• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.2279-2285
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• 2021

Background: The spinal nerves, which start at the lumbar level, are connected to the nerve innervation in the knees. Currently, there is a lack of research on the treatment of knee pain through lumbar mobilization. Objectives: To investigate the effects of lumbar joint mobilization (LJM) and transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation (TENS) on proprioception and muscular strength in volleyball players with chronic knee pain. Design: Two group pre-posttest. Methods: A total of 26 professional volleyball players with chronic knee pain were allocated to the LJM (n=13) and TENS (n=13) groups. In the LJM group, grade III - IV amplitude was applied 3 times for 1 minute (80 times per minute) at the affected lumbar (L2-3) facet joint in the prone position. In the TENS group, the TENS treatment device was used to directly apply or 15 minutes to the area of chronic knee pain (100 Hz, 150 ㎲). Proprioception was measured by knee flexion and extension angles, and muscle strength was evaluated using an isokinetic test. Measurements were taken before and after interventions. Results: In the eye opened conditiond, proprioception significantly increased during both knee extension and flexion after LJM, while only knee extension was significantly increased in the TENS group. There was also a significant difference in knee extension between the two groups. In the eye close conditiond, proprioception was significantly improved only during knee extension in the LJM group, and the difference in knee extension between the groups was also significant (P<.05). The maximum torque of the affected knee joint was significantly improved at 60°/sec in both groups (P<.05); however, there was no difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the maximum flexion torque within or between the groups. Conclusion: This study suggests that LJM improved proprioception and muscular strength in volleyball players with chronic knee pain.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the thoracic mobility exercise program on pain, proprioception, and static balance ability in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial design. Methods: Thirty patients with non-specific chronic low back pain participated in this study. The participants were randomized into the thoracic mobility exercise group (n=15) and the lumbar stabilization exercise group (n=15). Both groups received traditional physical therapy for 30 minutes per session. In addition, the thoracic mobility exercise group and the lumbar stabilization exercise group each exercise 3 times a week for 6 weeks. All participants were measured visual analog scale, proprioception test, and static balance ability before and after the intervention. Results: After 6 weeks of interventions, the thoracic mobility exercise group showed greater improvement in visual analog scale, proprioception test, and static balance ability than the LSE group (p<0.05). Further, the thoracic mobility exercise group had significant Enhancements in all measured variables compared to the baselinetest (p<0.05). However, the lumbar stabilization exercise group had significant improvement only visual analog scale, and static balance ability compared to the baselinetest (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our investigation demonstrates that the thoracic mobility exercise is an effective intervention method for improving pain, proprioception, and static balance ability in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.414-418
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• 2012

Purpose: Muscle fatigue affects proprioception, and it causes problems in spinal stability. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on the accuracy of reproducing the lumbar angles before lumbar exercise and after fatiguing isokinetic lumbar exercise. Methods: Thirty healthy adults participated in this study. Before induction of fatigue by exercise, the proprioception was measured by Biodex. Lumbar positions were passively maintained on stimulation position ($25^{\circ}$ flexion and $25^{\circ}$ extension), and back to the starting position. Subjects actively repositioned the remembered stimulation position, and error degrees between the stimulation position and reposition were measured. Using an isokinetic device at $120^{\circ}$/sec of velocity of angle lumbar flexion/extension exercise resulted in muscle fatigue. The post-fatigue proprioceptive position sense was used in the same way as in pre-fatigue measurement. Results: Means of position sense of pre-fatigue were $2.19{\pm}1.97$ on flexion angle, and $5.04{\pm}2.84$ on extension angle. After exercise induced fatigue, means of position sense were $2.37{\pm}1.83$ on flexion angle, and $4.93{\pm}2.57$ on extension angle. Results of this study showed significant differences of lumbar proprioceptive position sense between pre- and post-fatigue. Conclusion: Lumbar proprioception sense in active repositioning in flexion and extension was affected in the presence of muscle fatigue. Therefore, it should be noted that therapeutic exercise for patients with abnormal proprioceptive sense or elderly people must be performed with care because muscle fatigue can cause secondary damage.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.31-44
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• 2007

