• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.183-193
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of performing Pilates exercises for eight weeks on the isokinetic trunk strength and balance of female middle school students with lumbago. Methods: Twenty-four female students who met the test requirements were recruited and randomly divided into a control group (CG, n = 16) and a Pilates exercise group (Pilates group; PG, n = 8). The PG performed a Pilates program, which consisted of lumbar muscle strengthening exercises, for 60 minutes three times a week for eight weeks. Data analysis was conducted by two-way repeated ANOVA, and a Bonferroni test was carried out when significant differences appeared. The alpha level was set at 0.05. Results: Following the experimental treatment, the PG showed an increased trunk flexion peak torque of 17% and 13% at angular velocities of 180°/sec and 300°/sec, respectively. The intergroup comparison showed no significant difference at pre-measurement, while the PG increased about 31% (180°/sec) and 15% (300°/sec) higher than the control group at post-measurement. Following the experimental treatment, the PG showed an increased trunk extensor peak torque of approximately 29% and 21% at angular velocities of 180°/sec and 300°/sec, respectively. The intergroup comparison showed no significant difference at pre-measurement, while the PG increased approximately 27% (180°/sec) and 15% (300°/sec) higher than the control group at post-measurement. Both the CG and the PG showed a 20% and 50% decrease in pain index after the experimental treatment, respectively. After the experimental treatment, the PG had about 50% lower pain than the CG. The average error rate of static balance in the PG reduced by 19% from 3.28±0.45 to 2.65±0.36, confirming a significant improvement. Conclusion: Regular Pilates exercise for eight weeks improved the isokinetic trunk muscle strength of female middle school students with lumbago and relieved their pain. Pilates was also shown to be effective in improving balance.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.273-287
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• 1995

Moire topography, a simple technique for three-dimensional quantitation, was used to provide interference fringe photographs of the human back with sufficient accuracy to be used for detecting patient with asymmetry due to scoliosis, the disease of cervix and lumbar, muscle dysfunction. Contour lines are a suitable and widely accepted method of describing a three-dimensional surface. In the moire technique, contour lines of an object are produced as interference fringes while the object is illuminated by a spotlight through a special grating. The fringe pattern is produced by the interference of the grating and its shadow on the object. A photograph of a moire pattern on the human back will permit an assessment of the overall body shape and the symmetry of the back. This study uses shadow moire topography. Moire topography provides a non-invasive technique for quantifying the shape of the human body. In the use of moire topography for the Oriental Medicine Diagnosis, the strength of moire lies in the ablility to detect change due to deformity of human body.

• Advances in biomechanics and applications
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.111-126
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• 2014

The microarchitecture of trabecular bone plays a significant role in mechanical strength due to its load-bearing capability. However, the complexity of trabecular microarchitecture hinders the evaluation of its morphological characteristics. We therefore propose a new classification method based on static multiscale theory and dynamic finite element method (FEM) analysis to visualize a three-dimensional (3D) trabecular network for investigating the influence of trabecular microarchitecture on load-bearing capability. This method is applied to human vertebral trabecular bone images obtained by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) through which primary trabecular bone is successfully visualized and extracted from a highly complicated microarchitecture. The morphological features were then analyzed by viewing the percolation of load pathways in the primary trabecular bone by using the stress wave propagation method analyzed under impact loading. We demonstrate that the present method is effective for describing the morphology of trabecular bone and has the potential for morphometric measurement applications.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.283-291
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of foot placement and height of bed surface on lumbar spine load in a dummy transfer activity. Fifteen healthy male students participated in this study. All subjects were involved in four different conditions according to foot placement (11 figure and $90^{\circ}$ figure) and height of bed surface (44 cm and 66 cm) randomly. Muscular activations of the biceps brachii, rectus femoris, elector spinae using surface-EMG, vertical ground reaction using force plate, and L4/L5 compression force using 3DSSPP (3D Static Strength Prediction Program) were measured and analysed. The results showed that muscular activations were not significantly different for the various conditions except for the rectus femoris on the right side (p<.05). Futhermore, the vertical ground reaction and L4/L5 compression force were significantly different conditions (p<.05). In conclusion, it is suggested that foot placement at $90^{\circ}$ figure is safer for transfer activity compared with the 11 figure.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.148-154
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• 2008

