Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is presented as a superior teaching method compared to existing lecture-based learning. Objectives: To analyzed the effectiveness of creative problem-solving competency, class participation, and self-efficacy in physical therapy students after PBL. Design: Questionnaire design. Methods: This study involved 29 physical therapy students and analyzed changes in their creative problem-solving competency, class participation, and self-efficacy and the correlations between these measurement variables before and after PBL on the “Therapeutic Exercise & Practice” subject. Results: PBL in the musculoskeletal exercise therapy-related subject significantly improved class participation and self-efficacy (P<.05) compared to conventional lecture-based learning, but there was no significant difference in creative problem-solving competency. There was also a positive correlation between a higher level of class participation and higher self-efficacy (P<.05). Conclusions: PBL in the “Therapeutic Exercise & Practice” subject in the Department of Physical Therapy can be an effective educational strategy to increase students’ class participation and self-efficacy. Accordingly, instructors in this department should systematically construct the design of PBL curricula to improve the quality of educational content.

Background: Studies investigating the immediate effects of a single intervention to correct forward head posture are rare. Objects: This study aimed to compare the changes in treatment effects in patients with forward head posture and neck pain after manual and self-exercise therapy over a 1-hour period. Methods: Twenty-eight participants were randomly divided into manual and self-exercise therapy groups. Following the initial evaluation, manual or self-exercise therapy was applied to each group for 30 minutes each in the prone, supine, and sitting positions. The variables measured were the craniovertebral angle (CVA), stress level, pain level, and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) stiffness. After the intervention, re-evaluation was conducted immediately, 30 minutes later, and 1 hour later. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the maintenance of treatment effects between the two groups. Results: Based on the two-way mixed ANOVA variance, there was no interaction between the groups and time for all variables, and no main effects were found between the groups. However, a significant effect of time was observed (p < 0.05). Post hoc tests using Bonferroni's correction revealed that in both groups, the CVA, pain, and stress showed significant improvements immediately after the intervention compared with before the intervention, and these treatment effects were maintained for up to 1 hour after the treatment (p < 0.0083) in the manual therapy group. However, the stress level was maintained until 30 minutes later (p < 0.0083) in the self-exercise group. There was no significant decrease in right SCM stiffness before and after the intervention; however, left SCM stiffness significantly decreased after the self-exercise intervention (p < 0.0083). Conclusion: Both manual and self-exercise therapy for 30 minutes were effective in reducing forward head posture related to the CVA, pain, and stress levels. These effects persisted for at least 30 minutes.

Background: Bridging exercises are used to enhance the functional stability of the lumbopelvic region in clinical settings. Although most of the studies on bridging exercises have compared the complete activation of the trunk muscles, some recent studies have examined the functional stability of the trunk and the lumbopelvic region and assessed the appropriate recruitment of the local and global muscles during different task levels. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in muscle thickness in the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) muscles during a common bridging exercise on an unstable surface and to determine whether these changes differ based on the surface used. Methods: Twenty-five healthy young adults (8 males, 17 females) were recruited. The subjects were randomly assigned to either the exercise progression with a sling bridge group or the ball bridging exercise progression group, each with three stages of increasing difficulty. Each position was measured three times with an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, and the mean values were recorded for analysis. Results: No significant differences were observed between the TrA, IO, or EO muscle thickness ratios between the sling and ball exercise groups (p > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in the EO muscle thickness ratios between the tasks irrespective of whether the sling or ball was used. However, the TrA and IO thickness ratios in both groups were significantly greater during stages 2 and 3 compared to stage 1. Conclusion: The results suggest that the use of slings and balls during bridging exercises is effective in activating the deep abdominal muscles.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy and ball exercise on women experiencing menstrual discomforts, thereby identifying the validity of these methods as interventions against menstrual discomforts, with a particular goal of presenting basic data for clinical use. Twenty university students in their 20s were assigned to two therapy groups in a sequence via simple random sampling; ten subjects attended a ball exercise combined with music therapy group and the other ten subjects attended a music therapy group. Ball exercises were conducted 3 times per week for a total of 12 times, starting from 3 weeks before the expected first day of the menstrual period and ending on the last day of the menstrual period. Similarly, the subjects participated in music therapy by listening to music for 35 minutes per session and 3 sessions per week, starting from 3 weeks before the expected first day of the menstrual period and ending on the last day of the menstrual period. Five out of six categories of menstrual discomforts were significantly decreased in both music therapy and ball exercise, the exception being changes in the autonomic nervous system, while those in the music therapy group showed a significant difference only in the category of behavioral changes. The results of the present study demonstrate that the ball exercise combined with music therapy more effective in improving menstrual discomforts than the music therapy group.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise therapy on physical function of patients with anklyosing spondylitis (AS) through the systemic review and meta-analysis. The 54 studies were identified from computerized search of published researches on PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PEDro, KISS, KERIS database until February, 2008 and review of reference lists. The main search terms were the combination "ankylosing spondylitis", "exercise", "spondyloarthropathy and exercise", "ankylosing spondylitis and physical therapy". The subgroup analysis was performed by the publication year, quality score, type of disease, content of intervention, intervention provider, type of intervention, method of intervention, intervention period and the point of outcome measured. Two reviewers independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed the quality and extracted the data. The result was as follows: The 10 trials were eligible for inclusion criteria, then the systematic review and meta-analysis was assessed on effectiveness of exercise therapy. The meta-analysis of 10 studies based on the random effect model showed that the exercise therapy was beneficial in treating the diseases (effect size .55; 95% confidence interval -.3.75~.61). The findings suggest that the exercise therapy would be appropriate to manage the physical function of AS with evidence based on Meta-analysis. Therefore, the exercise therapy supervised by physical therapist should be recognized as the essential approach to manage the AS and necessarily recommended to improve physical function.

