This study was conducted to examine the increasing effects of Ga-As-Al laser Koryo-hand acupuncture on experimental pressure threshold. Forty healthy subjects (female=20. male=20) aged 21 to 30 years were randomly assigned to two treatment groups with same ratio in sex. The subjects in the experimental group (n=20) received Ga-As-Al laser stimulation, and those in the control group (n=20) received sham stimulation on appropriate Koryo-hand acupuncture points M10 on the left hand which is reflex point of upper trapezius portion. Experimental pressure threshold at the contralateral upper trapezius was determined with a pressure algometer and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) before and after treatment. The change of pressure threshold between pretreatment and posttreatment in the experimental group was greater than that in the control group (p<0.05). The result indicates that Ga-As-Al laser Koryo-hand acupuncture increases experimental pressure threshold and suggests that it is an effective noninvasive pain management technique.
Laser photobiostimulation (LPBS) is one of the recent additions to therapeutic procedures used in chronic pain management. Though widely used, a clear understanding of its mechanism of action was not disclosed. In addition, the energy density that produces maximal benefit has not yet been established. The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of LPBS on pain relief in rat and to determine treatment dosage. Eight, 8-week old female, Sprague-Dawley rats were employed. All subjects were assigned to one of four groups: a sham laser group, a 0.4 laser group, a 2.0 laser group, and a 6.0 laser group. Ga-As laser (904 nm wavelength) of three different energy densities (0.4, 2.0, 6.0 ) was applied on a tail acupuncture point and tail-flick latencies were measured five times pre-and post-treatment as following schedules: 30 minutes, 1 hour. 24 hours. 48 hours, and 7 days later. An increase in pain threshold was demonstrated following LPBS, employing rat tail-flick test. LPBS of 2.0 produced hypoalgesia of rapid onset and short duration (1 hour, 24 hours) while the response to 6.0 was delayed and lasted longer (48 hours, 7 days). LPBS of 0.4 did not produce any hypoalgesia.
The objective of this study was to identify the effects of pelvic tilting exercise on gait patterns of hemiplegic patients. The subjects of this study were 31 hemiplegic in- and out-patients of the Rehabilitation Hospital, Yonsei University Medical Center, from September 24, 1997 through November 5, 1997. Pre- and post-treatment change in gait patterns were measured using a ink foot-print. The data were analyzed by the paired t-test, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-test. The findings were as follows: The difference in gait patterns between pre- and post-treatment was statistically significant, with an increase in gait velocity to 7.98 cm/sec post-treatment; an increase in cadence to 7.29 steps/min; a narrowing of the base of support to 1.33 cm; an increase in step length of 3.92 cm on the less affected side and 3.73 cm on the more affected side; an increase in stride length of 5.82 cm on the less affected side and 5.92 cm on the more affected side(statistically not significant in foot angle). In relation to sex, age, cause of stroke, and laterality of paralysis, the difference in gait patterns between pre- and post-treatment was not statistically significant. Where there was no significant difference of the effects of pelvic exercise regarding the degree of spasticity, the presence of a decrease in proprioception, and the duration of treatment. In conclusion, hemiplegic pelvic tilting exercise was found to have transmitting positive effect in improving gait patterns.
Thumb adduction is an abnormal pattern typically noted in children with spastic cerebral palsy. This abnormal pattern can limit hand function, specifically in the type and quality of prehension pattern used and in the coordination of release. This ABAB single-subject research was designed to examine the effects of short thumb opponens splint on hand function in cerebral palsy. The subject was a 4 years and 8 months old boy with right upper extremity spasticity. The child was fitted with a short thumb opponens splint, which was worn for 8 hours per day during the daytime. Two different measures were used: (a) prehension component scores; (b) Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency. Data was collected three times a week for 10 weeks. Visual analysis of data indicate that after the application of a short thumb opponens splint, improvements were noted in the prehension pattern and fine motor functional task. The results of this study suggest that short thumb opponens splint may prove efficaciousness in the treatment of the child with cerebral palsy.
