• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.93-101
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to the effects of a cervical stabilization exercise using pressure biofeedback intervention on suboccipital muscle tone, deep neck flexor muscle endurance, and craniovertebral angle in college students with forward head posture. The subjects of the study were selected as BCSEG(n=12) and CG(n=12), and the intervention was performed for 50 minutes, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The results of the study showed that after biofeedback neck stabilization exercises, the suboccipital muscle significantly decreased in stiffness and muscle tone in the BCSEG(p<.01), and the deep neck flexors significantly increased in muscle endurance(p<.01) and craniovertebral angle(p<.01). The results of the cervical stabilization exercises with biofeedback are thought to improve cranio- vertebral angle by improving muscle function of the suboccipital muscles and deep neck flexors, which cervical stabilization exercises with biofeedback may be suggested as an intervention to improve FHP.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of craniocervical flexion exercise on deep cervical flexor thickness and gait in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Methods : Twelve children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy were recruited for this study. All subjects performed active craniocervical flexion exercise 3times a week over the course of 6weeks. using a pressure bio feedback unit. Ultrasonography was used to assess deep cervical flexor thickness, and a 10m walking test was used to assess gait function. For the statistical analysis, a paired t-test was used to compare the differences pre- and post-value. SPSS Statistics version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis, and statistical significance was defined as a p-value less than 0.05. Result : The results of this study indicate that children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy experienced statistically significant positive changes in both deep cervical flexor thickness (p<.05). and gait(p<.05) following the intervention. Conclusion : In conclusion, craniocervical flexion exercise can positively affect deep cervical flexor thickness in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which in turn positively affects gait.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cervical deep muscle flexion exercise (CCFE) on craniovertebral angle, pain, and neck disability for patients with chronic neck pain Methods: The subjects of this study were randomly divided into three groups of 30 patients with chronic neck pain: rectus abodominis functional massage (n=10), cervical deep muscle flexion exercises group (n=10), and the control group(n=10). To assess visual analog scale (VAS) was used to test the neck pain, To assess neck posture was used to craniovertebral angle, VAS was used to test the neck pain, neck disability index (NDI) was used to test the neck dysfunction. All measurements were performed before and after each intervention was applied 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Results: In the results of all measurements, 2 groups except for the control group showed a significant change in the recovery of posture, neck pain, neck disability index (p<.05). Conclusions: Our results of this study showed that applying cervical deep muscle flexion exercise and rectus abodominis functional massage to patients with chronic neck pain improved cervical posture, neck pain, neck disability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.11-20
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• 2016

Background: A forward head posture (FHP) is one of the most common types of poor head posture in patients with neck disorder. A prolonged FHP might increase pressure on the posterior cranio-cervical structure and exhibit reduced performance on a cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT). CCFT is included to activate deep cervical flexor muscles and inhibit excessive activation of superficial cervical flexor muscles. Therefore, the selective activation of deep cervical flexors is needed for effective exercise for FHP. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare muscle thickness between longus colli (Lco) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) using ultrasonography in subjects with FHP depending on head support. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, case-control research design study. The ultrasonographic images of Lco and SCM were taken in 17 subjects with FHP during the 5 phases of the CCFT with and without a head support. Towel was used for supporting head to make the neutral head position in supine. Changes in muscle thickness during the test were calculated to infer muscle activation. Data were analyzed using repeated measures of two-way analysis of variance with the significance level of .05. Results: When subjects performed the CCFT with head support, there was a significant difference in muscle thickness of Lco and SCM (p<.05). According to a post hoc paired t-test, change of thickness of Lco was greater at all phases, and change of thickness of SCM muscle was less at phase 4 and 5 in condition with head support (p<.01) compared to condition without head support (p<.01). Conclusion: The result of this study suggest that applying head support for neutral head position during CCFT could be a useful method for activating Lco muscle without excessive activation of SCM muscle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.139-146
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of craniocervical flexion exercise with masticatory muscle contraction in patients with neck pain. Patients with neck pain also experience muscle weakness and limitation of activities of daily living. Craniocervical flexion exercise with masticatory muscle contraction may increase the thickness of the deep cervical flexor muscles, thereby reducing pain and limitations on activities of daily living. METHODS: Twenty-six volunteers participated in this study. The subjects were randomly divided into an experimental group (n=13) and a control group (n=13). Both groups performed craniocervical flexion exercise using a pressure biofeedback unit; the experimental group performed craniocervical flexion exercise with masticatory muscle contraction for 20 minutes, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Assessment tools included ultrasonography for measurement of muscle thickness and the Neck Disability Index for the level of pain and function. RESULTS: The rate of change in muscle thickness in both groups significantly increased (p<.05), with a significantly greater increase in the experimental group than in the control group (p<.05). The Neck Disability Index score significantly improved (p<.05) in both groups, with significantly greater improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that craniocervical flexion exercise with masticatory muscle contraction can be effective in increasing muscle thickness and improving the Neck Disability Index score in patients with neck pain.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2006