본 연구는 중추신경계의 일부분으로서 신체의 자세 및 자발적 움직임의 조절과 평형을 유지하는 기능을 담당하는 소뇌에 이상이 있는 환자를 대상으로 댄스-기반 운동치료 프로그램이 환자의 균형과 보행능력의 재학습에 어떠한 영향을 주는지 조사하였다. 연구의 참가한 소뇌질환 환자는 유전적 원인으로 인해소뇌의 신경세포가 사멸하여 그 크기가 감소하는 소뇌위축증(cerebellar atrophy)으로 진단을 받고 그로인한 운동장애인 운동실조증(ataxia)을 보인 1명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 연구 대상자는 파트너 댄스인 탱고 스텝에 기반을 둔 운동치료 프로그램에 8주에 걸쳐 매주 3회씩 한번에 90분씩 진행하는 수업에 참가하였다(총 24회). 연구 결과, 댄스에 기반을 둔 운동 치료 프로그램에 참여한 소뇌성 운동실조증 환자의 평지 보행 능력 측정에서의 보폭 길이가 증가하였으며 보간 너비가 감소한 것으로 나타났다. 또한 보행 주기 중 한 다리 지지기 비율과 균형 능력의 향상과 같은 긍정적 상호작용도 나타났다. 보다 기능적인 보행 능력을 평가하는 장애물 넘기 보행에서는 장애물을 넘기 직전의 움직임 동결 시간이 감소하였으며, 장애물을 넘기 전 선행하는 발의 이륙거리와 장애물 통과 속도는 초기에 비해 사후 검사에서 증가하는 양상을 나타냈다. 이러한 결과는 댄스-기반 운동치료 프로그램 훈련이 소뇌성 운동실조증 환자에게 적용되었을 때 정상적인 보행주기 패턴의 재정립과 균형 능력의 회복에 긍정적인 영향을 줄 수있음을 보여준다.

본 연구의 목적은 한국인의 문화적 정서와 친근한 태권도를 중심으로 단전호흡과 요가 등을 적절히 구안한 운동 요법이 중년 여성들의 정신건강과 심리적 안녕감을 높이는 심리치료 효과를 기대할 수 있는지를 검증해 보는데 있다. 이를 위해 34명의 전업 주부들을 대상으로 (평균연령 : 38.5세) 통제집단에 17명, 실험집단에 17명씩 배치하여 주 3회씩 8개월 동안 전문지도 강사에 의해 프로그램을 제공하였다. 측정도구로는 실험실용 4채널 무선 뇌파측정기(Laxtha Inc, 2001)와 `한국판 스미스클라인 비챰 삶의 질척도` 검사지(윤진상 등, 1998)를 이용하였으며, 모든 피험자들은 사전·사후 검사를 실시하였다. 상대적 파워 스펙트럼 분석을 거친 Fpl과 Fp2에서 수집된 EEG와 심리적 안녕감을 반영하는 삶의 질에 대한 인식정도는 사전검사를 공변량으로 한 공분산분석을 실시하여 집단간 차이를 분석하였다. 그 결과 실험집단이 통제집단에 비해 Fpl과 Fp2 부위에서 α파와 θ파가 유의하게 활성화되었고, 상대적으로 β파는 감소한 것으로 나타났다. 또한 삶의 질을 구성하고 있는 하위요인 중 유능감, 정신적 안녕, 신체적 안녕, 활력의 요인에서 실험집단이 유의하게 향상된 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 안정성 요인에서는 실험집단과 통제집단간에 유의한 변화가 발견되지 않았다. 이와 같은 결과들을 종합해 볼 때, 본 연구에서 적용한 운동 요법은 α파와 θ파를 활성화시키고, 심리적 안녕감을 높여 삶의 질을 향상시키는 심리치료 효과가 있다는 것을 알 수 있었다.