• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

This present study investigated the effects of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) and chin tuck (CT) on middle thoracic erector spinae, lower thoracic erector spinae, and lumbar erector spinae muscle activity during three prone thoracic extension (PTE) exercises. Twelve healthy subjects performed preferred PTE, ADIM PTE, and ADIM-CT PTE. Surface electromyography was used to collect data on the muscle activity of dominant middle and lower thoracic erector spinae muscles and the lumbar erector spinae. Middle and lower thoracic erector spinae muscle activity significantly increased when ADIM and CT was performed (p<.05). However, lumbar erector spinae muscle activity significantly decreased in ADIM PTE compared to preferred PTE (p=.017) and significantly increased in ADIM-CT PTE compared to ADIM PTE (p=.004). In conclusion, ADIM-CT PTE effectively increased middle and lower thoracic erector spinae muscle activity, and ADIM PTE decreased lumbar erector spinae muscle activity. Hence, ADIM PTE could be a recommended exercise maneuver to strengthen thoracic erector spinae without over activation of lumbar erector spinae.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.16-25
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to determine the muscle activity of the abdominalis and erector spinae during bridging and unilateral bridging exercises on the firm surface, the sir-fit, and the foam roll. Eighteen healthy young subjects were recruited for this study. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activities were recorded from the both sides of the rectus abdominalis, external obliques, internal obliques, and erector spinae muscles during bridging and unilateral bridging-exercises. A one-way repeated analysis of variance was used to compare the EMG activity of each muscle according to the support surface condition. Differences in the EMG activities between the bridging and unilateral bridging exercises, and between the right and left side were assessed using a paired t-test. The study showed that the EMG activities of all of the muscles were significantly higher when the bridging exercise was performed using the foam roll or sit-fit than on the firm surface. The EMG activities of the right rectus abdominis, right external obliques, the right internal oblique, and both erector spinae were significantly higher during unilateral bridging ex exercise using the foam roll or the sit-fit than on the firm surface. The EMG activities of all of the muscles were significantly higher during the unilateral bridging exercise than during the bridging exercise. Based on these finding, performing the unilateral bridging exercise using the sit-fit or the foam roll is a useful method for facilitating trunk muscle strength and lumbar stability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.11-19
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• 2017

Background: Methods for exercising serratus anterior (SA) and upper trapezius (UT) muscles are important for the recovery of patients with various shoulder disorders, yet the efficacy of closed or open kinetic chain exercises have not yet been evaluated. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare the activation of the SA and UT muscles during scapular protraction considering both closed and open kinetic chain exercises. Methods: Thirty subjects were randomly divided into experimental groups (closed kinetic chain exercise) and control groups (open kinetic chain exercise) in which scapular protraction was performed at $90^{\circ}$ or $125^{\circ}$ shoulder flexion. Electromyographic activity data were collected from the SA and UT muscles per position and exercise method. Results: Separate mixed 2-way analysis of variance showed significant differences in the activation of the SA (F1,28=6.447, p=.017) and the UT (F1,28=35.450, p=.001) muscles between the groups at $90^{\circ}$ and $125^{\circ}$ shoulder flexion. Also, the SA/UT ratio measures at $90^{\circ}$ and $125^{\circ}$ shoulder flexion significantly differed between the groups (F1,28=15.457, p=.001). That is, the closed chain exercise was more effective than open chain exercise for strengthening the SA muscle and controlling the UT muscle, $125^{\circ}$ of shoulder joint was more effective than $90^{\circ}$. Conclusion: The findings suggest that scapular protraction with shoulder $125^{\circ}$ flexion at the closed kinetic chain exercise may be more effective in increasing SA muscle activation and decreasing UT muscle activation as well as increasing the SA/UT ratio than open kinetic chain exercise.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 1995

