• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2022

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify whether gym-ball exercise in standing position was an effective intervention for improving muscle strength, balance, gait, and fall efficacy in stroke patients. Methods : Twenty-four stroke patients were randomized into three groups: experimental group 1 (n=8), experimental group 2 (n=8), and control group (n=8). Experimental groups 1, 2 and the control group performed the gym-ball exercise in standing position, same exercise without a gym-ball, and general physical therapy for 4 weeks, five times a week in 30-minute sessions. Muscle strength, balance, gait, and fall efficacy were assessed using a handheld dynamometer, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the wearable BTS G-WALK® sensor, and the Korean version of the Falls Efficacy Scale (K-FES), before and after training, respectively. Comparisons within and between groups were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Kruskal Wallis H test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Bonferroni correction was performed when significant differences between groups were identified (p<.017, .05/3). Results : Regarding muscle strength, BBS score, cadence and FES-K were significantly improved after intervention in all three groups. The weight bearing rate, gait speed and step length in experimental group 1 and 2 were significantly improved after the intervention. The stride length in experimental group 1 were significantly improved after the intervention. Experimental group 1 had significantly improved BBS score and stride length after intervention than experimental group 2 and control group. Experimental group 1 and 2 improved muscle strength, weight bearing rate, and FES-K score more than the control group. Experimental group 1 showed significant improvement in cadence, gait speed, and step length after the intervention than control group. Conclusion : This study showed that exercise with gym-ball in standing position can be an effective intervention to improve balance and gait in stroke patients than the same exercise without gym-ball.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.325-331
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• 2014

PURPOSE: Improving elderly people's balance ability through pilates which may be easily applied in ordinary life is considered an important intervention method for elderly people. Therefore, this study examines the effects of pilates training on elderly people's static and dynamic balance abilities and provides clinical data to improve this ability. METHODS: The pilates program was applied to 19 elderly subjects three times per week for 8 weeks. Their training level took into consideration their age and was set so that the rating scales of perceived exertion became 13 to 14. Prior to the initiation of the experiment, the subjects had an adaptation period in order to practice the order and motions of pilates. After the adaptation period, the subjects received training. The program was conducted three times per week, for eight weeks. Their dynamic balance ability was observed through the timed up and go (TUG) test and tandem walk test (TWT), and their static balance ability was evaluated by the center of pressure (COP) area, medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior displacement. RESULTS: The results of the TUG test and TWT and evaluations of the COP area and medial-lateral displacement were significantly different after the pilates exercise program compared to those before the program began. CONCLUSION: The results show that an 8-week pilates exercise program is an effective method to increase elderly people's static and dynamic balance abilities. In addition, the application result of the pilates exercise program will provide useful information for future research on elderly people's balance ability.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.85-96
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• 2017

Purpose: Peripheral neuropathy accompanied by sensory disturbance, such as limb paralysis and hemiplegia, is mainly caused by acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). This case study aimed to determine the effect of ankle strengthening exercises that use proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the gait, balance, ankle-control ability, and sit-to-stand ability on a patient with ADEM. Methods: A 10-year-old male with quadriplegia and ankle-control impairment participated in this 4-week training intervention. The patient, diagnosed with ADEM, was treated with ankle strengthening exercises that used PNF. Results: The patient demonstrated improvements in balance, ankle-control ability, sit-to-stand ability, and gait performance. Outcome measures (manual muscle test, modified Ashworth scale, sensory assessment, coordination assessment, Berg balance scale, 5 time sit-to-stand test, and 10 m walk test) were taken before and after the training program. Conclusion: The results of this case suggest that an ankle strengthening exercise that uses PNF can improve the gait, balance, ankle-control ability, and sit-to-stand ability in patients with ADEM. In ADEM, the initial treatment is important, and the use of ankle strengthening exercises with PNF could lead to meaningful results. However, there is limited research due to an insufficient number of cases. In the future, more patients will need to be studied.

• Journal of Sport and Applied Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

Purpose: Sarcopenia is defined as a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and function with age that affects overall body function. We aimed to investigate the effect of combined training on body composition, balance, and muscle function in sarcopenia elderly. Research design, data, and methodology: Twenty-eight sarcopenia elderly (age 74.9±4.5 years) were randomly assigned to an exercise, EG (n=14), or a control, CG (n=14), group. The EG performed an intervention consisting of combined exercise training (60-75 min) for a total of 12 weeks, three times a week. The CG maintained their usual daily lifestyle during the intervention period. We measured body weight, body mass index (BMI), % body fat, free fat mass, balance ability, peak torque in shoulder, knee, and lumbar joints normalized for bodyweight in one second. Results: The EG showed improved body composition (i.e., BMI, fat-free body mass, fat mass; all p < 0.031, η² > 0.179), balance (i.e., right and left of static and dynamic balance and fast 10 m walk; all p < 0.049, η² > 0.152), and muscular function (i.e., 90°/sec and 180°/sec peak power per kg bodyweight, 90°/sec average power per kg bodyweight, 180°/sec total work, and 180°/sec endurance ratio; all p < 0.045, η² > 0.158). Conclusions: Combined exercise training improves muscle mass and strength, body composition, balance, and muscle function in sarcopenia elderly.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.963-972
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• 2016

