• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.81-93
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• 2022

Proprioception training has been considered a secondary method to facilitate postural control ability. This study investigated the effects of two different proprioception training methods - the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and visual feedback-based joint position and force reproduction (VF) - on postural control advancements. Sixteen healthy people volunteered for this study, and they randomly grouped two. Each group participated in the PNF and VF training for three weeks. We evaluated each subject's proprioception levels and balance ability before and after the training. We used a clinometer and electromyogram (EMG) for VF training. The joint position reproduction test was also used to evaluate the position and force aspects of the proprioception level. We analyzed the trajectory of the center of pressure (COP) while subjects were standing on the firm floor and balance board with one leg using a pressure mat. The improvement of the position aspect of the proprioception level of the VF group (4.93±4.74°) was larger than that of the PNF group (-0.43±2.08°) significantly (p=0.012). The improvement of the anterior-posterior COP velocity of the PNF group (0.01±0.01 cm/s) was larger than that of VF group(0.002±0.01 cm/s) significantly (p=0.046). Changes of position error in the PNF group (rho=0.762, p=0.028) and tibialis anterior force reproduction error in the VF group showed a significantly strong relationship with balance ability variables. These results showed that different PNF and VF have different effects on improving two aspects of proprioception and their relationship with the balance ability. Therefore, these results might be useful for selecting proprioception or balance rehabilitation considering the clinical and patients' situation.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.73-81
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• 2012

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to measure the standing balance symmetry of stroke patients using a force-plate with computer system, and to investigate the correlation between the standing balance symmetry and that of the walking function in stroke patients. Methods: 48 patients with stroke (34 men, 14 women, $56.8{\pm}11.72$ years old) participated in this study. Static standing balance was evaluated by the weight distribution on the affected and the nonaffected lower limbs, sway path, sway velocity, and sway frequency, which reflected the characteristic of body sway in quiet standing. Dynamic standing balance was evaluated by anteroposterior and mediolateral sway angle, which revealed the limit of stability during voluntary weight displacement. Symmetry index of static standing balance, (SI-SSB) calculated by the ratio of the affected weight distribution for the nonaffected weight distribution, and symmetric index of dynamic standing balance (SI-SDB) by the ratio of the affected sway angle for the nonaffected sway angle. Functional balance assessed by a Berg balance scale (BBS), and the functional walking by 10m walking velocity, as well as the modified motor assessment scale (mMAS). Results: Static balance scales and SI-SSB was the only correlation with BBS (p<0.05). Dynamic balance scales and SI-DSB, not only was correlated with BBS, but also with 10m walking velocity and mMAS (p<0.01). Additionally, there was a significant difference between SI-SSB and that of SI-DSB (p<0.01). Conclusion: The balance and the walking function relate to real life in the stroke showed strong relationships with the dynamic standing balance symmetry in the frontal plane and the ability of anterior voluntary weight displacement in sagittal plane.

• 대한물리치료과학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.88-97
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• 2021

Purpose: Patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have impaired balance and movement control. Exercise interventions have not targeted these impairments in this population. This study aimed to investigate the effect of complex balance exercises on unstable ground, on the gait, balance, and daily living ability of patients with total knee arthroplasty. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: The participants consisted of 30 patients placed into two groups of 15 each: a experimental group (complex balance exercise) and a control group (physical therapy exercise). Both group exercise was applied for 3 times a week for 30 minutes for four weeks. Force plate for balance ability and Timed up and go (TUG) test were the primary outcome measures. The secondary outcome measures included 10-m walk test (10MWT) and the daily living ability using the Knee Outcome Survey Activities of Daily Living scale (KOS-ADL). Results: The result of this study showed that the experimental group had a significant difference in TUG and 10MWT than the control group, and balance was significantly different in CEA, CPL, and CAV. There was a significant difference in daily living ability between the experimental and control groups. This study confirms that the physical therapy with complex balance exercise on unstable surfaces has positive effects on balance, gait and daily living ability in patients with total knee arthroplasty. Conclusion: As a result of this study, complex balance exercise on unstable surface was more effective in improvement gait, balance and daily living ability in total knee arthroplasty. From this study, physical therapy with complex balance exercises on unstable ground may be proposed as and effective intervention method for improving gait, balance, and daily living ability in patients with early total knee arthroplasty.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.13-16
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• 2012

Objective: Electroencephalogram (EGG)-feedback is a training procedure aimed at altering brain activity, and is used as a treatment for disorders like attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of external focus of attention by EGG-feedback on balance in young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subject were students in Sahmyook University. Fifty young adults in their twenties and thirties. Subjects were performed both with and without external focus of attention by EEG-feedback on the posture of standing and tandem standing. Participants were educated effort to maintain static posture when they were under internal focus of attention. Good Balance System was used for measurement of postural consistency upon the following force platforms. Results: Body sway decreased significantly both normal standing and tandem standing with external focus of attention by EEG-feedback (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the benefits of an external attentional focus are generalizable to young adults. The external focus of attention outperformed the internal focus of attention on the postural balance (p<0.05). It is showed that external focus of attention significant effects on balance by revoked automatic postural control of movement. Furthermore balance might be improved by training with an external focus. Further study is required to develop for training as a method of preventing fall in elderly peoples.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.103-112
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• 2018