Pharmacotherapy was mainly used to treat osteoporosis. However, some researches showed that pharmacotherapy could induce unexpected adverse effects. Some studies showed that whole body vibration affected beneficially osteoporosis. This paper studied the effect of whole body vibration fur osteoporosis compared with the effect of pharmacotherapy. 10 female rats were used and allocated into 4 group, CON, SHAM, DRUG, and WBV. Rats except SHAM group were ovariectomised to induce osteoporosis. Rats in WBV group were stimulated in whole body vibration at magnitude of $1mm_{peak-peak}$ and frequency 45Hz, for 8 weeks (30 min/day, 5 days/week). Rat in DRGU group was orally administered the Actonel (0.58mg/Kg), for 8 weeks (5days/week). The $4^{th}$ lumbar in rats were scanned at a resolution of $35{\mu}m$ at baseline, before stimulation, and 8 weeks after stimulation by In-vivo micro computed tomography. For detecting and tracking changes of biomechanical characteristics (morphological and mechanical characteristics) in lumbar trabecuar bone of rats, structural parameters were measured and calculated from acquiring images and finite element analysis was performed. In the results, loss of quantity and change of structure of trabecular bone in WBV group were smaller than those in both CON and SHAM groups. In addition, mechanical strength in WBV group was stronger than that in both CON and SHAM groups. In contrast, biomechanical characteristics in WBV group were similar with those in DRUG group. These results showed that reasonable whole body vibration was likely to treat osteoporosis and be substituted partly for drug treatment.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) causes morphological changes in muscles, reduces muscle strength, endurance and flexibility, negatively affects lumbar stability, and limits functional activity. Plank exercise strengthens core muscles, activates abdominal muscles, and improves intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize the trunk in patients with CLBP. Objects: We investigated the effect of plank exercise on abdominal muscle thickness and disability in patients with CLBP. Methods: We classified 33 subjects into 2 groups: An experimental (n1=17) and a control group (n2=16). Patients in the experimental group participated in plank exercise and those in the control group participated in stretching exercise. Patients in both groups attended 20-minute exercise sessions thrice a week for 4 weeks. Abdominal muscle thickness in each subject was evaluated ultrasonographically, and disabilities were assessed using the Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results: Four weeks later, abdominal muscle thickness showed a significant increase over baseline values in both groups (p<.05). Patients in the experimental group reported a more significant increase in the thickness of the external oblique muscle than that in the control group (p<.05). ODI scores in the experimental group were significantly lower after intervention than before intervention (p<.05). Conclusion: Plank exercise increases the thickness of the external oblique muscle and reduces disability secondary to mild CLBP. Therefore, plank exercise is needed to improve lumbar stability and functional activity in patients with mild CLBP.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.88-97
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• 2018

This study was designed to prove the effect of the Daoyin exercise therapy combined with complex korean medicine treatment on pain and function improvement of low back pain patients. A retrospective observational study. 30 low back pain patients, checked numeric rating scale(NRS) over 5, were treated with the Daoyin exercise therapy combined with complex korean medicine treatment. NRS, roland & morris disability questionnaire(RMDQ), range of motion(ROM), isokinetic muscle strength, and euroqol five demension questionnaire(EQ-5D) were checked to evaluate patients. The Daoyin exercise therapy combined with complex korean medicine treatment reduced NRS $5.67{\pm}1.40$ to $3.73{\pm}1.72$, improved RMDQ $10.33{\pm}4.91$ to $8.17{\pm}5.40$, strengthened lumbar muscle's peak torque and improved EQ-5D $0.56{\pm}0.20$ to $0.63{\pm}0.15$ and euroqol visual analogue scale(EQVAS) $46.80{\pm}19.95$ to $57.50{\pm}19.93$ but had no effect on ROM. NRS decreased significantly as the number of trials increased. No one had serious adverse reactions. As described above, the Daoyin exercise therapy combined with complex korean medicine treatment can help reducing low back pain, improving lumbar function, strengthening lumbar muscle power and stamina and improving quality of life of low back pain patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1180-1190
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• 2013

