• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.33-37
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study on the effects of deep cervical flexors strengthening exercise to forward head posture and pain of neck in patients with chronic neck pain. Method: We selected 30 subjects among neck pain patients and carried out measurements. The subjects' forward head posture was measured including head tilt angle (HTA), neck flexion angle (NFA) and forward shoulder angle (FSA), neck disability index (NDI), numeric rating scale (NRS). The subjects underwent deep cervical flexors muscle strengthening with pressure bio-feedback device for 4 weeks. Then, after intervention, the subjects' forward head posture was measured again. It was performed Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for confirming the effect of deep cervical flexor muscles strengthening exercise. Results: As a result of comparison of measurements before and after intervention, we found that there were statistically significant improvement in the subjects' NDI, NRS and forward head posture including head tilt angle, neck flexion angle and forward shoulder angle. Conclusion: We concluded that deep cervical flexors strengthening exercise has the effect of alleviation of neck pain patients and is effective for forward head posture.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.947-948
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• 2011

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.2413-2419
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• 2015

Core spinal muscles are related to trunk stability and assume the main role of stabilizing the spine during daily activities; strengthening of core muscles around the spine can therefore reduce the chance of back pain. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of core muscle strengthening in the spine during spine stabilization exercise using a whole body tilt device. To achieve this, a validated musculoskeletal (MS) model of the whole body was used to replicate the input motion from the whole body tilting exercise. An inverse dynamics analysis was executed to estimate spine loads and muscle forces depending on the tilting angles of the exercise device. The activation of long and superficial back muscles such as the erector spinae (iliocostalis and longissimus) were mainly affected by the forward direction (-40°) of the tilt, while the front muscles (psoas major, quadratus lumborum, and external and internal obliques) were mainly affected by the backward tilting direction (40°). Deep muscles such as the multifidi and short muscles were activated in most directions of the rotation and tilt. The backward directions of the tilt using this device could be carefully applied for the elderly and for rehabilitation patients who are expected to have less muscle strength. In this study, it was shown that the spine stabilization exercise device can provide considerable muscle exercise effect.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine if there is any correlation between pelvic tilt angle and trunk motion and trunk extensor during trunk forward flexion and to measure trunk motion, onset time of trunk motion, and onset time of trunk extensor activation. Methods : The subjects of this study were 42 healthy adults. The subjects had no back pain due to neurological disease and no experience of back surgery. After pelvic tilt angle was measured, each trunk forward flexion was performed three times. Trunk motion and onset time of trunk motion were measured using Myomotion. Four sensors were used, with one located at the upper thoracic (below $C_7$), the lower thoracic ($T_{12}-L_1$), the sacrum ($S_1$), and at the center of the anterior femur. Onset time of trunk extensors (spinalis, longissimus, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius) activation was measured using a wireless surface EMG. The EMG amplitude was normalized by using the reference voluntary contraction (RVC). The statistical significance of the results were evaluated using Pearson's correlation test. Results : The correlation between pelvic tilt angle and lumbar motion, onset time of pelvis motion, and onset time of gluteus medius activation was statistically significant in a positive direction (p<.05). The correlation between pelvic tilt angle with pelvis motion, onset time of lumbar motion, and onset time of longissimus activation showed a statistically significant negative correlation (p<.05). Conclusion : The study results provide a significant contribution to our understanding of the lumbar load at the initial stage of trunk flexion. Therefore, it may be possible to provide basic data for evaluation and treatment, such as orthodontic treatment for alignment of the spine and back pain. In addition, it is necessary to focus on normal exercise pattern reeducation as well as pelvic correction during exercise in daily life or in industrial fields.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 6 weeks of sling exercises on female patients 20 years of age with low back pain according to flexibility, balance, muscle strength and pelvic tilt. Method : The 20 female patients who complained of back pain were divided into two groups. The experimental group exercised for 40 minutes, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. The control group did not. Both groups were measure for flexibility, balance, muscular strength, and pelvic tilt angle. Result : Curvature of the experimental flexibility, stretch, balance, muscle strength of the trunk forward, backward, left rotation, right rotation for the sling exercise group had significant differences. However, pelvic tilt did not show a significant difference. Control of the stretch of the flexibility, balance, and muscle strength of the trunk posterior showed significant differences for the sling exercise group. Conclusion : Although significant differences were found in flexibility, balance, muscular strength, there was no difference in pelvic tilt. When selecting subjects, we believe patients with regular patterns of pain will be more effective for statistical analysis of the changes in pelvic tilt.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.265-272
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• 2019