이 논문의 주목적은 정상인을 대상으로 각기 다른 3가지의 (체중의 1.5 %, 3.0 %, 9.0 %) 부하를 통해서 자세의 불균형을 유발시켰을 때 나타나는 postural movement patterns을 기술하기 위한 연구이다. 연구대상의 허리중심에 체중부하를 주어 균형이 뒤로 이동하게 하여, surface EMG(표면 근전도)를 통하여 Tibialis anterior(Ta), Gastrocnernius(Gc), Quadriceps femoris(Qc), Hamstring(Ha), Rectus abdominalis(Ab)와 Paraspinalis(Pa) 근육들의 motor recruitment pattern(운동회집형태)를 측정하였다. 그리고 비디오 촬영은 고관절, 슬관절, 족관절의 움직임을 보기 위해 사용하였다. 특히 근전도 (EMG)는 자세반응 검사에 있어 첫 근반응(근수축) 경과시간(FR)과 분절간격간의 (ID)시간을 조사하는데 사용되었다. 이 연구의 결과는 4가지 중요한 사실을 전해주고 있다. 첫 번째로서, 연구대상자에게 체중의 1.5 %의 부하를 적용하였을 때 Ta가 가장 먼저 수축을 시작하였고(FR:$88{\pm}19.4$ ms) 발목과 대퇴사이의 분절 간격간(ID)의 평균은 +9.3 ms였다. 또한 족관절의 변화가 가장 뚜렷하여 Nashner(1985)의 족기전을 뒷받침하고 있다. 둘째로는 연구대상자에게 체중의 3.0 %의 부하를 주었을 때 Qc와 Ab근육이 원위부에서 근위부 순서로 수축하였고, 첫 번째 근육수축시간은 ($82{\pm}39.2$ ms)였다. 그리고 이때 분절간격의 평균은 +8.3ms 이였고 Ta는 거의 반응하지 않았다. 족관절과 슬관절에 비해 고관절의 변화가 가장 현저하게 나타났고, 이 또한 Nashner의 고관절 기전과 같은 현상을 보였다. 셋째로 연구 대상자에게 체중의 9.0 % 부하를 허리에 적용하였을 때 근수축은 근위부에서 원위부 순서를 이루어졌다. 즉 Ab,Qc, Ta, Ps순으로 근수축 되었다. Ab가 처음으로 수축하여 첫 반응(FR)은 $73{\pm}3.2$ ms 이였고 슬관절과 고관절의 변화가 가장 뚜렷하였다. 넷째로 연구 대상자에게 체중의 9.0 %부하를 적용하였을 때, 균형을 잡기 위해 뒷걸음치는 것이 관찰되었고 이때 근수축 순서는 Ta,Ab.Ps,Qc,Hs였다. 이 결과는 Nasher의 결과와 불일치하였다. 이상과 같은 결과에서 연구대상자의 자세운동형태(postural movement patterns)는 각기 다른 부하 정도와 시간에 따라 합성적으로 이루어지는 것으로 보여졌다. 특히, 자세운동형태는 부하의 적용위치와 연구대상자의 최근의 경험에 영향을 받은 것으로 밝혀졌다. 결론적으로 말하면 자세운동형태는 중앙신경계의 제한적(한정적) 명령 시스템에 의해서 움직임(movement)이 발생하기 전에 조직된다는 Nashner의 가설을 뒷받침하였다.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.50-57
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between delays in initiation and termination of tibialis anterior contraction through surface electromyographic (sEMG) analysis in adults with hemiplegia and healthy subjects and clinical assessment of lower-limb mobility. EMG activity of 6 long-term survivors of stroke and 5 healthy subjects was recorded during maximal isometric ankle dorsiflexion in 3 seconds beeper signals. It must be done as fast and forcefully as possible. Lower limb mobility was assessed with Modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (mEFAP). Delay in initiation and termination of muscle contraction was significantly prolonged in the affected lower limb relative to the unaffected limb. Termination of muscle contraction in the hemiplegic lower limb was significantly delayed than the initiation on the affected sides. Delay in initiation and termination of muscle contraction correlated significantly with a few range of mEFAP. Abnormally delayed initiation and termination of muscle contraction may contribute to hemiparetic lower limb mobility in hemiparetic patients. Consequently, this study showed that abnormal delay of initiation and termination of muscle contraction may contribute to hemiparetic lower limb mobility in adults with hemiplegia. Further studies are needed to demonstrate a treatment effect.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.23-37
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• 2002

This study examined the muscle recruitment order during extension of the hip joint in normal subjects, and evaluated whether the external support obtained from wearing a lumbosacral corset had an effect on muscle recruitment leading to increased lumbar stability. The subjects were 40 normal adults (32 male, 8 female) with no history of low back pain and no pathological findings in the nervous or musculoskeletal systems. All subjects extended their hip joints under 3 positions (prone, sidelying, standing). During extension, the onsets of contraction of the rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, and semitendinosus muscles were measured. Electromyographic activity was measured using a surface electrode, and the muscle contraction onset time was designated as the point exceeding a threshold of 25 ms, using a mean plus twice of the standard deviation. To compare the average order of muscle contraction onset time, a Freedman two-way analysis of variance by ranks was used. The relative difference between muscle contraction onset time wearing and not wearing a lumbosacral corset was measured using a paired t-test. A difference in the average muscle contraction onset order for the rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, and semitendinosus muscles was observed (p<.05) among three positions. However, wearing a lumbosacral corset did not. change the contraction order. In addition, wearing a lumbosacral corset produced a significant difference (p<.05) in the relative onset time between the rectus abdominis and gluteus maximus in the standing position, but no difference was observed for the other muscles or positions. In the future, patients suffering from low back pain should be compared with normal subjects to determine the effectiveness of a lumbosacral corset in changing muscle recruitment order.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.38-44
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different postural correction in the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the trunk and hip muscles during bridging exercises. Twenty-four healthy subjects volunteered for this study. The muscle activity was recorded with surface electrodes over the erector spinae, multifidus, gluteus maximus (GM), and hamstring (Ham) muscles; it was measured by using surface EMG equipment under the following 3 experimental conditions: manual postural correction, verbal correction, and no correction. The maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) was determined for each muscle group in order to represent each exercise as a percentage of MVIC and allow for standardized comparison between subjects. A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine significant differences in the EMG activities of each muscle between the 3 experimental groups. During bridging exercises, the manual postural correction on normalized EMG activity of the GM muscle during manual guiding was significantly higher than during verbal guiding and without guiding (p<.05). Furthermore, the GM/Ham ratio was significantly higher during manual guiding than during verbal guiding and without guiding (p<.05). These findings suggest that the activities of the hip and trunk muscles may be favorably modified with manual guiding during bridging exercises.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2012

