Citations
To determine if there is muscle mass reduction in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to the general population and to examine the relationship between skeletal muscle mass, quality of life (QOL), strength, and mobility in patients with AS.
A total of 30 AS patients were enrolled in this study. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and it was expressed as the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). QOL was assessed using the EuroQOL (EQ-5D). To measure mobility, the modified Schöber test and chest expansion test were used. To measure grip strength as a measure of muscle strength, we used the hydraulic hand dynamometer. Additionally, we divided the patients into two groups according to the degree of X-ray finding and compared the differences between the two groups.
There was no significant reduction in skeletal muscle mass in patients with AS compared to the general population. Also, there was no significant correlation between SMI and QOL. On the other hand, there was a significant positive correlation between SMI and mobility, and grip strength. A significant positive correlation was found between mobility and QOL. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference in mobility between the two groups according to the degree of X-ray finding.
Maintaining muscle mass in AS patients may not be helpful for improving QOL, but it may contribute to achieving adequate mobility and strength.
Citations
Method Sixrteen physically active elderly men and women (age 64.40±3.66) were recruited. The subjects underwent a 12-week knee flexor/extensor isokinetic exercise program of concentric contractions at a velocity of 180 degrees/sec of the both knee twice a week for 12 weeks. Training was carried out on the isokinetic dynamometer. The subjects were evaluated with muscular strength at 90 degrees/sec, endurance at 180 degrees/sec, cardio-pulmonary function, balance, mood and life quality at baseline, 4-week, 8-week and 12-week.
Results Six of 16 people gave up in the middle of the course, 10 people completed a muscle strengthening exercise program. Muscular strength, balance, mood and life quality improved.
Conclusion Isokinetic exercise of the knee joint muscle was carried out and showed the result of multivalent effect in old age. Therefore strengthening exercise in aged persons was thought to be provided for welfare policy of an aging society as well as personal health improvement.
Method Fifty-nine subacute hemiparetic stroke in-patients participated in this study. All patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group and the experimental group. Both groups received the same conventional physical therapies for 4 weeks. The experimental group received an additional core strengthening program (CSP). Korean mini-mental state examination (K-MMSE) and Korean Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) were performed on admission. CSP was performed for 30 minutes a day, 3 days per week for 4 weeks. We selected nine exercises available for stroke patients, and divided them as three steps according to the degree of difficulty. Because of the muscle weakness in stroke patients, a physical therapist often helped them during exercise. Outcome measurement included trunk control test (TCT), trunk impairment scale (TIS), and Berg balance scale (BBS) and we compared both groups before and after the period of training.
Results There were no significant differences in baseline general characteristics and initial values between the two groups. After rehabilitation therapy, both groups showed significant improvements in BBS, TIS, and TCT (p＜0.05). Following 4 weeks of therapy, changes of BBS, TIS score in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p＜0.05). However, the change of TCT score was not significantly different.
Conclusion Analysis of different clinical parameters showed that better outcomes in BBS, TIS scores were achieved from CSP. This study suggests that CSP conducted for 4 weeks may be beneficial as a therapeutic technique for use in improvement of trunk balance in patients with subacute hemiparetic stroke.
Method: Twenty-one subjects with chronic stroke were participated in this study. All subjects were indoor ambulators. The hemiplegic knee flexors and extensors of the experimental group (n=11) were trained eccentrically using Cybex 770 dynamometer 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Conventional rehabilitation treatment was administrated to the control group at the same duration and frequency as the experimental group. Total peak torque, total work and functional parameters were measured before and after training.
Results: Significantly higher mean percent changes of peak torque and total work were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group at all eccentric angular velocities tested. Functional parameters also showed significant improvements in the gait speed, a timed stair climb up and down, and sit-to-stand time compared to the control group (p＜0.05).
Conclusion: The isokinetic eccentric strengthening training of knee extensors and flexors in patients with chronic hemiplegia were useful in strengthening the affected leg and functional improvement. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 824-829)
Objective: To evaluate the effects of back extensor strengthening exercise on improving the pain, activities of daily living (ADL) and bone mineral density in the chronic low back pain patients.
Method: 21 patients with chronic low back pain participated in back school program. Before program, measurement of lumbar extensor strength with MedXⰒ (Ocala, USA), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, level of ADL and bone mineral density (BMD) with DEXA (LunarⰒ, GE, USA) were done. For 12 weeks subjects had received the training for strengthening of back extensor and then, checked up with the above variables again.
Results: The results were as follows: 1) After 12 weeks of lumbar extensor strengthening program, isometric lumbar extensor strength was increased significantly (p＜0.01), 2) VAS and ADL were significantly improved from 5.1 to 3.3, and 8.1 to 9.9, respectively (p＜0.01), 3) BMD of lumbar spine were significantly improved from 1.1 to 0.8 (p＜0.05)
Conclusion: Twelve weeks lumbar extensor strengthening program with pelvic stabilization may be the effective therapeutic program for patients with chronic low back pain. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2002; 26: 576-580)
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