The purposes of this study were to examine the normal lumbar proprioception and identify the effect of vision and proprioception on lumbar movement accuracy through measuring a reposition error in visual and non-visual conditions and to provide the basic data for use of vision when rehabilitation program is applied. The subjects of this study were 39 healthy university students who have average physical activity level. They were measured the ability to reproduce the target position(50% of maximal range of motion) of flexion, extension, dominant and non-dominant side flexion in visual and non-visual conditions. Movement accuracy was assessed by reposition error(differences between intended and actual positions) that is calculated by the average of absolute value of 3 repeated measures at each directions. The data were analysed by paired samples t-test, independent samples t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. The results were as follows : 1. Movement accuracy of flexion, extension, dominant side flexion, and non-dominant side flexion was increased in visual condition. 2. There were no differences in the lumbar movement accuracy between sexes in visual and non-visual conditions. 3. In non-visual condition, the movement in coronal plane(dominant and non dominant side flexion) is more accurate than that in sagittal plane(flexion and extension). 4. In non-visual condition, there were no differences in the lumbar movement accuracy between dominant and non-dominant side flexion. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the movement is more accurate when the visual information input is available than proprioception is only available. When proprioception is decreased by injury or disease, it disturbs the control of posture and movement. In this case, human controls the posture and movement by using visual compensation. However it is impossible to prevent an injury or trauma because most of injuries occur in an unexpected situation. For this reason, it is important to improve the proprioception. Therefore, proprioceptive training or exercise which improve the ability to control of posture and movement is performed an appropriate control of permission or interception of the visual information input to prevent an excessive visual compensation.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2021

Objective: This study was aimed at investigating the effects of lumbar stabilization exercise according to correct verbal instructions in pain and muscle strengthening of the low back pain patients. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty subjects with low back pain were selected. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups (10 in each group): namely the lumbar stabilization exercise and lumbar stabilization exercise according to the correct verbal instructions group. The lumbar stabilization exercise group performed lumbar stabilization exercises for 6 weeks (5 times a week). The lumbar stabilization exercise according to correct verbal instructions group performed lumbar stabilization exercise according to correct verbal instructions for 6 weeks (5 times a week). We measured pain, muscle power, proprioception, and body balance before and after exercise by using visual analog scale (VAS), digital handheld dynanometer, Joint repositioning error, time up and go test respectively. Results: We found statistically significant differences in pain, muscle power, proprioception, and body balance in lumbar stabilization exercise and lumbar stabilization exercise according to correct verbal instructions group, before and after (p<0.05). Conclusions: We confirmed the effect of lumbar stabilization exercise according to correct verbal instructions. Thus we thought these results could be used as basic data and reference for low back pain. But we need more study effect of correct verbal instructions on other exercises.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lumbar stabilization training and additional thoracic mobilization on pain, proprioception and static balance in patients with chronic low back pain. The subjects of this study were 48 chronic low back pain patients who were randomly allocated to an experimental group 1 ($n_1=16$, lumbar stabilization and thoracic mobilization, thoracic hypomobility), experimental group 2 ($n_2=16$, lumbar stabilization and thoracic mobilization, thoracic normal mobility), and a control group ($n_3=16$, lumbar stabilization, thoracic hypomobility) after a thoracic mobility test. Both experimental groups underwent lumbar stabilization training and additional thoracic mobilization. The control group underwent only lumbar stabilization training. The intervention was performed 3 times per week, 30 minutes each time, for a total of 6 weeks. Thoraco-lumbar joint reposition error was measured using an electrogoniometer and static balance ability was measured using the Tetrax posture analysis system. Subjects' pain level was measured using a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Statistical analyses were performed using a one-way analysis of variance and a paired t-test. Post-hoc testing was carried out with a Bonferroni test. The pain level was significantly lower in both experimental groups compared to the control group. Both experimental groups showed significant reductions in joint reposition error angle (flexion, extension, and side bending) compared to the control group. The static balance level was significantly lower in both experimental groups than in the control group. In summary, lumbar stabilization exercises and additional thoracic mobilization significantly improved the pain level, proprioception, and static balance in patients with chronic low back pain.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.31-39
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• 2009

