Effects of Manual Therapy on Pain and Function of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine how a manual therapy (joint mobilization and flexion-distraction technique) would affect pain and function with the chronic low back pain. METHODS: Thirty patients were assigned to either the experimental group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Patients in the experimental group performed joint mobilization and flexion-distraction technique. Patients in the control group performed spinal decompression therapy. Both exercises were performed for three days per week, for a period of six weeks. Pain was measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional disability was measured using the Oswestry disability index (ODI). A paired t-test was used for identify differences before and after treatment, and an independent t-test was used to identify differences between treatment groups. RESULTS: In the within group comparison, the experimental group and control group differed significantly for all variables (p0.05). CONCLUSION: The above results confirmed that it is necessary to confirm the various benefits of therapy with the joint mobilization and the flexion-distraction technique. The findings of the concerned study will be useful to doctors applying therapy to treat patients with the chronic low back pain.

The Effects of Spinal Decompression Therapy on Pain and Disability in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of spinal decompression therapy on pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: Twenty patients with chronic low back pain were divided into an experimental group (spinal decompression therapy, n=10) and a control group (conservative physical therapy, n=10). Both groups were treated three times a week over a four-week period. RESULTS: The comparison of between-group changes post-treatment revealed statistically significant lower levels of pain and disability in the experimental group than the control group. The comparison of within each group changes before and after the treatment showed statistically significant declines in pain and disability indexes of both groups. CONCLUSION: Spinal decompression therapy may be an effective intervention for improving pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain.

The Effects of High Intensity Laser Therapy on Pain and Function of Patients with Frozen Shoulder

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy on pain and function of a frozen shoulder. METHODS: Thirty patients were assigned to two groups: the experimental group (n=15) and the control group (n=15). Both groups received traditional therapy for 4 weeks, 3 days a week. The experimental group, however, received an additional high intensity laser therapy. Pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The functional ability was measured using the patient specific functional scale (PSFS). A paired t-test was used to determine any differences before and after the treatment, and an independent t-test was used to determine any differences between treatment groups. RESULTS: Both groups showed a statistically significant difference for VAS and PSFS score (p<0.05). In comparison between two groups, more experimental group than control group statistically significant difference (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There seems to be a positive effect on pain and function of frozen shoulder from using high intensity laser therapy.

Glycogen Metabolism and Glucose Uptake Rate of the Skeletal Muscle after Hind / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The effects of hind-limb immobilization by skeletal fixation of bilateral ankle and knee joints. for sither one or five weeks on glycogen concentrations, glycogen resynthetic activities and insulin responses to glucose uptake of hind-limb muscles were studied on male Splague-Dawley rats. There were significant drops in muscle wet weight to body weight ratio of immobilized soleus and plataris. In the group immobilized for one week, the ratios of sleous and plantaris were decreased by 11% and 38% respectively; and in the group immobilized for five weeks, the ratios were decreased by 42% in both muscles equally. The glycogen concentration and glycogen resynthetic activities of soleus and plantaris muscles in immobilized rats were decreased significantly in the one week group. However, in the five week group, these values were increased significantly compared to the values of those muscles of the one week group. The increased values of the five week group did not exceed those of the control group. The glucose uptake rate of the soleus muscle of the hind-limbs immobilized for one week and for five weeks were studied in vitro. The basal glucose uptake rate of the muscle of the control group was 8.4 ± 0.77Mol/gm/20min. The values of basal rate and insulin responses to the glucose uptake rates in the doses of physiological and supramaximal on the soleus muscles immobilized for one week was significantly decreased, but after immobilization for five weeks, these values were not significantly different statistically those from of the control group statistically.

A study of the cause of metal failure in treatment of femur shaft fracture: Fractographical and clinical analysis of metal failure / 영남의대학술지

The author fractographically analyzed the cause of metal failure (the first time this procedure has been used for this metal failure) and also analyzed in clinically. In this study, I selected eight cases which have been analyzed fractographically. In all these cases, the analysis was done after treatment of metal failure of implants internally fixed to femur shaft fractures at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yeung-Nam University Hospital during the six year period from May 1983 to September 1989. 1. Metal failure occurred in five dynamic-compression plates, one Jewett nail, one screw in Rowe plate, and one interlocking nail. 2. The clinical cause of metal failure was deficiency of medial buttes in five cases, incorrect position of implant in one case, and incorrect selection of implant in two cases. 3. The time interval between internal fixation and metal failure was four months in one case, between five months to twelve months in six cases, three years in one case. 4. The fractographically analytical cause of metal failure was ; first, impact failure, one case, second, fatigue failure, six cases, machining mark (stress riser), four case type: low consistent cyclic fatigue failure irregular cyclic fatigue failure third, stress corrosion crack, one case. 5. 316 L Stainless Steel has good resistance to corrosion. However, when its peculiar surface film is destroyed by fretting, it shows pitting corrosion. This is, perhaps, the main cause of metal failure. 6. It is possible that mechanical injury occurred in implants during the manufacturing of implants or that making a screw hole in the main cause of metal failure.