Background: Sleep accounts for approximately one-third of a person’s lifetime. It is a relaxing activity that relieves mental and physical fatigue. Pillows of different sizes, shapes, and materials have been designed to improve sleep quality by achieving an optimal sleep posture. Objects: This study aimed to determine which pillow provides the most comfortable and supports the head and neck during sleep, which may enhance sleep quality. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy adults (19 males and 9 females) with an average age of 29 years participated in this cross-sectional study. This experiment was conducted while the participants laid down for 5 minutes in four different pillow conditions: (1) no pillow (NP), (2) neck support foam pillow (NSFP), (3) standard microfiber filled pillow (SFP), and (4) hybrid foam pillow (HFP). The head-neck peak pressure, cranio-vertebral angle in supine (CVAs), cranio-horizontal angle in supine (CHAs), chin-sternum distance (CSD), and muscle tone of sternocleidomastoid were analyzed using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: The head-neck peak pressure was the highest in the NSFP condition, followed by the NP, SFP, and HFP conditions. The CVAs, CHAs, and CSD of the SFP were lower than those of the other pillows. Muscle tone was the highest in the NP condition, followed by the of NSFP, HFP, and SFP conditions. The participants subjective comfort level in both the supine and side-lying postures was highest in the HFP condition, followed by the SFP and NSFP conditions. Conclusion: This study can be used to establish the importance of pillow selection for highquality sleep. The results of this study, suggest that a hybrid pillow with a good supportive core and appropriate fluffiness can maintain comfort and correct cervical spine alignment during sleep.

Background: Smartphone addiction has emerged as a significant social problem. Numerous studies have indicated the association between smartphone use and discomfort in the musculoskeletal system of the upper extremities. Objects: This cross-sectional survey aimed to compare the characteristics of musculoskeletal pain in the neck, trunk, and upper limbs between individuals with smartphone addiction and those without addiction. Methods: We collected a total of 326 healthy individuals’ data from China and Korea who had owned and used smartphones for more than 5 years between 20–50s through an online questionnaire consisting of 84 questions in four major sections. The first part contained basic information on the participant's personal characteristics and smartphones. The second part contained questions about smartphone use and posture. The third part was the smartphone addiction. The fourth part was to investigate musculoskeletal pain in various upper body parts. Results: Smartphone addiction has a weak negative correlation with age (r = –0.20, p < 0.01) and a weak positive correlation with the hours of smartphone use (r = 0.376, p < 0.01). Frequent musculoskeletal pain symptoms related to smartphone use were observed in the neck, shoulder, lower back, and wrists. The hours of smartphone use was slightly positively associated with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder (r = 0.162, p < 0.05) and lower back (r = 0.125, p < 0.05). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the neck (χ2 = 3.993, p < 0.05), shoulder (χ2 = 6.465, p < 0.05), and wrist (χ2 = 4.645, p < 0.05) was significantly higher among females than males. Conclusion: The results suggest that smartphone addiction should be recognized as a dual concern encompassing both physical health and psychosocial aspects. Furthermore, healthcare professionals, including physicians and physical therapists, should consider clients' smartphone usage patterns when assessing and treating with musculoskeletal pain.

Background: Despite the fact that aquatic exercise is one of the most popular alternative treatment methods for children with cerebral palsy (CP), there are few research regarding its effectiveness. Objects: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aquatic exercise on upper extremity function and postural control during reaching in children with CP. Methods: Ten participants (eight males and two females; 4–10 years; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II–IV) with spastic diplegia were recruited to this study. The aquatic exercise program consisted of four modified movements that were selected from the Halliwick 10-point program to enhance upper extremity and trunk movements. The participants attended treatment two times a week for 6 weeks, averaging 35 minutes each session. The Box and Block Test (BBT), transferring pennies in the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT), and pediatric reaching test (PRT) scores were used as clinical measures. Three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to collect and analyze kinematic data. Differences in BBT and BOT values among pre-treatment, post-treatment, and retention (after 3 weeks) were analyzed using a Friedman test. In addition, the PRT scores and variables (movement time, hand velocity, straightness ratio, and number of movement units) from the three-dimensional motion analysis were tested using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The significance level was established at p < 0.05. When the results appeared to be statistically significant, a post-hoc test for multiple comparisons was performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: All clinical measures, which included BBT, transferring pennies of BOT, and PRT, were significantly increased between pre-intervention and post-intervention scores and between pre-intervention and retention scores after treatment (p = 0.001). Three-dimensional motion analysis mostly were significantly improved after treatment (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Aquatic exercise may help to improve body function, activity, and participation in children with varying types of physical disabilities.

