• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.17-25
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• 2016

Purpose : This study attempts to examine the effect of the balance exercise on the unstable surfaces for the vital capacity in healthy adults. Methods : A total of 13 subjects was randomly divided into a breathing exercise training group (n=7) and a breathing and balance exercise training group (n=6). Changes in vital capacity and respiratory muscle activity were measured before and after the intervention. The intervention was performed three times a week for four weeks. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) were used as measurement tools for the vital capacity test. Electromyography (EMG) was also used to examine respiratory muscle activity. Result : The breathing exercise training group showed significant improvement in terms of FVC, FEV1 and external oblique (EO), and transverse abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO) of MVV. The breathing and balance exercise training group showed significant improvement in terms of FVC, MVV and EO, TrA/IO of FVC and rectus abdominis (RA), EO, and TrA/IO of MVV. However, in comparing changes in vital capacity and respiratory muscle activity before and after the training, the breathing exercise training group and the breathing and balance exercise training group showed a significant difference in terms of MVV. Conclusion : This study is as a preliminary study to find out the relation between a balance exercise and a vital capacity, it is considered to require a further study with several revisions of subjects, duration and time for an intervention.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2018

This study was conducted to examine changes in the muscle activity of the triceps surae, specifically the gastrocnemius and the soleus, depending on the angle of the knee joint during the manual muscle test (MMT) of the plantar flexion of the ankle. The muscle activity of the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius was statistically significantly reduced when the angle of the knee joint was $15^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, and $45^{\circ}$ compared to when the angle was $0^{\circ}$. However, there was no statistically significant difference in muscle activity at the angles of $15^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$ or $45^{\circ}$. There was no statistically significant difference in the muscle activity of the soleus depending on the angle of the knee joint. The ratio of the muscle activity of the soleus to that of the triceps surae showed a statistically significant increase when the angle was $15^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ}$ compared to when the angle was $0^{\circ}$. However, there was no statistically significant difference in muscle activity at the angles of $15^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$ or $45^{\circ}$. When the angle of the knee joint was $15^{\circ}$ or higher during the test of the isolated soleus, the muscle activity of the gastrocnemius was reduced. These results indicate that the angle is suitable for the test of the isolated soleus, but there was no statistically significant difference in the muscle activity of the gastrocnemius when the angle was higher than $15^{\circ}$. Therefore, it can be concluded that the most suitable angle of the knee joint for the isolated MMT test of the soleus is $15^{\circ}$.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2017