A survey was performed to present a scheme for building a healing forest park inside a city in consideration of the fact that healing forests are located in non-urban areas because of their nature, and are therefore not conveniently accessible to urban population (n=196). As a result, among 196 respondents to the survey, 74.5% indicated that it was necessary to build an urban healing forest park. In the case of the expected usage pattern, were an urban forest park to be built, the largest proportion responded that it would be used to "walk", followed by "rest and meditation" and then "meeting/talk/date". An analysis showed that the largest proportion responded that they factor in "Accessibility" (48%), followed by "Park condition" (16.8%), and "Vegetation type" (12.2%). According to the analysis of usage preference for healing therapy, it was shown that the largest proportion preferred "Terrain therapy" (37.8%), followed by "Exercise therapy" (19.9%), and "Naturopathy" (18.9%). The factor anlaysis of usage preference regarding urban healing forest park facilities showed that the components were divided into "Operation facilities" and "Natural healing space", and the largest proportion preferred "Trails for healing", followed by "Space or forest for meditation" and "Health promotion center", and then "Facilities for a exercise therapy". In building an urban healing forest park, we think that it is effective to introduce zones and facilities in consideration of park characteristics that are centered on everyday behaviors, such as taking a walk, which differ from those of healing forests located in non-urban areas.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.79-83
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combined training using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) patterns and treadmills on the balance and walking ability of stroke patients. Methods: Twenty-three stroke patients were randomized into a control group (n=11), receiving only treadmill training and an experimental group (n=12) receiving combined training. The use of both PNF exercise and treadmill were implemented in the combined training. Interventions were performed 5 times a week for 6 weeks. Balance ability was measured by a timed up and go (TUG) test. Walking ability was measured by a 10-meter walk test (10MWT) and a 6-minute walk test (6MWT). A paired t-test was used to compare differences between pre- and post-intervention and independent t-tests were used to compare between groups. Results: Changes in TUG, 10MWT, and 6MWT before and after interventions were significantly different for both the experimental group and the control group (p<0.05). In addition, within-group changes in the TUG, 10MWT, and 6MWT were more effective in the experimental group than in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Combined training using PNF techniques and treadmills may be useful in improving the balance and walking ability of stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.220-226
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• 2020

Esophageal cancer is a representative cancer that occur physical deterioration but, physical problems after surgery were not well reported. The purpose of this study is to report on the long thoracic neuropathy after surgery, and to identify the symptoms and effects of physical therapy after esophageal cancer surgery. This is a case of a 61-year-old man who showed winging of the scapula with long thoracic nerve injury on the results of electromyography after an esophageal cancer surgery. Physical therapy programs were implemented 8 sessions during hospitalization. The quality of life, fatigue, shoulder range of motion (ROM), numeric rating scale (NRS), 6-minute walk test, and 30-second chair stand test were assessed. The quality of life, fatigue, shoulder ROM, NRS (pain), 6-minute walk test, and 30-second chair stand test were improved. However, the esophageal-specific symptom was not different after physical therapy program. As esophageal cancer suffers from physical difficulties after surgery, physical therapy programs are thought to be helpful.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1413-1419
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hemispheric damage in body composition of male adults with stroke experiences. The Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) with body composition results obtained from the DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) assessments were used for this study. Survey data of 18 post-stroke men and 28 healthy controls were obtained. Both the lean and fat masses of the upper and lower limbs were utilized to compare for the compositions between the limbs in post-stroke subjects. In addition, the effect of exercise habit was also observed for the influence of physical activity in body composition. Mixed results in left and right limb compositions were shown between the groups. When the subjects were further divided based on walking days per week, sedentary (walk ${\leq}2d/wk$) post-stroke group showed significantly greater fat mass and less lean mass than the physically active people (walk ${\geq}3d/wk$). In comparison to the healthy sedentary and physically active controls, two post-stroke groups showed greater variations. The results indicate that physical activity maintains or improve the quality of both the upper and lower limb composition in patients with post-stroke men.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing the improvement of global synkinesis (GS) and gait in stroke patients by the weight shift exercise. METHODS: Twenty stroke patients were randomly assigned to experimental group I (n = 10) and experimental group II (n = 10). In experimental group I, weight shift with upper extremity exercises in a standing position were mediated and in experimental group II, upper extremity exercises in a standing position were mediated. These interventions were conducted in both groups for three sessions per week, 30 minutes per session over four weeks. Before the interventions, leg GS was measured using surface electromyography and the 10m walk test (10MWT). The same parameters were measured four weeks later. RESULTS: The GS and 10MWT of the experimental group I showed that there was a statistically significant difference between dorsiflexion (p < .05) and plantarflexion (p < .01) and 10MWT (p < .01). In experimental group II, there was a statistically significant difference only in 10MWT (p < .01). The comparison between the changes in both groups showed that in the case of GS, there was a statistically significant difference in the dorsiflexion (p < .01) and plantarflexion (p < .05), and in the 10MWT too (p < .05). CONCLUSION: GS of the lower extremities was decreased by improving posture control and enlarging soft tissues due to the symmetrical weight shift in experimental group I, which turned out to be effective in improving the gait speed.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of walking and turning plus treadmill training on the functional balance and walking ability of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Twenty-four participants with Stage 1 to 3 ($2.13{\pm}0.64$) PD based on the Hoehn and Yahr scale were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG), with 12 participants in each group. The measured outcomes included the motor subscale of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS-M), the Berg balance scale (BBS), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, the 10-meter walk test (10MWT), and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Results: Pre-to-post intervention improvements were noted for all the outcome measures for both groups (p < 0.05). Post intervention, there was a significant improvement in the EG compared to the CG for the following measured outcomes (p < 0.05): UPDRS-M (p = 0.021; 95% CI, 0.081-6.519), BBS (p = 0.042; 95% CI, 1.375-4.541), TUG (p = 0.034; 95% CI, -3.315--0.143), 10MWT (p = 0.011; 95% CI, -2.032--0.289), and 6MWT (p = 0.002; 95% CI, 24.39-91.273). Conclusion: Our study suggests that walking and turning plus treadmill training improves balance and walking compared to treadmill training only in patients with PD.