• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 2022

Background: This study investigated the effect of erector spinae and quadratus lumbar kinesio taping and support surface conditions on abdominal muscle activity during plank exercise. Design: Within-Group design. Methods: A total of twenty-three healthy men and women participated in this study. Abdominal muscle (both external obliques and internal oblique muscle) contraction was analyzed through EMG measurement with the presence or absence of kinesio taping applied to the erector spinae muscle and quadratus lumborum muscle during plank exercise and the difference between the support surfaces (stable surface and unstable surface) as variables. Abdominal EMG was attached to the right external oblique, left external oblique, right internal oblique, and left internal oblique. Results: The results showed that Abdominal left and right external obliques and internal obliques showed significant increases in activity when kinesio taping was applied to the erector spinae and quadratus lumborum muscles and unstable ground (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed that the activity of the abdominal muscles was significantly increased during the plank operation in the state where the kinesio tape was attached. In addition, it was confirmed that the activity of the abdominal muscles was significantly increased during the plank operation on the unstable surface. These results suggest that in the state of kinesio tape attached and instability, plank motion has a positive effect on abdominal muscle activity.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different heel height on the electromyographic (EMG) activity in Rectus abdominis (RA) and Erector spinae (ES) during gait activity. Methods : A repeated measures design was used. 33 healthy females carried out a standardized gait activity under 3 conditions; with heel wedges of 1, 7, and 12cm in height. EMG activity was recorded from RA and ES during the activity. Data was analysed using the repeated one-way ANOVA. Results : First, as the shoe-heel height was getting higher, change of muscle activation indicated the statistically significant difference in rectus abdominis(p<0.05). Second, as the shoe-heel height was getting higher, change of muscle activation indicated the statistically significant difference in erector spinae(p<0.05). Conclusion : We found that as heel height increased, there was an increase in EMG activity in both RA and ES. This indicated that no RA : ES imbalance was elicited. This study provides information that will inform future research on how heel height affects muscle activity around the trunk.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.31-35
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of change in the unstable support surface location during bridge exercise on the muscle activity of erector spinae and gluteus maximus. Research design, data and methodology: 12 healthy participants aged 23.32 ±1.02 were measured muscle activities of erector spinae and gluteus maximus during bridge exercise and compared between the exercise conditions; unstable support surface located on upper back and feet during bridge exercise. Paired t-test was performed to identify whether there was a significant difference in the muscle activities between the exercise conditions. Results: As a result, even though higher levels of the averaged muscle activities of both erector spinae and gluteus maximus during exercise in unstable support surface located on feet than upper back were observed, no significant differences were found. Conclusions: The change of unstable support surface location during bridge exercise for low back pain rehabilitation would be more appropriate to be used to increase levels of tension of muscle activities and train fine motor control rather than to strengthening muscle strength.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.199-208
• /
• 2022

Purpose : The study aimed to examine gender-differences in muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness of the erector spinae in young and old subjects. This study also aimed to assess the effect of aging on muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness of the erector spinae in men and women, and compare the trend of the aging effect between the two gender groups. Methods : With the muscle in the relaxed state and subjects in the prone position, a myotonometer was used to quantify muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness, of the erector spinae in 102 participants[46 males (29 young subjects, aged 22.48±2.23 years and 17 old subjects, aged 76.35±3.71 years), 56 females (40 young subjects, aged 20.38±1.43 years and 16 old subjects, aged 74.56±5.40 years)]. Results : The tone and stiffness of the erector spinae muscles were greater in men than in women for both age groups (p<.001-.01), while elasticity did not show a significant difference between men and women. For the direction of change, both male and female groups showed significantly increased tone and stiffness, and decreased elasticity with increasing age (p<.001). For age-related changes, a different tendency was observed between men and women. Men showed a greater increase in tone than women with aging. in contrast, both men and women exhibited a similar decrease or increase in elasticity and stiffness. Conclusion : Gender-differences in the erector spinae in terms of muscle tone and stiffness were observed. Regardless of the age, men had higher muscle tone and stiffness than women, but not elasticity. The erector spinae muscles showed age-related changes in all aspects of muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness, in both men and women. Notably, men presented greater variation than women in the amount of increase of muscle tone with aging. These findings have implications for musculoskeletal therapeutic approaches, and gender-customized tuning may be indicated for designing exercise interventions to prevent and manage gender-sensitive muscular injuries or diseases and frailty.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.300-305
• /
• 2012

Purpose: This study examined the muscle activity of the trunk muscles during weight shifting exercises on a stable and unstable surface. Methods: Ten healthy young subjects (4 males, 6 females) with no medical history of lower-extremity or lumbar spine disease were enrolled in this study. The muscle activity was recorded using surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes from the both sides of the external obliques and erector spinae muscles. Results: The EMG activities of the both rectus abdominalis, both external obliques and erector spinae muscles were significantly higher when the weight shifting exercise was performed on a firm surface than when a balance pad with a balance ball was used. In weight shifting exercises, the EMG activity of the contralateral external obliques and erector spinae muscles was significantly higher than that of the ipsilateral external obliques and erector spinae muscles under all three support surface conditions. Conclusion: Performing weight shifting exercise using an unstable surface is a useful method for facilitating the trunk-muscle strength and trunk stability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2022