Background: Stroke is one of the causes affecting gait and balance. Taping is considered an effective method for improving balance and gait in stroke patients. Numerous studies have confirmed the functional effects of taping in stroke patients. However, there is still no consensus regarding the use of taping to improve gait and balance. Objects: The purpose of this review was to investigate the effects of taping on the balance and gait of patients with stroke through meta-analysis of studies. Methods: PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Review, RISS, DBPia, and Science on were used to collect articles on Kinesio and non-elastic taping. The key terms were “Stroke”, “Hemiplegia”, “Taping”, “Tape”, “Balance”, and “Gait” with cut-off of October, 2022. Taping group was compared with control groups with sham, placebo, and no taping. The outcome measures included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and gait speed (cm/s). Eighteen studies (524 patients) were selected for the meta-analysis. Results: Overall, taping improved balance and gait in stroke patients, and Kinesio and nonelastic taping had similar effect sizes. Taping improved the BBS and TUG, and was most effective on gait speed. Contrary to the expectation that a longer duration of taping would be more affective, taping was most effective when the total taping duration was shorter than 500 minutes. In addition, the effect size of taping was greater when it was simultaneously attached to multiple locations. Conclusion: This meta-analysis supports the use of taping to improve gait and balance in stroke patients, and provides guidelines for the location, duration, and type of tape to increase taping efficiency.

목적 : 본 연구는 도수안경 온라인판매 정책화에 대해 전공자와 일반인의 여론을 알아보고자 한다. 방법 : 대상자 277명을 대상으로 전공자와 일반인을 구분하여 온라인 설문지(Google Forms)를 통해 조사하였다. 각 항목은 안경광학 전공여부, 기본 인적사항(성별, 나이), 도수안경 온라인판매 정책화에 대한 인지여부 및 찬반여부를 조사하고 그 이유를 물어 인식을 조사하였다. 결과 : 안경광학과 전공자는 165명(59.57%)이었고 이 중 도수안경 온라인판매에 대해 인지하고 있는 사람은 145명(87.88%), 모르는 사람은 20명(12.12%)로 대부분의 전공자들은 이 정책에 대해 인지하고 있었다. 찬반 여부에서는 찬성하는 사람은 10명(6.06%), 반대하는 사람은 155(93.94%)이었다. 찬성하는 이유 중 가장 많은 항목은 구매편의성(70.00%)이었고, 반대하는 이유 중 가장 많은 항목은 안경사 전문성 퇴화 및 기본권 침해(58.06%) 이었다. 일반인 112명(40.43%) 중 이 정책에 대해 인지하고 있는 사람은 26명(23.21%), 모르는 사람은 86명 (76.79%)이었다. 찬반 여부에서는 찬성하는 사람은 40명(35.71%), 반대하는 사람은 72명(64.29%)이었다. 찬성 하는 이유 중 가장 많은 항목은 구매편의성(52.50%), 반대하는 이유 중 가장 많은 항목은 잘못된 도수의 안경 처방(58.33%)이었다. 결론 : 전공자와 일반인 양측에서 이 정책에 대해 반대하는 수가 월등히 많았고, 이는 안경사 제도를 통해 전문성을 인정받은 안경사의 전문컨설팅으로 정확한 처방과 조정을 한 후 안경을 조제하여 판매해야 한다는 인식이 대부분 차지하고 있음을 나타낸다. 도수안경 온라인판매 정책이 시행되면 많은 시행착오를 겪으며 여러 시광학적 부 작용을 발생할 것으로 사료되므로 이를 방지하기 위한 대책이 수립되어야 한다.