While the number of women labor force in Malaysia is increasing, only a few of them make it to the top. For many reasons, some women turn down top position offer and some of them refuse to stay working. Commitment to the family, work-life conflict and lack of support from the family and the colleagues are among issues that caused women to have less interest to pursue career advancement. This article examines the role of work-life balance and its relationship to women career advancement, and why both are important in Malaysia. The arguments are arranged based on a review of the previous literature to conceptualize the relationship between work-life balance and career advancement. It is found that both work-life balance and women career advancement are important to retain women in the working world as well as to motivate them to pursue promotion to a higher position. Even though some researchers agreed that the relationship between work-life balance and career advancement is mostly negative, others found positive relationship between both constructs. At the end of the paper, some suggestions on how to improve work-life balance and career advancement are presented as well as suggestion for future research.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.51-56
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• 2009

Purpose: This study examined the difference in the static balance ability according to the visual cues and postural tasks in normal subjects. Methods: Thirty participants (12 male, 18 female; mean age $24.63\pm1.43$ years) stood barefoot on a force platform in a one-legged stance, tandem Romberg stance and tandem Romberg with neck extension stance with a visual cue open and closes. The static balance was assessed by the center of pressure (CoP), surface electromyography root mean square (RMS) of the leg muscles according to the stance position. Results: In the CoP tests, the difference in the unit path length and circumference area was affected by the visual cue according to the stance posture (p<0.01). In the RMS tests, the difference in the tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscle was affected by visual cue in accordance with the stance posture (p<0.01). Conclusion: The visual cue and postural task affect the balance ability in normal subjects. Therefore, this study provides clinical evidence that the balance and postural control can be improved. Therapeutic intervention, such as an obstacle course, and a lower leg muscle performance program with a change in the base of support can affect the balance and postural control.

• 한국운동역학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.479-486
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high-heeled shoe on the quiet standing and gait balance. Twenty women (mean height: $161.6{\pm}3.3\;cm$, mean body mass: $53.8{\pm}6.3\;kg$, mean age: $23.8{\pm}2.7$ yrs..) who were without history or complain of lower limb pain took part in this study. They were asked to stand quietly on a force platform for 30 sec and walk on it at their preferred walking speed (mean speed $3.14{\pm}0.5\;km/hr$.) with wearing three different high-heeled shoe, 3, 7, 9 cm high for collecting data. Data were randomly recorded to collect two trials for quiet standing and five trials for walking The parameters to have been analyzed for comparison between three conditions of the height of high-heeled shoe were COP(Center of Pressure) range, COP velocity, sway area, and free moment on the static balance and COP range, COP velocity, and free moment on the dynamic balance. In this study, high-heel height affected on the COP range and velocity in the ante-posterior direction during walking, dynamic balance, but didn't affect on the quiet standing, static balance.

• 대한물리치료과학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.20-27
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether balance training combined with light touch improves the postural sway and gait speed in stroke patients. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial Study Methods: The current study included 40 stroke patients, who were randomly divided into two groups: the balance training with light touch (LT) group (n=20) and the balance training with heavy touch (HT) group (n=20). Both groups performed balance training on a stable and unstable ground. Additionally, the LT group provided light touch stimulation, and the HT group provided heavy touch stimulation. All the participants underwent 20 sessions of STS training (thirty minutes, five days per week for four weeks). In this study, postural sway was measured using a force platform, and walking speed was measured using a 10 meter walk test. Results: The improvements in postural sway and gait speed were observed to be significantly greater in the LT group, compared to the HT group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study imply that balance training combined with light touch is a beneficial and effective therapeutic modality that can be employed to improve the postural sway and gait speed in stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.320-326
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of visual biofeedback methods utilizing pressure sensors on the static balance of stroke patients. Design: Randomized crossover study. Methods: A total of 27 patients with hemiparesis participated in this study. The following three feedback conditions were considered: condition 1 (Knowledge of performance feedback), condition 2 (Knowledge of result feedback), and condition 3 (None feedback). A force plate was used to measure static balance. The total sway length, average sway velocity, x-axis excursion, and y-axis excursion of the center of pressure were measured. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was employed for comparisons of variables between each condition. The statistical significance level was set at α = 0.05 for all analyses. Results: There was a significant difference in the static balance results between each feedback condition (p<0.05). In the post-hoc results, it was confirmed that the static balance was significant in the order of knowledge of performance feedback, knowledge of result feedback, and none feedback. Conclusions: When comparing the three conditions, it was observed that knowledge of performance feedback showed the most improved effect on static balance ability. As further research progresses, that this approach could be used as an effective intervention method in clinical settings.

• 대한통합의학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between static and dynamic balance according to the virtual reality-based squat and conventional squat exercise. Methods : Twenty four participants were randomly assigned to the virtual reality-based squat (VRS) group (n=12) or conventional squat (CS) group (n=12). The static balance (C90 area, C90 angle, trace length, sway average velocity) and dynamic balance (forward, rearward, leftward, rightward) were measured using a force plate by BT4. The VRS group used the virtual reality system during 4 weeks, while the CS group underwent classical squat training. Independent t-test was used to test the homogeneity of the general characteristics of the subjects. The collected data was analyzed using the paired t-test for static and dynamic balance comparisons before and after exercise in both groups and Pearson's test for the correlation between static and dynamic balance according to the measured time. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results : There was no significant correlation between group and static and dynamic balance related variables (p>.05). There was a significant correlation between measurement time and static and dynamic balance related variables (p<.05). According to the measurement time, the static balance parameter C90 area in the VRS group after exercise was significantly decreased (p<.05). The values of forward, leftward and rightward in the VRS group were significantly increased after exercise (p<.05). Conclusion : It is suggested that 20 normal healthy adult men and women who have normal balance ability can improve their ability to control their posture by improving the balance ability when applying virtual reality-based squat exercise.