• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1494-1497
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• 2018

This study aimed to determine the effect of McKenzie lumbar support on pulmonary function in Stroke patients. Twenty subjects (n=20) were divided into two groups: a McKenzie lumbar support group (MLS group=10), a control group (n=10). Pulmonary function was performed to assess its effectiveness. A spirometer was used to measure the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF). The intervention was conducted for four weeks. In the MLS group, FEV1, FVC, and PEF were increased after McKenzie lumbar support. (p<0.05), while no significant differences in the variables were found in the control group (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in variables between the MLS group and the control group (p>0.05). Our findings suggest that applying Mckenzie lumbar support may be an alternative maneuver to improve pulmonary function in stroke patients.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.800-806
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of lumbar lordotic curve adjustment on head and neck posture in older adults. Methods Twenty healthy older participants (mean age 71.32) were photographed while watching monitor in sitting with or without lumbar roll support(length 28cm, diameter 10cm). The upper cervical angle and lower cervical angle were measured using the NIH ImageJ 1.32. Comparisons between upper and lower cervical angle with or without lumbar roll support were made using paired-t test analysis. Results Subjects demonstrated a significant difference in the mean upper and lower cervical angle. Mean difference of the upper cervical angle was about $2.83^{\circ}$ with and without lumbar roll support(p<0.005). Mean difference of the lower cervical angle was about $4.44^{\circ}$ with and without lumbar roll support(p<0.0001). Conclusions This study showed that healthy older adults demonstrated more ability to maintain an upright posture of cervical spine during lumbar lordotic curve maintenance with lumbar roll support than without lumbar roll support. When the clinicians consider improvement of the head and neck posture in older adults, they must incorporate adjustment in the lumbar region.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.41-47
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• 2016

PURPOSE: Forward head posture (FHP) is one of the most common postural problems among white-collar workers who perform highly repetitive tasks in the same position. The aim of this study was to research the effects of thoracic and lumbar support fixtures on forward head posture (FHP) during visual display terminal (VDT) work. METHODS: The subjects were 36 healthy male students with no problems in their medical history or respiratory systems. The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (n=12), thoracic support fixtures (n=12), and lumbar support fixtures (n=12). We conducted a text typing task of the same content for 20 minutes, and evaluated the angles, including the craniovertebra angle (CVA), craniorotation angle (CRA) with photogrammetry. RESULTS: The thoracic and lumbar support fixture groups showed a statistically significant difference at the CVA and CRA to the control group (p<.05), and the post-hoc test showed an increase of the CVA and decrease of the CRA than the control group. However, when we compared the effects of thoracic and lumbar support fixtures on FHP, there was no significant difference in the difference in decrease of the CVA or increase of the CRA (p>.05). CONCLUSION: We determined that VDT work using thoracic and lumbar support fixtures has a positive effect on forward head posture in white-collar workers. Further studies are required to find the more effective location of support fixtures.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.25-32
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• 2011

Background : The aim of this study is to effect of lumbar stabilization exercise on double limb support, balance ability and risk of fall index in elderly people. Methods : A six-week lumbar stabilization program training for improvement of balance ability and prevention of fall down were applied by dividing into ten people of experimental group and ten people of control group for elderly aged below sixty-five more than eighty years who were capable of independent activity of daily living. for double limb support, balance ability and fall index assessment, the TETRAX were used. Results : The double limb support, balance ability and fall index in experimental group indicating changes in statistical significance(p<0.05), But changes in significance were not found of all parts in control group(p>0.05). Conclusion : The above results mean that the lumbar stabilization exercise was effective for promotion of elderly people's double limb support, balance ability and fall index and further study considered need to be more the study relative to effect of fall prevention exercise program.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.376-380
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• 2000

All chairs are uncomfortable in the long run, but some chairs become uncomfortable more rapidly than others, and in any particular chair, some people will be more uncomfortable than others. Comfort will depend upon the interaction of chair characteristics, user characteristics, and task characteristics. In this study, we intend to design the comfortable office chair by investigating the anthropometric and biomechanical aspects for Korean. Therefore, we determine the design dimensions using the analysis of anthropometric data. With these dimensions, we design the chair mechanism of which backrest reclines with increasing chair pan declination. This mechanism allows the back to get adequate support at the correct level for any backrest declination. Also, the lumbar support in the backrest descends with increasing backrest reclining. By using this chair, a considerably better sitting posture can be obtained, and uncomfortable feeling and back pain may be prevented.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2023

