85; MDD95=21.76). The inter-rater reliability was excellent when the angle of knee was 70° (ICC=.80; SEM=6.48; MDD95=17.95), compared to 90° (ICC=.71; SEM=7.13; MDD95=19.75) and 110° (ICC=.57; SEM=12.32; MDD95=34.14). The result of the present study provides evidence that the appropriate MMT method about the soleus muscle is 70° knee angle position.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether abdominis activation in individuals with young health adults is greater when performing bridging exercises on an unstable surface versus a stable surface according to six different support condition. Eighteen adults participated spontaneously in this study. They conducted six different support conditions utilizing a sling bridge device and a form for progressive bridging exercises. To measure abdominis activation ratio during each bridging exercise, this study used the ultrasound imaging into internal oblique, external oblique, and transverse abdominis muscles. The main results were that the muscle activation of external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis were significantly different among six different testing position during bridging exercise. The results of this study reported that the activations of trunk muscles are significantly different on different position during bridging exercise in healthy young adults. The results also reported that the one leg rise and other leg sling position was greater excitability of trunk muscles, especially external oblique and internal oblique.

The cardiopulmonary disorder secondary to the complications in stroke patients is the most important factor in sustaining life. It results from the weakened respiratory muscles, the reduced lung capacity or volume, the oxygen delivery injury, and so on. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chest mobilization exercise for respiratory gas exchange in chronic stroke patients. The subjects were eleven chronic stroke patients participating in regular exercise programme at silver rehabilitation clinic in Dong-tan health center. Three men and eight women were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. Both groups participated in the conventional physical therapy, and only the experimental group was added in a chest mobilization exercise programme. This chest mobilization exercise programme was designed for pelvic control, thoracic extension, thoracic rotation, thoracic mobilization, pectoralis muscles stretching and chest expansion. Respiratory gas exchange was analyzed by MetaLyzerⅡ (peak VE, peak V'O2/kg, peak V'O2, peak V'CO2, peak RER, VO2 at AT, VO2 max, V'E/V'O2 at AT, V'E/V'CO2 at AT, VT at AT). It was measured before and after the chest mobilization exercise programme in the experimental group while being measured before and after rest 1 hour in the control group. The results showed a significant difference in peak VE, peak V'O2/kg, peak V'O2, peak V'CO2, VO2 at AT, VO2 max, V'E/V'O2 at AT and V'E/V'CO2 at AT between before and after the chest mobilization exercise programme in the experimental group (p<.05). These findings suggest that chest mobilization exercise programme effectively improves respiratory gas exchange in chronic stroke patients.

The workers under the visual display terminal (VDT) are exposed to the static posture in head, neck, shoulder girdle, trunk, and so on, ultimately resulting to increase the forward neck flexion and to increase static muscle tension in the neck and shoulder regions. The cervical flexion relaxation phenomenon (FRP) is a neck extensor myoelectric silence that occurs during complete cervical and lumbar flexion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different heights of desk-top’s monitor on flexion relaxation phenomenon in the cervical spine. Eighteen health young adults volunteered to participate in this study. They had no medical history of neurological or surgical problems with their upper extremity. They performed typing task used word-processing program on three different height of desk-top’s monitor (eye level, eye level-15 ㎝, eye level-30 ㎝). During typing task, muscle activation of cervical erector spine was measured by surface electromyography. According to analysis of the results, the flexion-relaxation phenomenon was significantly different among three different height of the monitor. the position at eye level was the highest flexion relaxation phenomenon among three different height of the monitor. Therefore the results of this study suggest that the positioning of monitor’s upper edge at eye level would be necessary for VDT worker.

The regional health insurance is part of the health insurance system in Japan. It has a few structural problem. That problem is becoming serious as increase of low fertility, aging and non-regular workers. This study is to analyze regional health insurance system, especially focused on the local governments in Japan, which has the problem. We suggest implications for policy about regional health insurance system in Japan.