ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of wearing a good posture belt on buttock pressure during cross-legged sitting. [Subjects] The study subjects were 34 adults who were divided into a good posture belt group (7 men, and 10 women) and a control group (7 men, and 10 women), with 17 subjects each. [Methods] Sensor mats were used to measure buttock pressure and changes in the total travel distance of the center of pressure, maximum pressure, and mean pressure. [Results] The good posture belt group showed smaller increments in center of pressure, maximum pressure, and mean pressure than the control group. [Conclusion] The use of the good posture belt during cross-legged sitting is considered to control the increment of buttock pressure, thereby greatly helping the maintenance of efficient postures.
ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in the supraspinatus cross-sectional areas according to shoulder abduction angles, using ultrasonography. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects consisted of 40 individuals (20 males and 20 females). The cross-sectional areas of the supraspinatus of all subjects were measured with ultrasonography at abduction angle of 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°. We set four abduction angle levels (I, II, III, and IV), 0° to 30°, 30° to 60°, 60° to 90°, and 90° to 120°, respectively, when determining the largest change in cross-sectional area. [Results] The results revealed that cross-sectional areas of the supraspinatus increased at all levels, but the abduction angle level with the largest increase in cross-sectional area of the supraspinatus was Level III. [Conclusion] The above results indicate that performing exercises at an abduction angle between 60° and 90° will be the most effective for supraspinatus strengthening in clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the thickness of the deep cervical flexors (DCFs) according to the degree of mouth opening (MO) in normal adults. [Subjects] The study's subjects were 50 normal adults (30 men, 20 women). [Methods] Ultrasound was used to obtain images of muscles, and the NIH ImageJ software was used to measure the thickness of each muscle. [Results] An increase in MO resulted in a corresponding increase in the thickness of the DCFs, and in isometric exercises (IEs), the thickness of the DCFs further increased during MO. [Conclusion] During MO, the thickness of the DCFs increased. This may be due to correlations between mandibular movements and DCFs. Therefore, the results are likely to be utilized as new clinical research data.
ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of running in place while using the abdominal drawing-in method on healthy adults' lumbar stability. [Subjects] A total of 30 subjects were divided into a training group of 15 subjects and a control group of 15 subjects. [Methods] The training group ran in place using the abdominal drawing-in method for 30 minutes per session, three sessions per week, for a total of six weeks. For both the training group and the control group, static lumbar stability (SLS) and dynamic lumbar stability (DLS) were measured before and after the experiment using a pressure biofeedback unit. [Results] Pre- and post-intervention measurements were compared within the training group and the control group. According to the results, the training group showed statistically significant differences in DLS. [Conclusion] Running in place, which can be performed easily regardless of time and location, can be recommended as an exercise that will improve the dynamic lumbar stability of students or office workers.
ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pelvic adjustment using Gonstead techniques on posture in female university students. [Subjects] In this study, 30 female university students were selected and divided into a pelvic adjustment group of 15 subjects as an experimental group and a stretching group of 15 subjects as a control group. [Methods] Step length difference (SLD), stance phase difference (STPD), swing phase difference (SWPD), single support difference (SSD), and step time difference (STD) were evaluated in the subjects using an OptoGait. [Results] Whereas the adjustment group showed statistically significant differences in SLD, STPD, SWPD, SSD, and STD, the stretching group did not show any statistically significant differences in any of the items. [Conclusion] Pelvic adjustment can be applied using Gonstead techniques as a method of reducing differences in normal gait variables between the left and right sides in adults.
ABSTRACT
[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the amount of change in the thicknesses of the deep cervical flexor (DCF) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles in subjects with neck pain and subjects without neck pain during craniocervical flexion exercise (CCFE). [Subjects] The total number of subjects was 40, comprising 20 in the no-pain group (males 11, females 9) and 20 in the pain group (males 8, females 12). [Methods] Muscle images were obtained using ultrasound, and the thicknesses of the individual muscles were measured using the NIH ImageJ software. [Results] During CCFE, as pressure increased, the no-pain group recruited the DCF more than the pain group, while the pain group recruited the SCM more. [Conclusion] Selective DCF contraction exercises are considered very useful in the treatment of patients with neck pain.