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of the resistance levels on the muscle activities around the hip and spine during bridge exercise with hip abduction resistance in patients with chronic back pain. METHODS: A cross-over study design was used. Twenty subjects with low back pain were enrolled in this study. The subjects performed bridge exercises with hip abduction resistances (20 mmHg, 40 mmHg, and 60 mmHg). A Narrow Sling was used to provide resistance. Surface electromyography was used to measure the activity of the erector spinae, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius. RESULTS: The muscle activity of the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius increased significantly with increasing resistance levels. There was a significant difference in the muscle activity of the biceps femoris with a resistance level between 20 mmHg and 40 mmHg, but there was no significant difference in the other resistance levels. There was no significant difference according to resistance level in the erector spinae. The muscle activity ratios of the gluteus medius/erector spinae and gluteus maximus/erector spinae increased significantly with increasing resistance strength. CONCLUSION: The different levels of abduction resistance for hip abduction during bridge exercise will help activate the gluteus maximus selectively in patients with chronic back pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.103-108
• /
• 1995

This study was performed to investigate a relationship between a biomechanical analysis of compressive force at L5/S1 and electromyographic analysis of erector spinae muscle during lifting task. In the experiment, isometric contractions at 25, 50, 75, 100%MVC for short duration and sustained isometric contractions at 50%MVC were performed. For muscle recruitment patten and compressive force analysis, rectified EMG amplitudes analysis and computerized biomechanical analysis were used. To achieve data, angles of neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle and length of body segments were measured. Results shows that trends of initial EMG rectified amplitude were similar to those of biomechanical calculation value and for sustained isometric contraction at 50%MVC EMG rectified amplitude of erector spinae muscle after 40seconds was increased up to level of 75%MVC. Based on the results of this study, biomechanical analysis should be supplemented considering muscle fatigue, and it is also suggested that work-rest cycle critera and the evaluation of back-pain injuries should include muscle fatigue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.73-77
• /
• 2017

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to measure muscle activities in the pectoralis major, the erector spinae, and the quadriceps femoris according to support surface states of arms and legs during plank exercise. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 21 healthy males in their 20s and their muscle activities at three states were measured as follows: The first state was where the support surface of arms and legs was stable. The second state was where only arms were unstable, and the third state was where only legs were unstable. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure muscle activities. Pectoralis major, quadriceps femoris, and elector spinae were measured for muscle activities. RESULTS: The muscle activities in the pectoralis major were statistically high when arms were unstable. The muscle activities in the quadriceps femoris were statistically high when legs were unstable. The muscle activities in the erector spinae were higher when arms and legs were unstable compared to that at the stable support surface. No significant difference was revealed statistically when arms and legs were unstable. CONCLUSION: If the instability of arms and legs is employed during plank exercise, exercise on the upper and lower bodies or the erector spinae is expected to be more effective.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 2013

The smart-phone has become a necessity for most people. In this study, we determined that using a smart-phone for 20 minutes can cause increased neck and shoulder muscle activities and fatigue. Seventeen healthy male smart-phone users who attended Yonsei University played a smart-phone game for 20 minutes and changes in their bilateral cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscle activities and fatigue were measured. To assess muscle activities and fatigue, we used the following variables: the median frequency, the 50th percentile Amplitude probability distribution function (APDF) value (median load), and the discrepancy in the 90th percentile APDF value and the 10th percentile APDF value (APDF range). A paired t-test was used to compare pre-smart-phone-use status with post-smart-phone-use-status. The median frequency of the bilateral cervical erector spinae and the upper trapezius decreased significantly after 20 minutes of smart-phone use (p<.05). In addition, the 50th percentile APDF value of the bilateral cervical erector spinae and the right upper trapezius increased significantly (p<.05). The APDF range of the bilateral cervical erector spinae and the upper trapezius also increased significantly (p<.05). However, the 50th percentile APDF range of the left upper trapezius was not significantly different (p>.05). These findings suggest that using smart-phones for 20 minutes can induce muscle fatigue and increased neck and shoulder muscle activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2017

PURPOSE: This study assessed the effect of the pelvic compression belt on the electromyographic activity of erector spinae (ES), internal oblique (IO), rectus femoris (RF), and biceps femoris (BF) after bridge exercise with pelvic belt compression in subjects with lumbar instability. METHODS: Forty subjects with lumbar instability volunteered for this study. We asked them to perform the bridge exercise while wearing a pelvic belt compression for 30 minutes five times weekly over a six week period. The pelvic compression belt was adjusted just below the anterior superior iliac spines with stabilizing pressure using elastic compression bands during bridge position. Surface electromyographic data were collected from the erector spinae (ES), internal oblique (IO), rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF). RESULTS: After the six week intervention, the experimental group improved significantly. Muscle activation significantly decreased in the erector spinae, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris, and increased in the internal oblique muscle in bridge position while wearing a PCB (P <.01). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the bridge exercise with pelvic belt compression is helpful to reduce activation in superficial muscles and lower extremity muscles such as erector spinae (ES), rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF) and increase activation in deep trunk muscle such as the internal oblique (IO).