Purpose : Excessive computer use frequently results in musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and shoulder such as forward head posture (FHP). The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of neck and shoulder exercise program on spino-pelvic alignment and the correlation between change in head and neck posture and spino-pelvic alignment in FHP. Methods : The study included 44 participants with FHP. The participants performed the exercise for correction of FHP 2-3 times a week for 4 weeks. We examined whole spine X-ray images in the lateral standing position with both arms crossed. We measured anterior head translation distance (AHT), craniovertebral angle (CVA), cervical lordosis (CL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbosacral lordosis (LSL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), and pelvic incidence (PI) of the subjects. The association between change in AHT and each spino-pelvic parameter was also subjected to Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis. Results : There were statistically significant differences before and after exercise in the parameters of AHT, CVA, and SS (p<.05). Significant negative correlation was observed between the change in AHT and CVA (r=-.768, p<.001), and CL (r=-.388, p<.05). There was significant positive correlation between the change in AHT and SS (r=.328, p<.05), and PI (r=.333, p<.05). However, no significant correlation was observed in change in AHT with that of TK, LSL, and PT. Conclusion : Based on the above results, we conclude that there is a relationship between change in AHT, which is a parameter associated with forward displacement of the head, and that of CVA, CL, SS, and PI after exercise in cases of FHP.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.1425-1426
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• 2015

Core spine muscle are related are associated with trunk stability and play a main role for the prevention of low back pain. In this study, it was investigated the effect of spine stabilization exercise device on core spinal muscles using a musculoskeletal model The forward direction of the tilt mainly induced the activation of long and superficial back muscles and the backward affected the front muscles. It was shown that spine stabilization exercise device can induce significant core muscle exercise effect.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.2065-2070
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• 2020

Background: Weakness of the abdominal and mid thoracic muscles the lead to thoracic kyphosis of stroke patients. The trunk muscles activity of stroke patients is significantly related to upper extremity. Objectives: To investigate the effect of seated exercise of thoracic and abdominal muscles on upper extremity function and trunk muscles activity in stroke patients. Design: One-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: A total of 27 stroke patients were recruited. All stroke patient were given seated abdominal exercise (posterior pelvic tilt exercises) and thoracic exercise (postural-correction exercise). All exercises were conducted for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks. The manual function test (MFT) and electromyography (EMG) were measured, and EMG electrodes were attached to thoracic paraspinal muscles and lower rectus abdominal muscles. EMG signal is expressed as %RVC (reference voluntary contraction). Results: Experimental group showed significant increases in abdominal muscles, paraspinal muscles activity and MFT total score, items of arm motion (forward elevation of the upper extremity, lateral elevation of the upper extremity, touch the occiput with the palm) in MFT after four weeks. Conclusion: These results suggest that, in stroke patients, seated exercise of thoracic and abdominal muscles contribute to improve trunk muscles activity and upper extremity function in stroke patients.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.573-587
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was conducted in order to analyze the effects of the manual intervention and self-corrective exercise models of general coordinative manipulation(GCM) on the balance restoration of spine & extremities joints with distortions and mal-alignment areas. The subjects were the members who visited GCM Musculoskeletal Prevent Exercise Center from March 1 2012 to December 31 2013 because of spine & extremities joints distortion and mal-alignments, poor posture, and body type correction. All subjects were diagnosed with the four types of the GBT diagnosis. And according to the standards of the mobility vs stability types of the upper & lower body, they were classified into Group 1(40 persons) and Group 2(24 persons). For every other day for three times a week, GCM intervention models were applied to all subjects for four weeks, adding up to 12 times in total. Then the balance restoration effects were re-evaluated with the same methods. The results are as follows. 1) Balance restoration effects of VASdp(Visual analysis scale pain & discomfort) and ER(Equilibrium reaction: ER) came out higher in GCM body type(GBT) II III IV of Group 1. 2) In case of balance restoration effects in Moire and postural evaluation areas, Group 1 was higher and cervical and scapular girdle were higher in Group 2. The balance restoration of the four GBT types was significant in all regions(p<.05), and the scapular girdle came out as high in the order of GBTII IV I. 3) In case of thoracic-lumbar scoliosis and head rotation facial asymmetric cervical scoliosis ribcage forward, the balance restoration effects of the upper body postural evaluation areas came out the highest in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. The balance restoration effects of the four GBT types were significant in all regions(p<.05), and came out the highest in lumbar scoliosis GBTIII I, ribcage forward and thoracic scoliosis GBTII IV. 4) The balance restoration effects of the lower body postural evaluation areas came out higher in Group 1 and Group 2 for pelvis girdle deviation patella high umbilicus tilt and hallux valgus foot longitudinal arch: FLA patella direction, respectively. The balance restoration effects of the four GBT types were significant in all regions(p<.05), and came out the highest in pelvis girdle deviation GBTIII I and patella high-direction GBTIV II I. 5) The balance restoration effects between the same GBT came out significant (p<.05) in all evaluation areas and items. The conclusions of this study was the manual intervention and self-corrective exercise models of the GCM about the mal-alignment of the spine & extremities joints across the whole body indicated high balance restoration effects(p<.05) in spine & extremities joints in all evaluation areas.