This study is performed to investigate the difference of the spinal stability system with and without low back pain. There were 9 participants with low back pain and 9 asymptomatic subjects to be recruited, they were measured thoracic and lumbar curvature, trunk muscle activation in upright sitting postures and slump sitting, back muscle endurance, and lumbar proprioception. Spinal curvature and surface electromyography of 4 trunk muscles were measured in an upright sitting postures and slump sitting in 18 subjects. The result of the study was that there were significant differences between the groups in spinal curvature (p<.05), significantly higher external oblique activity and less internal oblique in the low back pain group than the healthy subjects (p<.05), and significantly less proprioception in the low back pain group (p<.05). But there was not a significant difference between the trunk muscle endurance groups. According to the result, the low back pain group had greater thoracic extension and higher global muscle activity in the upright sitting posture and less proprioception. This study was useful to suggest postural training for normal muscle activation, selective muscle strengthening to prevent chronic deterioration, and helpful in making a treatment plan to indicate a synthetic care method that includes increasing proprioception.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-239
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• 2012

Purpose: To recognize the change in the proprioception under conditions that activate the local muscles, this study found the difference in the proprioception on a fixed and swing chair. Methods: Healthy adults (7 males, 13 females) in their twenties were evaluated lumbar position sense on fixed and swing chair. And the difference of the position sense between the fixed and swing chair were analyzed. Results: The joint position senses were compared between the fixed and swing chair. As a result, there was a significant difference from all motions. Conclusion: This study found that the improvement of proprioception using swing chair means that the local muscle is activated. Therefore, to use a swing chair, which was designed in this study, is able to replace the general chair either at work or during studies. Thus, this method is easily accessible for busy modern people who are exposed to low back pain or spinal disorders due to a pattern of inactivity.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.400-406
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to examine joint position senses and muscle activity in subjects with and without chronic low back pain and to determine the effects of different types of bridge exercises on their trunk muscle activity. Methods: Thrity-eight subjects with chronic low back pain and thrity healthy controls participated in the experiment. Joint position senses and trunk muscle activity levels were measured during the different bridge exercise methods. Results: The joint position senses of the healthy group and chronic low back pain group showed significant differences during lumbar flexion, lumbar extension, lumbar lateral flexion, and lumbar rotation. The muscle activity levels of the transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) were highest in the prone bridge exercise (PBE) group, followed by the supine bridge swiss ball exercise (SBSE) group and supine bridge exercise (SBE) group in order of precedence. The muscle activity level of the erector spinae (ES) was highest in the SBSE group, followed by the SBE and PBE groups in order of precedence. Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest that chronic low back pain is associated with declines in joint position senses and that PBEs increase trunk muscle activity more than conventional bridge exercises.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1785-1790
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• 2019

Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) causes neurological symptoms by compression of the dura mater and nerve roots. Due to the changed in proprioception inputs that can result in abnormal postural pattern, delayed reaction time, and changed in deep tendon reflex. Objective: To investigate the effects of lumbar stabilization exercises on motor neuron excitability and neurological symptoms in patients with LDH. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial (single blind) Methods: Thirty patients with LDH were recruited; they were randomly divided into the balance center stabilization resistance exercise group (n=15) and the Nordic walking group (n=15). Each group underwent their corresponding 20-minute intervention once a day, four times a week, for four weeks. Participants' motor neuron excitability and low back pain were assessed before and after the four-week intervention. Results: There were significant differences in all variables within each group (p<.05). There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the changes of upper motor neuron excitability and pain (p<.05), but not in the changes of lower motor neuron excitability and Korean Oswestry Disability Index. Conclusion: Lumbar stabilization exercises utilizing concurrent contraction of deep and superficial muscles improved low back function in patients with LDH by lowering upper motor neuron excitability than compared to exercises actively moving the limbs. Lumbar stabilization exercises without pain have a positive impact on improving motor neuron excitability.