Background: In patients with low back pain (LBP), weakened core muscles and impaired proprioception contribute to decreased spinal stability and LBP recurrence. Objectives: To investigate the effects of abdominal bracing exercises (BE) and kinetic link training (BEKLT) on pain, balance, and proprioception in LBP patients. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Sixteen adults with LBP were randomly assigned to a BE group or a BEKLT group. Both groups completed a four-week intervention (three sessions per week). Pain was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), proprioception with the lumbar reposition sense test, and balance with the BT4 system. Results: Both groups showed significant reductions in VAS and proprioception error (P<.05), with no inter-group differences. In dynamic balance (limits of stability), the BE group improved in rearward, left, and right angles, while the BEKLT group improved in forward, rearward, and left angles (P<.05). A significant difference was observed in the forward leaning angle between groups (P<.05). For static balance, both groups showed significant reductions in trace length and C90 area (P<.05), with no inter-group differences. Conclusion: The findings suggest that both BE and BEKLT are effective interventions for reducing pain and improving proprioception and balance in LBP, with BEKLT providing additional benefits for dynamic balance.
Background: Previous studies have reported that improving the spinal stability could be more effective in the prevention and treatment of recurrence. Lumbar stabilization exercise is known to strengthen the lumbar extension muscles and enhance physical, psychological and social functions.
Objectives: To investigated the effect of lumbar spiral stenosis on the kinetic link training and lumbar stabilization exercise.
Design: A randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Study was preformed by randomly allocated 28 LSS participants into a kinetic link training group (KLT, n=14) and a lumbar stabilization exercise group (LSE, n=14). Kinetic link training and lumbar stabilization exercise were performed to subjects in both groups 5 times a week for 6 weeks. To verify the effect of LSS, changes in VAS, ODI, and proprioception before and after intervention were observed.
Results: In KLT, statistically significant changes were found in VAS, ODI, and Proprioception before and after intervention. In LSE, there were significant changes in VAS and ODI before and after intervention. KLT and LSE before and after intervention indicated significant differences in proprioception.
Conclusion: KLT and LSE are applied to LSS, there are effects of pain decrease, lumbar recovery and proprioception improvement.
Background: The importance of postural stabilization and cervical mobilization in subjects with pain from the anterior head posture is drawing more attention. However, studies on head and neck stabilizing intervention after mobilization are lacking.
Objective: To examine the effects of Kinesiotaping and posture setting exercise on forward head posture (FHP).
Design: Crossover Study Design
Methods: The subjects were 17 male and female college students in their 20s with FHP. They were randomized into the Kinesiology taping group (KTG) with 9 subjects and posture stabilizing exercise group (PSEG) with 8 subjects. The intervention was conducted for 4 weeks, and changes in pain, craniovertebral angle (CVA), and proprioception were observed before and after intervention.
Results: Pain was significantly reduced in the KTG and PSEG both before and after intervention. CVA and proprioception were significantly increased only in the PSEG. The differences in CVA and proprioception between the two groups were significant.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that the application of posture setting exercise could decrease pain, proprioceptive error and increase CVA on FHP
Background: Functional ankle instability (FAI) indicating a decrease in muscle strength, proprioception, neuromuscular control, balance and postural control function.
Objective: To investigate the effect of jumping exercise on the supporting surface on the ankle muscle thickness, proprioceptive sensation, and balance in adults with FAI.
Design: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Methods: Twenty young people with FAI were randomly assigned to the unstable supporting surface jump group (N=10) and the stable supporting surface jump group (N=10). The intervention was conducted three times a week for eight weeks, and for 30 minutes per session. Trampoline was used as an unstable support surface and the stable support surface was carried out on a regular floor. The thickness of the tibialis anterior muscle and medial gastrocnemius muscle was measured by ultrasonography, and the proprioception of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion was measured using an electrogoniometer. The dynamic balance was also measured with a balance meter.
Results: The the muscle thickness of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was significantly higher in the stable supporting surface jump group than in the unstable supporting surface jump group (p<.05). Furthermore, the plantar flexion proprioception and dynamic balance were significantly improved in the unstable supporting surface jump group than in the stable supporting surface jump group in the intergroup comparison (p<.05).
Conclusions: The conclusion has been reached in this study that the jumping exercise on the unstable supporting surface could be a more effective in improving FAI than the regular surface.
The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the effect of resistance exercise and balance exercise on proprioception and WOMAC index of patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis. A total of 40 subjects participated in this study. The subjects were diagnosed with degenerative knee osteoarthritis and all were more than 60 years old. They were divided into three groups. Group Ⅰ(n=8) was trained with resistance exercise, Group Ⅱ(n=6) was trained with balance exercise and GroupⅢ(n=6) was trained with range of motion as a control. The results of this study were as follows. It was significantly indicated that the resistance exercise group and balance exercise group elicited error-reduction on proprioception goal-angle (p<.05). There was a statistically significant difference on proprioception between resistance exercise group and control(range of motion) group. There was a statistically significant reduction on WOMAC index between resistance exercise group and balance exercise group (p<.05) and on the WOMAC index between resistance exercise group and range of motion group(p<.05). In conclusion, resistance exercise and balance exercise are effective on degenerative knee osteoarthritis and resistance exercise is the most effective for improving proprioception and WOMAC index. More research on the intervention according to the degree of degenerative knee osteoarthritis is needed.