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of core and abdominal muscle-strengthening exercises on muscle activity in the lower extremity on unexpected perturbation. Methods: Twenty subjects were randomly divided into the core exercise group (n=10) or the abdominal muscles strengthening group (n=10). The two groups performed their exercises during three sessions a week for a total of four weeks. The muscle activity in the lower muscles (rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius) was assessed using surface electromyography (EMG) and normalized maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) before and after the exercises. Results: An increase in the tibialis anterior activity after the core and abdominal muscles strengthening exercises was found after four weeks. A significant difference in the pre- and post-exercise was found. The gastrocnemius muscle activity increased in the core exercise group more than the abdominal muscles strengthening group. However, the difference was not significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the core and abdominal muscles strengthening exercises increased the tibialis anterior muscle activity. It is expected to help make more balance ability that affect who has abdominal muscles weakness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This Study compared the level of activation of the muscles around the shoulder at the time of abduction through Pilates breathing and regular breathing by using quantified biofeedback. METHODS: Experiment was conducted on 25 healthy males and females in the age bracket of 20's~30's as the subjects. The level of activation of muscles displayed at the time of Pilates breathing were measured at intercostal (InC) muscle, transverse abdominis (TrA) muscle, internal oblique (IO) muscle and external oblique (EO) muscle by using surface electromyogram (EMG) and were provided as biofeedback. Moreover, the changes in the level of muscular activation at sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, upper trapezius (UT) muscle and Deltoid (Del) muscle, which are the muscles around the shoulder, at the time of abduction of shoulder during Pilates breathing and regular breathing were measured. RESULTS: When abduction of shoulder is executed through Pilates breathing, the level of muscular activation of UT muscle was $11.56{\pm}7.10%$ at the time of exhaling of Pilates breathing and $17.54{\pm}9.57%$ at the time of exhaling of regular breathing. Del muscle also displayed lowered level of muscular activation at the time of Pilates breathing with $12.88{\pm}5.80%$ during inhaling and $15.14{\pm}5.49%$ during exhaling. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results could be interpreted as indicating that the muscle activities of upper trapezius and deltoid muscle were decreased based on Pilates breathing more than those on regular breathing.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of backrests of varying degrees ($90^{\circ}$, $100^{\circ}$, $110^{\circ}$) on three abdominal muscles (upper rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique) and back extensor activation during lower extremity exercise. The three different conditions during bilateral knee extention exercise were: (1) leaning on a chair with a $90^{\circ}$ backrest, (2) leaning on a chair with a $100^{\circ}$ backrest, (3) leaning on a chair with a $110^{\circ}$ backrest. Fifteen healthy muscle subjects (mean age=24.2 years [SD=2.96], mean height=175.6 cm [SD=7.46], mean weight=69.1 kg [SD=7.36]) with no history of neuromusculoskeletal disease voluntarily participated in this study. Electromyography was used to collect muscle activation, and the muscle activation was expressed as a percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC). Repeated one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the statistical significance. The results were as follows: (1) upper rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique activation measured significantly lower. (2) measured significantly lower when lower degree.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.939-947
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• 2010

With the rising numbers of elderly and disabled people, the demand for welfare services using a robotic system and not involving human effort is likewise increasing. This study deals with a mobile-robot system combined with a BWS (Body Weight Support) system for gait rehabilitation. The BWS system is designed via the kinematic analysis of the robot's body-lifting characteristics and of the walking guide system that controls the total rehabilitation system integrated in the mobile robot. This mobile platform is operated by utilizing the AGV (Autonomous Guided Vehicle) driving algorithm. Especially, the method that integrates geometric path tracking and obstacle avoidance for a nonholonomic mobile robot is applied so that the system can be operated in an area where the elderly users are expected to be situated, such as in a public hospital or a rehabilitation center. The mobile robot follows the path by moving through the turning radius supplied by the pure-pursuit method which is one of the existing geometric path-tracking methods. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the real experiments those are conducted for path tracking with static- and dynamic-obstacle avoidance. Finally, through the EMG (Electromyography) signal measurement of the subject, the performance of the proposed system in a real operation condition is evaluated.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.67-75
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare Hip-Knee-Ankle(HKA) angle and muscle activation ratio between vastus medialis(VM), rectus femoris(RF), and vastus lateralis (VL), and by this, to examine their relationship. It is aimed to explore how the activation ratio among the muscles involved in patellofemoral kinetics would vary in relation with the frontal alignment of the lower extremity. Subjects and Methods: 26 healthy subjects were recruited for the study. The HKA angles were measured with radiograph. The VM, RF, VL muscle activation level were measured by surface electromyography while each participant performed 4 different types of movement (isometric knee extension, squat, ambulation, step-up) and VM/RF, VM/VL, RF/VL ratios were calculated. Pearson correlation was used to estimate the relationship between the HKA angle and the muscle ratio. Results: There was significant moderate correlation between HKA angle and VM: RF on the left side during ambulation (p<0.05). Moderate correlations were also observed during step-up and squat with less significance (p<0.1). Conclusion: The frontal alignment of the knee measured by the HKA angle was conditionally associated with muscle activation ratio between VM and RF (VM:RF); On the left, during ambulation, step-up, and squat, the more valgus knee tended to correlate with the more VM muscle activation ratio, which is expected to induce more stabilizing effect to the patella and its tracking. It suggests that the frontal alignement measured by the HKA-angle can affect PF kinetics. It also indicates a possibility that increase in valgus alignment of the knee, by the HKA measurement, may not act unfavorably to generate PFP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.51-59
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• 2020

