Going up and down the stairs is a repeated task in the activities of daily living. These activities are needed during the recovery process with impaired lower limbs. This paper presents the difference of EEI (energy expenditure index) through the slope of stairs. Twenty-one normal young adults took a part in this study (11 males, 10 females). They stepped up and down the stairs which had two different slopes for 5 minutes. Resting heart rate, walking heart rate, and moving distance were recorded. EEI was calculated from the heart rate and moving speed which was calculated by the distance of movement. Data were analyzed by repeated two-way ANOVA with SAS program and the difference of EEI through the slope of stairs was not statistically significant (p=0.9971). The results show that EEI was not affected by the slope of stairs in normal people. But distance of movement (p=0.0067) and speed (p=0.0064) had a significant difference.

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.

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.

This study was done to determine a new qualitative base for educating and evaluating patients by comparing a 60 or over age group with a 20-30 age group when rising from supine to erect stance. Sixty normal adults were devided into 60 or over and 20-30 aged groups. Each persons was asked to standing from the supine position. This process was recorded by two video cameras. The results was classified into the three existing movement categories. And then they were analyzed by percent rate. The results showed that each group had its own different and special characteristics. This means that physical therapists need to select the best motor patterns according to age in teaching functional tasks such as rising from supine to erect stance.

It is well known that visual cues can improve the motor performance of Parkinsonian patients. Previous laboratory studies have examined the effects of visual cueing to the floor. This case study examined the effects of using a visual cue above eye level on the gait of a Parkinsonian man. It was found that cueing the patient to a target above eye level while waking not only improved the kinematic parameters of the gait cycle but also facilitated a more functional gait pattern with re-intergration of arm swing, rhythm, heel strike and a more erect posture. Visual targeting above eye level may serve as an important clinical tool for physiotherapists treating Parkinsonian patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a single treatment o voltage pulsed current (HVPC) on edema reduction. Hind limbs of 23 anesthetized were injured by dropping a 400 g weight onto the plantar aspects of the feet. On limb of each frog was randomly selected to receive 30 minutes of continuous, 12 cathodal HVPC at voltages 10 % less than motor threshold levels. Limb volumes measured by water displacement before trauma and at predetermined intervals hours posttrauma. Sources of significant differences were determined by t-test HVPC significantly (p<0.05) reduced edema formation. We hypothesize that HVP also be effective in controlling edema formation after impact injuries in humans.

This study investigated the hypothesis that purposeful activity is an intrinsic motivator. Affecting exertion during the performance of purposeful and nonpurposeful activity was studied in 30 elementary school students. The subjects acted as their own controls in the performance of other exercise. The three experimental exercises were jumping rope, defined as a nonpurposeful activity, and jumping rope with reinforcement, defined as purposeful activity I, and jumping rope with double reinforcement (food), defined as purposeful activity II. Duration and cessation of exercise were entirely controlled by the subject. The number of jumps were measured immediately after cessation of exercise and duration of exercise in seconds by observer. The results were as follows : 1. There was a significant difference in the required time of performance between purposeful and nonpurposeful jumping (p< .05). 2. There was a significant difference in the number of jumps between nonpurposeful and nonpurposeful jumping after reinforcement. (p< .05). Implications for practice and further research are discussed.