Purpose: Weight-bearing exercise is a type of physical exercise that is widely performed for rehabilitation after acquiring nervous-system diseases or sports-related injuries. It is one of the most commonly prescribed rehabilitation programs for strengthing of the lower extremities. Weight-bearing exercise is important for the conduct of such activity of daily living (ADLs) as walking, and up and down the stairs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle activities during one-leg standing and one-leg squatting, the two most representative weight-bearing exercises. Methods: A total of 43 elderly (60~70 years old) males who could perform weight-bearing exercises were included in the study. During the one-leg standing and one-leg squatting, the electromyographic (EMG) signals were quantified as maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) using surface EMG, and then the muscle activities of the lower extremities during the two exercises were compared. For statistical analysis, an independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed. Results: The results of the study are as follows: (1) in the one-leg standing, the activity of the gluteus medius was the greatest among the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, bicep femoris, (2) in the one-leg squatting, the activity of the vastus medialis was the greatest; and (3) the activity was greater in the one-leg squatting than in the single-leg standing exercise. Conclusion: The one-leg standing and squatting exercises are suitable for strengthening the muscles for the prevention of and recovery from lower-extremity injury, and for functional ADL in elderly people. In addition, dynamic exercise was shown to be more effective than static exercise for strengthening the muscles.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.101-108
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of selective thoracic extensor strengthening exercises in the sitting position using a foam-roller by investigating the electromyographic(EMG) activities of the thoracic and lumbar extensors. Methods : Eighteen healthy subjects with no medical history of back pain were recruited. EMG activity was recorded from thoracic extensor(TE) and lumbar extensor(LE) while subjects performed three thoracic extension exercises: prone thoracic extension(PTE), prone thoracic extension with abdominal draw-in maneuver(PTE-ADIM), and sitting thoracic extension using a foam-roller(STE). TE and LE EMG activity, and TE/LE EMG activity ratio were analyzed by one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance(ANOVA). Where a significant difference was identified, a Bonferroni correction was performed(p<.017, .05/3). Results : TE and LE EMG activity, and TE/LE EMG activity ratio differed significantly among the three exercises(p<.05). Post hoc pair-wise comparison with Bonferroni correction showed that TE muscle activity in the STE exercise was significantly different from PTE and PTE-ADIM exercises(p<.017). There was no significant difference between TE muscle activity for PTE and PTE-ADIM exercises(p>.017). LE muscle activity and TE/LE ratios were significantly different among the three exercises p<.017). Conclusion : TE/LE ratio showed superior selective thoracic extensor strengthening for the STE exercise than PTE and PTE-ADIM exercises. Therefore, we recommend STE exercise for selective thoracic extensor strengthening.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.25-32
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• 2017

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ribcage stabilization using a belt in the supine position during double leg lowering (DLL) by investigating the electromyographic (EMG) activities of the abdominal muscles. Methods : Twenty-two subjects with lumbar extension syndrome were recruited. EMG activity was recorded from rectus abdominalis (RA) and internal oblique abdominalis (IO), external oblique abdominalis (EO) muscles while subjects performed three double leg lowering exercises: double leg lowering (DLL), double leg lowering with abdominal draw-in maneuver (DLL-ADIM), and double leg lowering with ribcage stabilization using a belt (DLL-belt). RA, IO, and EO EMG activity were analyzed via one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Bonferroni correction was performed where significant differences were identified (p<.017, .05/3). Results : RA, IO, and EO EMG activity differed significantly among the three exercises (p<.05). The use of post hoc pair-wise comparison with Bonferroni correction showed that RA muscle activity significantly differed among the three exercises (p<.017), and IO muscle activity in the DLL exercise was significantly decreased compared to the DLL-ADIM and DLL-belt exercises (p<.017). There was no significant difference between IO muscle activity for DLL-ADIM and DLL-belt exercises (p>.017). EO muscle activity in the DLL-belt exercise was significantly increased compared to both DLL and DLL-ADIM exercises (p<.017), but there was no significant difference between EO muscle activity for DLL and DLL-ADIM exercises (p>.017). Conclusion : DLL-belt is a more effective exercise for activating the abdominal muscles than DLL-ADIM exercise. Therefore, we recommend DLL-belt exercises for strengthening the abdominal muscles.