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide clinical basic data to reduce pain and improve function by comparing neck muscle activity and neck alignment using self-stretching and passive stretching exercises for chronic neck pain caused by forward head posture. METHODS: The subjects were divided into 15 subjects assigned to perform self-stretching exercise and 15 subjects assigned to perform passive stretching exercise. The intervention was conducted for a total of 4 weeks. The muscle activity in the neck was measured by surface electromyography (EMG) before intervention, and craniovertebral and cranial rotation angles were measured by X-ray. The 4-week intervention was conducted and the above items re-measured in the same manner and analyzed. RESULTS: Muscle activity within both groups after intervention using self-stretching or passive stretching exercise was significantly different (p < .05)(p < .01). Neck alignment of both groups was significantly different (p < .001)(p < .01). Further, muscle activities of the upper trapezius and splenius capitis muscles showed significant differences (p<.05). Lastly, neck alignment showed statistically significant difference (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Self-stretching exercise activated motor nerves as a posture correction exercise, thereby improving inhibition of muscle activity, muscle contraction delay, and pathological conditions of the muscle. For future research, interventions of self-stretching exercise will be needed for patients with chronic back pain accompanied by forward head posture, and various clinical studies on postural improvement of forward head posture by maintaining a normal muscle tone state are needed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to find out the effects on muscle activations of serratus anterior and upper trapezius muscles when push-up plus exercise togu applied differently depending on the body part. Method : Thirty six volunteers took part in this study and we divided into three groups(upper arm togu group 12, leg togu group 12, upper arm-leg togu group 12). Each experimental group performed push-up plus exercise. All volunteers received a total of 18 exercise session over a 6 week period (three times per week). Exercise program was composed of serratus anterior and upper trapezius push-up plus exercise. Then we measured muscle activation of scapular stabilizer by electromyography. Repeated ANOVA was used to examine the effects of the intervention on each outcome measure. Result : After the six week intervention, there was a significant difference between the pre and 6 week in serratus anterior and upper trapezius muscle activity(p<0.05). After the six week intervention, there was a significant difference among the three group in serratus anterior muscle activity but no significant difference in upper trapezius muscle activity(p>.05). Conclusion : Serratus anterior and upper trapezius showed high muscle activity during push-up plus exercise. Therefore have a positive impact of scapular stabilizer. The larger the area of the unstable support surface, the larger muscle activity was larger of variation quantity.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of trapezius and serratus anterior strengthening exercise on the shoulder pain and muscle activation of patients with spinal cord injury and functional shoulder impingement syndrome. Methods: The study consisted of 10 patients with spinal cord injury who were hospitalized in Rehabilitation Hospital U, Uijeongbu, South Korea. The exercise was implemented three times a week for 10 weeks. In each session, the subjects performed one of a total of five types of exercise at mid-level intensity. The shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) was used to evaluate the patients before and after the intervention. The muscle activation of the upper trapezius, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, and anterior serratus muscle was assessed by surface electromyography (EMG) at the beginning of the experiment and 10 weeks later. Wilcoxon's singed-rank test was conducted to determine differences in the pain index and muscle activation before and after the exercise. The level of statistical significance was set at ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: SPADI scores significantly decreased after the exercise (p<0.05). In comparisons of muscle activation, there was a significant improvement in the upper trapezius at $60^{\circ}$ shoulder joint flexion (p<0.05). There was no significant improvement at $90^{\circ}$ shoulder joint flexion. The middle trapezius showed a significant improvement at $120^{\circ}$ shoulder joint flexion (p<0.05). Conclusion: Trapezius and serratus anterior strengthening exercise reduced pain in spinal cord injury patients with functional shoulder impingement syndrome. The decreased muscle activation of upper trapezius and increased muscle activation of the anterior serratus muscle at $60^{\circ}$ shoulder joint flexion point to positive effects of the exercise on supraduction of the scapula.