• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of visual biofeedback training on the recovery of balance function in stroke patients. Methods: A total of 30 patients with stroke were chosen as the subjects of this study. The subjects were randomly divided into either the visual biofeedback balance training group (experimental group; n=15) or the general balance training group (control group; n=15). The visual biofeedback balance training and general balance training were implemented for 30 minutes a day, three times a week, for a total of four weeks. The subjects' balance ability was measured before and after the interventions. Results: The shift length and surface area of the center of the body decreased in both the experimental group and the control group, with the difference being statistically significant. The shift length and surface area of the center of the body both decreased more in the experimental group than in the control group, and there was a statistically significant between-group difference. Conclusion: The experimental group showed a greater improvement in terms of the balance ability of patients with stroke than the control group. Therefore, we believe that visual biofeedback balance training can be effectively applied for the improvement of balance ability in patients with stroke.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of improvement in the balance control ability of the elderly affected by Hansen's disease. We tried to compare the effects for the elderly affected by Hansen's disease with and without foot deformity. The subjects consisted of 19 patients 65 years old and older. They participated in a balance training program twice per week for 8 weeks. The following results were obtained from the training program: 1. There were significant improvements in static balance ability in one leg standing (OLS), dynamic balance ability in tandem walk (TW) and four square step (FSS) (p<.05). 2. There was a significant difference between patients with and without single-foot deformity in TW before the program (p<.05). After training, however, the difference became less significant. Also, there was not much difference between recipients with and without single-foot deformity in terms of OLS and FSS. The results of this study suggest that we need to provide training programs and rehabilitation services for the elderly affected by Hansen's disease suffering from nerve injury and disability. Furthermore, further research efforts should be made concerning rehabilitation to overcome various forms of disability.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercise on static and dynamic balance in older adults. Methods: A total of 30 older adults participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to the neck and trunk stabilization exercise group (NTSG) (n=15) or the trunk stabilization exercise group (TSG) (n=15). The NTSG performed a trunk stabilization exercise added to a neck stabilization exercise that included biofeedback. Both groups received training for 30 minutes per day three times per week for eight weeks. The anterior, posterior limit of stability and sway length was used to measure static balance ability, while the timed up and go (TUG) test was used to measure dynamic balance ability. Results: Participants showed significant differences in sway length, anterior limit of stability, posterior limit of stability, and the results of the TUG test between their pre- and post mediation evaluations (p<0.05). The NTSG showed a more significant increase than the TSG (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, both exercises effectively improved static and dynamic balance ability. However, the neck and trunk stabilization exercise is more efficient for increasing the balance ability of older adults.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.89-98
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of electromyography (EMG)-biofeedback based closed kinetic chain exercise (CKCE) on quadriceps muscle activity and dynamic balance ability in patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Methods: Thirty subjects with PFPS were included and they were divided into EMG-biofeedback using CKCE (Group I) and squat exercise using CKCE (Group II), each group consisted of 15 patients. Group I and Group II was performed by the patients for three times a week, for six weeks. sEMG was used to measure quadriceps muscle activity and star excursion balance test (SEBT) was used to measure dynamic balance ability. Results: According to the results of the comparisons between the groups, after intervention, quadriceps muscle activity and dynamic balance ability were significantly higher in Group I than in the Group II. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that EMG-biofeedback using CKCE that provides real-time biofeedback information on muscle contraction may have a beneficial effect on selective muscle strength of vastus medialis oblique muscle and dynamic balance ability in PFPS.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2021

Purpose: The study examined the effects of the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise and protein intake on balance, gait ability, and lower extremity muscular strength for sarcopenia in the elderly. Methods: A total of 30 elderly people (65~74years) with sarcopenia were recruited and randomized to Group I (n=10), Group II (n=10), and Group III (n=10). Their balance ability was measured using the functional reach test. Group I performed the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise and protein intake. Group II performed the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise. Group III performed protein intake. Their gait ability was measured using the Timed Up and Go test. Lower extremity muscular strength was measured using the Five Times Sit to Stand test. Results: As a result of comparison within groups, Group I and Group II showed a significant difference in balance, gait, and lower extremity muscular strength after the experiment (p<0.05), and Group I showed a more effectively significant difference than either Group II or Group III in balance, gait, and lower extremity muscular strength before and after the experiment (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation patterns exercise and protein intake was effective in balance, gait ability, and lower extremity muscular strength for sarcopenia in the elderly.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.212-217
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• 2013