This study is to analyze femoral necks and lumbar spine bone mineral density in Korean men aged 60 or older 2,736 people, as well as to research in its relation to anthropometry, life style, diet, fracture history, family history of osteoporosis and medical history using data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)(the 2nd(2008) and 3rd(2009) year at the 1st survey, and the 1st(2010) year at the 5th survey). To express the strength of the associations, percent differences were calculated from multiple linear regression models using the formula ${\beta}{\times}$(unit/mesnBMD). Unit for continuous variables were chosen to approximate 1 standard deviation(SD). Prevalence of osteoporosis for 60-69, 70-79 and >80 old men were 6.7%, 15.8% and 31.4% respectively. The proportion of osteoporosis calculated for each age group in the femoral neck group was: 60-69 years old, 2.6%, 70-79years old, 8.2%, >80years old, 24.8%. For the lumbar spine group, the values were: 60-69 years old, 5.5%, 70-79years old, 11.3%, >80years old, 15.4%. In men aged 60 or older, lean mass greatly influenced bone density in the femoral neck and lumbar spine. Thus, to increase the lean mass would be an effective way to prevent osteoporosis in elderly men.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.334-342
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on flexibility, balance, walking ability, muscle strength, bone mineral density, and fracture risk in institutionalized elders. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a nonequivalent comparison group was utilized, and 53 older adults living in one institution were recruited and assigned to one of two groups, experimental group (18) or comparison (20). Both groups completed posttest measures at 6 months. There was a 31% rate of dropouts. Tai Chi exercise was provided twice a week for 24 weeks. Outcome measurements were conducted by a physiotherapist at a university hospital health promotion center who did not know the group assignment. Results: At 6 months, the experimental group had significantly greater grip strength(t=2.12, p=.04), back muscle strength (t=2.42, p=.02), balance (t=5.31, p<001), and flexibility (t=3.57, p<.001). They also showed significantly greater bone mineral density of lumbar spine and femur, and reduced fracture risk. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise was safely and effectively used with institutionalized elders for 6 months and significantly improved physical fitness, bone mineral density along with a reduction in fracture risk. Whether Tai Chi exercise would lead to prevention of fall episodes and fall related fractures in this population will require further study.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.36-42
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• 2019

[Purpose] The study aimed to determine the effects of bone-specific physical activity on body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and health-related physical fitness in middle-aged women. [Methods] One hundred eighty-six middle-aged women aged 31-49 years participated in this study. The subjects were divided into tertile groups according to the level of physical activity (low-score group, n=62; middle-score group, n=62; high-score group, n=62). Bone-specific physical activity participation was assessed using the bone-specific physical activity questionnaire. Body composition and BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Health-related physical fitness test included isometric muscle strength (grip strength), muscular endurance (sit-ups), flexibility (sit and reach), and cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake [VO_2max]). [Results] The high-score group had a significantly higher fat-free mass (p=.045, partial eta-squared value[η_p²]=.033) than the middle- and low-score groups, whereas the high-score group had significantly lower percent body fat (p=.005, η_p²=.056) than the other two groups. Whole-body BMD (p=.034, η_p²=.036) and lumbar BMD (p=.003, η_p²=.060) were significantly higher in the high-score group than in the low-score group. The high-score group performed significantly better for grip strength (p=.0001, η_p²=.101), sit-ups (p=.0001, η_p²=.108), and VO_2max (p=.0001, η_p²=.092) than the other two groups. [Conclusion] The present study suggests that bone-specific physical activity could be useful in improving body composition, BMD, and health-related physical fitness in middle-aged women, significantly enhancing their BMD and health conditions.