• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.185-194
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• 2013

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of micro current taping therapy (MTT) on patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods We included 50 participants who met the inclusion criteria and 5 participants dropped out during the sessions due to the following reasons: 3 participants were personal reasons, 1 participant was taking medication, 1 participant was fore arm fracture. We attached "I" shaped 40 cm, 2 tapes along the erector muscles of the spine starting from both iliac crest and another "I" shaped 30 cm, 1 tape on the painful site horizontally. This procedure was done 8 times and participants visited a total of 9 times including a final visit for evaluation. We measured visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM) and schober's test on every visit. Participants completed a questionnaire of oswestry disability index (ODI) and Beck's depression inventory (BDI) on the first and last visits. Results In VAS for pain intensity and bothersomeness, there were significant decreases after 1st, 6th treatments. In range of extension, there was significant increase after 3rd treatment at first. In range of flexion, there was significant increase after 2nd treatment at first. In range of left flexion, there was significant increase after 4th treatment at first. In range of right flexion, there was significant increase after 3rd treatment at first. in schober's test, there was significant increase after 2nd treatment at first. In VAS, ROM, schober's test, BDI, ODI, there were significant improvement after all treatments had done. Conclusions There was a significant effect of MTT on CLBP. And there was no adverse effect.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.35-44
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of heat therapy, stretching exercise and to verify which method was most effective for lumbar flexibility improvement. Subjects were 20 apparantly healthy person(male10, female10) who did not have any medical problem. They were randomly divided and assigned into 2 groups: heat therapy, stretching exercise. For testing flexibility, trunk flexion, bunk extension, and Schober-test were performed. Pre-test was done prior to the each group's treatment. Test was done at 2nd week, 4th week and 6th week. There were no significant difference in improvement of trunk flexion and trunk extension after 6 weeks treatment among 2 methods. However in all 2 groups, there were statically significant improvement in flexibility as time go on. The rate of improvement was highest at 2nd week, while this was attenuated afterwards. The Schober-test score changed significantly from pre-test to the mid-test and to the post-test, while there were no significant difference among 2 methods of treatment. With the results above, it was concluded that heat therapy, stretching-exercise were all effective for improving flexibility without any significant priorities.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.198-204
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hip joint exercise using an elastic band on dynamic balance, agility, and flexibility in healthy subjects. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty-five subjects (between 19 and 23 years) were randomly allocated to two groups: hip flexion exercise (HFE) group (n=17) and the hip abduction exercise (HAE) group (n=18). The HFE group participated in flexion exercise of the hip joint using an elastic band for 50 minutes a day, three days a week for four weeks, while the HAE group participated in abduction exercises of the hip joint using an elastic band for the same period. Dynamic balance was measured using the timed up and go (TUG) test, agility was measured with the standing long jump, and flexibility was measured using the Schober's test (5 cm, 10 cm). Results: The HFE group showed significant differences in the TUG test, standing long jump, and the Schober's test (10 cm) after training (p<0.05). The HAE group showed significant differences in the TUG test, standing long jump and the Schober's test (5 cm, 10 cm) after training (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the HFE group and the HAE group. Conclusions: Flexion and abduction exercises of the hip joint using and elastic band increased dynamic balance, agility, and flexibility in healthy subjects. Additional research on hip joint exercises using an elastic band for improving dynamic balance, agility and flexibility are necessary.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2010

Purpose : To evaluate effects of joint mobilization on the range of motion of chronic low back pain patients. Methods : The subjects were consisted of sixty patients who had non specific chronic low back pain(10 females. 10 males; mean aged 36.5). All subjects received modalities treatment with therapeutic massage for 10minutes and joint mobilization or manipulation for 10minutes per day and three times a week during 4 weeks period. The Multilevel Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire(MR-MDQ) was used to measure functional disability level. Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) was used to measure subjective pain level. Remodified Schober test(RST) was used to measure forward flexion range of motion of lumbar segment. Finger-to-Floor test(F-T-FT) was used to measure forward flexion range of motion of full spine of low back pain patients. All measurements of each patients were measured at pre-treatment and 4 week post-treatment. Results : The MR-MDQ, VAS, RCT and F-T-FT were significantly different within-subjects(p<.05), Conclusion : The manual therapy included therapeutic massage and joint mobilization found that improved chronic low back pain patients. Further studies are needed to including more subjects on long-term outcomes.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.76-84
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• 2007

This study was designed to determine the efficacy of ultrasound and laser therapy for sub-acute lower back pain. Twenty-seven patients with sub-acute low back pain were recruited, who were randomly assigned to three groups: Ultrasound group (actual ultrasound, 1.1 MHz, $1.0W/cm^2$, duty cycle 100%, 10 min/session, n=9), laser group (actual laser, 904 nm, 155 ns, 13.5 W, 12 mW, 90 sec/point, n=9), and control group (placebo ultrasound or placebo laser, n=9). All of treatments including placebo procedures were applied to patients over a period of 2 weeks, five times a week. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Modified Schober's Test (MST), and Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (MODQ) were used by the clinical and functional evaluations before and after intervention. At post-hoc, significant differences were observed in all groups with respect to VAS, MST (p<.05), except MODQ. VAS and MST score were more significantly improved in the ultrasound group than the laser and control group (p<.0167). However, no significant difference was present between the laser group and the control group. Therefore, this study revealed that ultrasound therapy was effective in pain relief and improvement of lumbar mobility in patients with sub-acute lower back pain. However, laser therapy did not show the effects for sub-acute lower back pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.609-617
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• 2013