An abdominal brace is a recommended treatment for patients with lumbar spinal disorders. However, due to the nature of the static brace, it uniformly compresses the lumbar region, which can weaken the lumbar muscles or create a psychological dependence that worsens the condition of the spine when worn for an extended period of time. Due to these issues, doctors limit the wearing time when prescribing it to patients. In this paper, we propose a device that can dynamically provide abdominal pressure and support according to the lumbar motion. The proposed device is a wearable robot in the form of a brace, with actuators and a driving unit mounted on the brace. To enhance wearability and reduce the weight of the device, worm gears actuator and a multi-pulley mechanism were adopted. Based on the spinal motion of the wearer measured by the Inertia measurement unit sensors, the drives wire by driving pulley, which provide tension to the multi-pulley mechanism on both sides, dynamically tightening or loosening the device. Finally, the device can dynamically provide abdominal pressure and support. We describe the hardware and system configuration of the device and demonstrate its potential through basic control experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.107-118
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• 2008

In this study, lower extremity joint kinematics and kinetics and lumbar lordosis were investigated for two different symmetrical lifting techniques(squat and stoop) using the three-dimensional motion analysis. Twenty-six male volunteers lifted boxes weighing 5, 10 and 15kg by both squat and stoop lifting techniques. There were not significant differences in maximum lumbar joint moments between the two techniques. The hip and ankle contributed the most part of the support moments during squat lifting, and the knee flexion moment played an important role in stoop lifting. The hip, ankle and lumbar joints generated power and only the khee joint absorbed power in the squat lifting. The knee and ankle joints absorbed power, the hip and lumbar joints generated power in the stoop lifting. The bi-articular antagonist muscles' co-contraction around the knee joint during the squat lifting and the eccentric co-contraction of the gastrocnemius and semitendinosus were found to be important for straightening up during the stoop lifting. At the time of lordotic curvature appearance in the squat lifting, there were significant correlations in all three lower extremity joint moments with the lumbar joint. Differently, only the hip moment had significant correlation with the lumbar joint in the stoop lifting. In conclusion, the knee extension which is prominent kinematics during the squat tilling was produced by the contributions of the kinetic factors from the hip and ankle joints(extensor moment and power generation) and the lumbar extension which is prominent kinematics during the stoop lifting could be produced by the contributions of the knee joint kinetic factors(flexor moment, power absorption, bi-articular muscle function).

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.264-271
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• 2020

Background: Because a forward-leaning posture can cause increased back muscle activity and pain. Therefore, an innovative method to reduce back muscle activity and pain is required. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a head support on muscle activity and pain in a forward-leaning posture. Methods: A total of 14 male and 16 female students (average age, 21.65 ± 2.37 years; height, 166.15 ± 7.90 cm; and weight, 60.65 ± 9.00 kg) were recruited for the experiment. Two of them were excluded due to musculoskeletal disorders. The muscle activity and pain in the forward-leaning posture were assessed while participants washed dishes for 7 minutes with and without a head support. The condition of using a head support was randomly performed with a 5-minutes break. To confirm a lumbar flexion angle of 30° during the experiment, myoVIDEO was used, and surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activity. Pain was assessed using a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze the data, with p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: The cervical, thoracic, and lumbar erector spinae muscle activities significantly decreased with the use of the head support, but there was no significant change in the gluteus maximus. There was a significant decrease in the VAS score for the lumbar erector spinae (p < 0.05), but there was no significant change in the VAS score for the cervical region. Conclusion: The use of a head support in a forward-leaning posture reduced cervical, thoracic, and lumbar erector muscle activity and pain. Therefore, it could be recommended during working in a forward-leaning posture, such as during dishwashing, cooking, and working as a factory employee.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.73-84
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• 2007

This study aims to examine changes from differences in the lumbar scoliosis angle and iliac crest height due to abnormal and habitual posture shown in unilateral weight load at standing posture and suggest data for preventing and treating lumbago. The subjects of this study are 16 lumbago patients between twenties and forties with chronic lumbago over six months, but without neurological symptoms. As a result of photographing front and back with three conditions such as weight load on both sides and left or right unilateral weight load posture in order to examine changes of lumbar scoliosis and iliac crest according to changes of posture at unilateral weight load, while scoliosis angle and iliac crest height by habitual unilateral support were increased, those by opposite support were decreased. In conclusion, it was found that habitual unilateral weight load may cause continuous distortion of spinal angle and change of iliac crest height and these may be a factor of lumbago. Therefore, if habitual unilateral weight load state is kept continuously, distortion of lumbar angle and iliac crest height may be greater and common efforts to change habitual unilateral weight load are needed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.301-309
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of lumbar support and ischial pad on neck, trunk angle and chest expansion for stroke patients using wheelchair. Fifteen stroke patients were measured repeatedly when a lumbar support using(L support), a Ischial pad using(I Pad), a Lumbar support with ischial pad using(L With I), and non using it(Non using). The measurement of the neck and trunk angle was confirmed using a mobile phone camera, and chest expansion was performed using a tapeline. L With I increased significantly in neck and trunk angle and lower chest expansion than non using. This study shows that simultaneous use of lumbar support and ischial pad for stroke patients using wheelchair can increase the neck and trunk angle, chest expansion immediately. Future studies will need to identify more long-term changes by continuing intervention with more subjects.