Musculoskeletal neck dysfunction syndromes are common in outpatient musculoskeletal pain practice. The underlying musculoskeletal and neurologic causes of pain are variable. In the management of these patients, it is important to accurately identify and treat these pain generators to optimize patient outcome. It is the purpose of this review to discuss three main categories of functional anatomy, the role of superficial/deep muscular system and the scientific evidence for optimal physical therapy intervention for cervical dysfunction. Specifically there is evidence of lowered microcirculation in the upper trapezius muscle, morphological signs of disturbed mitochondrial function which appears to be limited to type I fibers and an increased cross-sectional area of type I muscle fibers despite a lower capillary to fiber area ratio. In acute neck pain syndrome, changes in muscle activity of painful muscles may result from segmental and supraspinal inhibitory effects. Muscle activation is closely related to the control of joint movements and postures and it is difficult to separate the influence of the two components. Both the altered muscle recruitment patterns and altered kinematics appear to be a poor adaptation for pain of the head - neck region, as they are likely to result in increased compressive loading in the cervical spine, affecting muscles, articular structures such as zygapophyseal joints, connective tissues and neural tissues which are all peripheral generators of referred pain. The rectus capitus posterior minor muscle shows that it is one of the most important muscles of the suboccipital region. In this article, i reviewed the anatomy, neurophysiology, function and dysfunction as well as the treatment of cervical dysfunction.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.33-37
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study on the effects of deep cervical flexors strengthening exercise to forward head posture and pain of neck in patients with chronic neck pain. Method: We selected 30 subjects among neck pain patients and carried out measurements. The subjects' forward head posture was measured including head tilt angle (HTA), neck flexion angle (NFA) and forward shoulder angle (FSA), neck disability index (NDI), numeric rating scale (NRS). The subjects underwent deep cervical flexors muscle strengthening with pressure bio-feedback device for 4 weeks. Then, after intervention, the subjects' forward head posture was measured again. It was performed Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for confirming the effect of deep cervical flexor muscles strengthening exercise. Results: As a result of comparison of measurements before and after intervention, we found that there were statistically significant improvement in the subjects' NDI, NRS and forward head posture including head tilt angle, neck flexion angle and forward shoulder angle. Conclusion: We concluded that deep cervical flexors strengthening exercise has the effect of alleviation of neck pain patients and is effective for forward head posture.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2023.07a
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• pp.305-307
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• 2023

본 연구는 전방머리자세 대학생을 대상으로 목뼈안정화운동이 머리뼈척추각, 깊은목굽힘근 지구력 및 뒤통수밑근 근긴장도의 변화를 알아보고자 하였다. 이 연구 결과 CSEG에서 CVA, DNFET에서 유의하게 증가하였으며 뒤통수근 근긴장도에서는 경직도에서만 유의하게 감소하였다. 목뼈 안정화운동은 목뼈의 중립자세를 유지하면서 깊은목 굽힘근 활성화되고 근지구력이 향상되었으며, 턱을 당기는 동작으로 튀통수근의 경직이 감소한 것으로 생각된다. 또한 지구력 증가시키고 근 긴장도에 감소는 통증을 조절함에 있어서도 도움이 될 것이다. 따라서 목뼈안정화운동은 깊은목굽힘근과 뒤통수근의 개선을 위한 중재방법임을 확인할 수 있었으며, 전방머리자세 예방하기 위해 필요할 것으로 생각된다.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

Background: The deep cervical flexor (DCF) muscles have a crucial role in the management of neck pain. For preventing neck pain by activation of the DCF, craniocervical flexion (CCF) is an effective exercise. However, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is considered to affect negatively the activation of the DCF. SCM muscle which is an accessory muscle for respiration is activated differently depending on types of breathing patterns. It's not certain that breathing patterns affect the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of breathing patterns on the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Methods: Forty-five subjects participated in this study, and they were classified according to their breathing pattern, as follows: costodiaphragmatic breathing (CDB) and upper costal breathing (UCB) groups. Ultrasonographic imaging of the SCM and DCF muscles was performed during five incremental levels of CCF during tidal breathing and expiration. Results: There was a significant interaction between the breathing pattern and the phase of CCF for percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes (p<.05). In phase 1 CCF, a percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes was increased in the UCB group than in the CDB group (p<.05). There was an increase in DCF muscles thickness with each additional CCF phase (p<.05). Conclusion: Recruitment of SCM muscle was increased in the UCB group while performing CCF with a low intensity. There were no significant differences on DCF recruitment between the breathing pattern groups. Higher CCF exercise intensities elicited a higher DCF recruitment.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify cervical stabilized exercise and joint mobilization, the difference between them, and the maximum muscle strength and static muscle endurance of each group after the enforcement to general people. Cervical joint mobilization group refers to interarticular exercise (traction, pressure, glide) using with Kaltenborn technique. 3 classes were divided into 20 people each, cervical joint mobilization and stabilized exercise, and the comparison groups were randomized for the study. Both cervical stabilized exercise and joint mobilization increased maximum muscle strength and static muscle endurance. Patients should be able improve muscle stabilization and deep cervical muscle by using joint mobilization when the patient is unable to exercise on their own.