PURPOSE: This study aims to provide effects of therapeutic techniques as well as basic materials of safety by comparing and analyzing the effects of hamstring flexibility and dynamic stability of lower lumbar according to Stretching and Massage Techniques to adults with reduced the flexibility of hamstring. METHODS: This study conducted differential diagnosis through sit and reach test(SRT) and Schober test to select subjects who have shortened hamstring without any spinal problem. Selected subjects were divided into two groups randomly; HSG(Hamstring Stretching Group, n=8) and HMG(Hamstring Massage Group, n=8) and they received treatment for 2 weeks. To take statistics, SRT and dynamic view using x-ray were used. RESULTS: On SRT, HSG and HMG showed significant difference between pre and post test. A comparison of the difference value between HSG and HMG, HSG($9.73{\pm}1.78$) has more remarkable outcome than HMG($2.78{\pm}0.56$). Lower lumbar intervertebral disc length test for Intervertebral disc length(IDL)L45 and IDLL5S1 did not show significant differences between two groups and difference value. CONCLUSION: This study showed that stretching is more effective to improve hamstring flexibility than massage technique. Especially, flexibility increase of the hamstring in vertebral stabilization cannot affect improvement possibility will make a flexibility in order and the intervention and stabilization exercise of the spine.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2009

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stretching and strengthening exercise on the static flexibility and pain intensity for the iliopsoas muscle, which is one of the main reasons for the chronic low back pain. Methods: The subjects of this study were 15 male adult patients with showed 6 score or higher in the visual analogue scale(VAS) and complained of low back pain over three months who visited department of the physical therapy, KIA motors Industrial Health Center, from October, 2008 through December, 2008. Fifteen subjects were trained stretching, mat exercises and sling exercises for iliopsoas muscle at 4-5 times a week for 4 weeks. I measured the changes on the extensibility of iliopsoas muscle, static flexibility of low back and VAS between pre- and post exercise treatment. Date were analyzed using the Wilcoxon's signed rank test considering the size of the samples. Results: 1. The angle of the hip joint that showed the extensibility of iliopsoas muscle was relieved, which was significant statistically (p<.05). 2. The static flexibility was statistically significantly improved in the trunk flexion test, trunk extension test and Schober-Test (p<.05). 3. The VAS showed decrease, which is significant statistically (p<.05). Conclusion: It is believed that the exercise treatment of iliopsoas muscle has the significant effects on the improvement of static flexibility and decrease of pain intensity for the chronic low back pain patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.32-41
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• 2019

Background: Limitations in hip flexion caused by tight hamstrings lead to excessive lumbar flexion and low back pain. Accordingly, many studies have examined how to stretch the hamstring muscle. However, no study has focused on the effect of hamstring eccentric exercise for tight hamstrings on trunk forward bending. Objects: We compared the short-term effect of hamstring eccentric exercise (HEE) and hamstring static stretching (HSS) on trunk forward bending in individuals with tight hamstrings. Methods: Thirty individuals with tight hamstrings participated in the study. The subjects were randomly allocated to either a HEE or HSS group. To determine whether the hamstrings were tight, the active knee extension (AKE) test was performed, and the degree of hip flexion was measured. To assess trunk forward bending, subjects performed the fingertip to floor (FTF) and modified modified Schober tests, and the degree of trunk forward bending was measured using an inclinometer. We used paired t-tests to compare the values before and after exercise in each group and independent t-tests to compare the two groups on various measures Results: The FTF test results were improved significantly after the exercise in both groups, and AKE for both legs increased significantly in both groups. There was no significant difference in the hip angles, mmS test results, or degree of trunk forward bending between groups after the exercise. No test results differed significantly between the two groups at baseline or after the exercise. Both groups increased hamstring flexibility and trunk forward bending. Conclusion: HSS and the HEE groups increased hamstring flexibility and trunk forward bending. However, HEE has additional benefits, such as injury prevention and muscle strengthening.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.55-63
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• 2001

For spinal flexibility measurements to be meaningful to clinicians or researchers, they must have a normative information and an understanding of how different variables affect spinal range of motion (ROM). Normal spinal ROM measurements are influenced to differing degrees by many factors. These factors include age, gender, time of day, leisure activities, previous history of low back pain, warming up, and the techniques with which normative data are collected. The additional variables of standing height, ratio of standing height to sitting height, and obesity had not been previously studied extensively and were shown to have a significant effect on flexibility in the sagittal plane. These relationship cannot be explained easily. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spinal flexibility and individual factors (weight, standing height, and ratio of standing height to sitting height) that influence it. Fifteen healthy subjects between the ages of 20 and 27 years were studied. Two physical therapists measured independently the spinal forward bending ROM in the sagittal plane by Remodified Schober test and Finger-to-floor test. In order to determine the statistical significance of the result the Pearson's correlation was applied at the .05 level of significance. The results of this study were as follows: 1) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and weight. 2) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and standing height. 3) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and ratio of standing height to sitting height.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.114-125
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of microcurrent taping therapy and kinesio taping therapy. Methods: We included 58 participants who met the inclusion criteria and assigned them into two groups after the randomization. We allocated 29 participants to the microcurrent taping therapy group (MCT) and the other 29 to the general kinesio taping therapy group (GT). 27 participants completed the trial in the MCT group, 27 participants in GT. We attached "I" shaped 20cm tape along the erector muscle of the spine starting from the level of S2, and another 30cm tape on the iliac crest horizontally. These "I" shaped tapes were attached on two parts of the body and were performed the same way for both groups. This procedure was done 8 times and participants visited a total of 9 times including a final visit for evaluation. We measured Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Range of Motion (ROM) and Schober's test on every visit. Participants completed a questionnaire of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) on the first and last visits. Results & Conclusion: There was a significant effect of microcurrent taping therapy on lower back pain, but we could not establish the superior effect of microcurrent taping therapy compared with general kinesio taping therapy.