The purposes of this research were to understand the realities of health management and to analyze the subjective, functional, psychological, and social health effects of the application of an exercise and education program to manage health on an elderly population residing in an agricultural community. The specific purposes of this research were: 1. to determine the subjective, functional, psychological health conditions, and performance level of instrumental activities of daily living of both the experimental and control groups before introducing a health management program, and then 2. to compare these with both the experimental and control groups' subjective, functional, psychological health condition and performance level of instrumental activities of daily living after applying the health management program. The health management program was introduced to the experimental group (50 people) but not to the control group (50 people). The health management program was composed of a health exercise program and a health education program. A comparative study of subjective health conditions was done to examine the effect of the health management program and the characteristics of health related variables before and after the program application. The results were as follows: 1. When the experimental group, which had received the 8-week health management exercise and education program, was compared with the control group, which had not, the experimental group's subjective health condition scored higher than that of the control group (p
Parents of handicapped children are experiencing difficulties in their children's care, social isolation, change of life style and lirnited leisure time. Because the parents should take care of the children's daily life, they have lots of psychological and physical stress. Chronic stress of parents puts stress to the other family members and affects the development of children with handicap. The purpose of this study were to identify the level of stress in each of parents of children with motor problem, the characteristics of the children and general information related with the children, and to analyse the stress by reasons. Specially organized questionnaire were used for an investigation method. "Test of stress in mother who has children with chronic illness" by Kim Hee-soon were modified and used. The questionnaire answered by 43 mothers and 35 fathers were analyzed. Data analysis includes frequency analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, paired-samples t-test and MANOV A by SPSSWIN. The results were as follows: 1) Degree of handicap was most moderate (46.5%), level of motor development was most pull to walk (34.9%), and combined handicap was 69.8%. 2) Sexual distribution represented that 51.2% male and 48.8% female. The cost of physical therapy was 69.8% in no more than 100,000 won. 3) The mean of age, for the mother was 32.8 years and 35.3 years. Level of motor development that mother and father expect was 88.4%, 83% walk alone. 4) Both mother and father experienced stress in other of Part II (changes in father was the illness status of the child and difficulty in taking care of child), Part III (prognosis of the child's condition), Part I (social-personal relationships and the responsibility of the care givers). In the total score of stress, mother's stress is indicated higher level than father's stress. 5) There was no correlationship between characteristics and stress of mother and father. 6) There was no statistically significant difference between characteristics and related general information of children with handicap and stress of mother and father. As a results, the mother of children with handicap are experiencing more stress than the father. Both of parents have the most difficulties in the changes in the illness status of the child and difficulty in taking care of child. This study can be used as resources of education, therapy and counselling for children with handicap and their parents. This study, also, can be used to encourage the quality of Iife for the children with handicapped and their family.ㅂ
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mental practice on biceps brachii muscle strengthening in 3 poststroke hemiplegia patients along with multiple baseline design across subjects. The mental practice adopted for this experiment involved imagery training to practice elbow flexion, which last 12 to 16 sessions with 30 minutes each session. Maximal muscle activities was measured pre- and post-mental practice to evaluate the strength of biceps brachii. The strength of biceps brachii was measured by surface-EMG. The results were: In the subject 1, 73.92 mV (pre-) and 127.56 mV (post-); in the subject 2, 147.60 mV (pre-) and 202.85 mV (post-); and in the subject 3, 20.75 mV (pre-) and 27.92 mV (post-). The results indicate that a simple mental practice is a useful method to strengthen biceps brachii muscle in hemiplegic patients.
The purpose of this study is to introduce prosthetic discipline and ambulation training after hemipelvectomy due to osteosarcoma. Over the past years, when the malignant bone tumors occurs in the extremities amputation is not enough to prevent a part recurrence and distal transformation resulting in fatal prognosis. On the other hand, these procedures could bring about a difficulty in rehabilitation in curing patient who have had hemipelvectomy. However the recent development of chemotherapy and diagnostic facility have permitted the orthopedic surgeons to many try amputations for the treatment of the malignant bone tumors. Unfortunately, there has not been many researches on hemipelvectomy. Since there is no studies found on hemipelvectomy either. Therefore, we introduce successful procedures for rehabilitation through the ambulation training for patients who have had amputation. One of our patients, who is an eighteen years old male, has had hemipelvectomy on the eighteenth of June in 1997 after his anticancer treatment over 12 times. He has had physical therapy of prosthetic ambulation training at the department of rehabilitation medicine Yonsei University Medical Center from the fifteenth of October to December '2nd in 1997.
The purposes of this article are to review the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of amputation due to diabetes mel1itus complications, and to report one case who had lost his toes due to diabetes mellitus. A primary cause for hospital admission of the patient was foot ulcer. Since many amputations in diabetic patients are precipitated by such ulcers, a program for active prevention and optimal treatment of diabetic foot lesions might decrease the risk of amputation. Diabetic foot ulcers and, ultimately, amputation can stem from a variety of pathways. The combination of peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease and infections is the harbinger of the final cataclysmic events of gangrene and amputation. As the physical therapist is often involved in the treatment of diabetic patients, the therapist should be aware of the followings: the patient's type of diabetes and the severity of the diabetes, the complications of the disease, the effects of exercise, the importance of wearing proper shoes and education to patients about appropriate diabetic foot care.
The pain is common among individuals with physical disabilities. It can interfere with therapy since patients with pain can become uncooperative and reluctant to move. This paper reviews the natural physiological mechanisms that can reduce pain perception, and considers physiological mechanisms which contribute to clinical pain by describing how the pain system changes its sensitivity depending upon the body's needs. The peripheral and central mechanisms contributing to sensitised nociceptive system are described with reference to the symptoms of clinical pain such as hyperalgesia, allodynia sopntaneous 'on-going'-projected and referred pain. It is suggested that in some chronic pain the nociceptive system maintains a state of sensitivity despite the absence of on-going tissue damage and under such circumstances the nociceptive system itself may have become dysfunctional. Such situations are often initiated by damage to nervous tissue which results in changes in the activity and organization of neuronal circuits within the central nervous system. The ability of the nociceptive system to operate in a suppressed state is also discussed with reference to pain modulation. The physical therapist can help facilitate the activation of these mechanisms through a combination of noninvasive modalities, functional activities, and the therapeutic use of self.