Falling is one of the major public problems to the elderly, resulting in limitations of daily living activities. It can be induced by the functional loss of the balance ability and muscle strength in the elderly. It has been, however, not well investigated to suggest an effective methodology improving the balance ability and muscle strength for the prevention of the falling due to lack of information about the characteristics of the balance and muscle activations responded to the dynamic motions. The aim of the current study is, therefore, to identify the characteristics of the balance and muscle activations responded to the dynamic motions in Anterior-Posterior(AP) and Medial Lateral(ML) directions. For that, a motion capture system with eight infrared cameras, surface electromyogram system and Wii Fit system with a customized variable unstable base were used and kinematic and kinetic data obtained from the systems were analyzed for five healthy male($24.8{\pm}3.3years$, $177.4{\pm}2.0cm$, $73.9{\pm}12.9kg$, $23.5{\pm}4.0kg/m$). The results showed that the characteristics of the balance and muscle activations were differently responded to between the dynamic motions in Anterior-Posterior(AP) and Medial Lateral(ML) directions. These findings may indicate that customized dynamic motions should be applied to the training of the balance ability and muscle strength for the effective prevention of the falling. This study may be meaningful to providing basic information to establish a guideline improving effectively the balance ability and muscle strength.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Purpose: This study examines the effects of elastic band of resistance exercise for balance control of the elderly. Methods: Thirty of eighty participants in experiment subjects who demonstrated balance-impairment through the use of primary screening tests including the one leg standing test (OLST), functional reach test (FRT) and timed up and go (TUG) were selected as subjects. Fifteen subjects that underwent muscle-strengthening exercise using an elastic band were selected as the exercise group and fifteen subjects were selected as a control group. Subjects undertook a home-based exercise program three times per week for 9 weeks. Muscle strength, functional assessment and a balance test were quantitatively measured before and after the exercise regimen. Results: After muscle strengthening exercises, changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) showed a significant increase in all of the lower extremity muscles of the exercise group subjects. There were statistically significant differences between the exercise and control groups for changes in the OLST, FRT and TUG, which are functional assessments of balance ability, and changes of the unit path length and circumference area, measurement items of quantitative analysis. In addition, from examining correlations between MVIC, balance ability, it was found that an increase of muscle strength in the hip joint group of muscles among the lower extremity muscles had greater improvement in correlation with balance ability in this elderly population. Conclusion: Resistance exercise using elastic bands had significant effects on muscle strengthening in elderly subjects, with a resultant increase of lower extremity muscle strength with significant improvement of balance ability.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of present study was to determine effects of a visual feedback training on balance ability in poststroke hemiparetic subjects. Methods : Fourteen chronic stroke patients participated. Participants were randomly divided into either visual feedback training group(7 experimental group, 7 control group). All of participated were inpatients at local rehabilitation center and had been receiving a traditional rehabilitation program, five days a week. Exprimental group have additionally undergone for four weeks, three days a week, the visual feedback training but control group was not received any additional program except the traditional rehabilitation program. The Berg Balance Scale(BBS), the FICSIT-4, the MTD-balance system to measure a balance ability were carried out twice before and after training. Results : After participation in the program, subjects of visual feedback training demonstrated a significant improvement in the scores of the BBS, the FICSIT-4, the MTD-Balance system. The control group had no change on the any tests. After the training, the result to improve significantly in visual feedback training group compared to post-test of control group were the score of BBS and the FICSIT-4 and the MTD-Balance system. Conclusions : The present study suggests that the visual feedback training program may become a useful strategy for enhancing balance ability in the rehabilitation of stroke patiens.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the application of temperature to balance the training by observing the effect of sensory changes in the foot sole area on dynamic equilibrium ability through change in the sole temperature. Methods: Participants (n=49), who were selected as a certain standard, applied cold and hot packs for ten minutes at two-week intervals, and the laboratory's internal temperature was maintained at $25^{\circ}C$. The subjects were measured before and after the cold and hot applications in the stable condition with bare feet. Before each experiment applied the cold and hot packs, the balance ability of the ordinary temperature was measured once by conducting a limit of stability test using Biorescue, and the changes in balance ability were observed by measuring once after applying the temperature to the foot sole by means of the ice pack and the hot pack. Results: The results of the dynamic balance test, both before and after the temperature application, were compared, and it was confirmed that the moving area before and after cold application decreased significantly, and the moving area before and after application was not significantly different. The mean of pre-post area differences was found to have decreased at a statistically significant rate in the forward, backward, rightward, leftward, and total areas for the group that received the cold application compared to the group that received the hot application. Conclusion: These findings showed that cold application to the foot sole decreased dynamic balance. There was no significant difference in the dynamic balance ability both before and after the hot application to the foot sole, so it is difficult to conclude that the hot application affected dynamic balance.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.488-492
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study is to find out the reliability and validity of the newly updated Balancia 2.5 program using Wii balance board through equipment that can measure center of pressure data with the precision. Design: Cross-sectional study Methods: Twenty-seven healthy adults participated in the study. The subjects were assessed for static balance ability by Accusway, and were assessed for static balance ability on Wii balance board connected to theBalancia 2.5 program.To limit postural fluctuations due to stare, the subjects were asked to look at a 15 cm dot drawn 3 m in front of them for 30 seconds with their eyes open. Static balance ability data such as path length and sway velocity were extracted from all measurement tools.Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability and validity were extracted through intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The intra-rater reliability that the same rater shows consistent results through test-retest was a high level at ICC=0.968 (0.926~0.986), and inter-rater reliability that the requires consistent results even when measured by different raters was a high level at ICC=0.943 (0.870~0.975). The validity was a high level at ICC=0.948 (0.881~0.977), which shows whether the measurement tool is properly measuring what it is intended to measure. Conclusions: The Balancia 2.5 program, newly updated through this study, proved to be a program with high reliability and validity in evaluating static balance ability like the existingBalancia 2.0 program.