Background: The hamstring is a muscle that crosses two joints, that is the hip and knee, and its flexibility is an important indicator of physical health in its role in many activities of daily living such as sitting, walking, and running. Limited range of motion (ROM) due to hamstring tightness is strongly related to back pain and malfunction of the hip joint. High-frequency diathermy (HFD) therapy is known to be effective in relaxing the muscle and increasing ROM. Objects: To investigate the effects of HFD on active knee extension ROM and hamstring tone and stiffness in participants with hamstring tightness. Methods: Twenty-four participants with hamstring tightness were recruited, and the operational definition of hamstring tightness in this study was active knee extension ROM of below 160° at 90° hip flexion in the supine position. HFD was applied to the hamstring for 15 minutes using the WINBACK device. All participants were examined before and after the intervention, and the results were analyzed using a paired t-test. The outcome measures included knee extension ROM, the viscoelastic property of the hamstring, and peak torque for passive knee extension. Results: The active knee extension ROM significantly increased from 138.8° ± 9.9° (mean ± standard deviation) to 143.9° ± 10.4° after the intervention (p < 0.05), while viscoelastic property of the hamstring significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Also, the peak torque for knee extension significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Application of HFD for 15 minutes to tight hamstrings immediately improves the active ROM and reduces the tone, stiffness, and elasticity of the muscle. However, further experiments are required to examine the long-term effects of HFD on hamstring tightness including pain reduction, postural improvement around the pelvis and lower extremities, and enhanced functional movement.

Previous studies have reported that deep neck flexor (DNF) exercise can improve neck problems, including neck pain, forward head posture, and headache, by targeting the deep and superficial muscles of the neck. Despite the prevailing opinion across studies, the benefits of DNF can vary according to the type of neck problems and the outcome measures adopted, ranging from positive outcomes to non-significant benefits. A meta-analysis was conducted in this study to assess conclusive evidence of the impact of DNF exercise on individuals with neck problems. We used PUBMED, MEDLINE, NDSL, EMBASE, and Web of Science to search for primary studies and the key terms used in these searches were “forward head posture (FHP),” “biofeedback,” “pressure biofeedback unit,” “stabilizer,” “headache,” and “neck pain.” Twenty- four eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis and were coded according to the type of neck problems and outcome measures described, such as pain, endurance, involvement of neck muscle, craniovertebral angle (CVA), neck disability index (NDI), cervical range of motion (CROM), radiographs of the neck, posture, strength, endurance, and headache disability index. The overall effect size of the DNF exercise was 0.489. The effect sizes of the neck problems were 0.556 (neck pain), –1.278 (FHP), 0.176 (headache), and 1.850 (mix). The effect sizes of outcome measures were 1.045 (pain), 0.966 (endurance), 0.894 (deep neck flexor), 0.608 (superficial neck flexor), 0.487 (CVA), 0.409 (NDI), and 0.252 (CROM). According to the results of this study, DNF exercise can effectively reduce neck pain. Thus, DNF exercise is highly recommend as an effective exercise method for individuals suffering from neck pain.

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of variability of training on the acquisition of motor skill of closed loop type tracking task using Rotary Pursuit, and to determine if there was a bilateral transfer effect to the non-dominant hand following practice with the dominant hand. Twelve healthy volunteer students (5 males and 7 females, aged 25 to 37) were randomly divided into a constant practice group and a variable practice group. A photoelectric rotary pursuit apparatus with stop clock and repeat cycle timer by Lafayette Instrumentation Co. was used for this study. Rotary pursuit is a closed loop task in which a subject attempts to keep a photoelectric stylus on a lighted target in motion. Subjects performed the clockwise circular pursuit task while standing. Experimental procedure was divided into three sessions, namely, pre-test, training, and post-test. The constant group practiced all 60 trials at 30 rpm. Variable practice group did a varied practice session with 15 trials at speeds of 20 rpm, 26 rpm, 34 rpm, and 46 rpm. No one in either group practiced with their non-dominant arm. A Mann-Whitney test and a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test were used for statistical analyses. The results of this study showed no different training effect between groups on the post-test with the dominant hand. However, bilateral transfer effect of rotary pursuit task between hands was demonstrated. Possible mechanisms are discussed.