[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of respiratory exercise on pulmonary function, balance, and gait in chronic stroke patients. [Participants and Methods] Twenty patients with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n=10 each). The patients in both groups underwent neurodevelopmental treatment. Moreover, the experimental group performed respiratory exercise. Pulmonary function was measured using a pneumatometer. Balance was measured using a Berg Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test. Gait was measured with a 10-m walk test and Timed Up-and-Go Test. [Results] Intragroup comparison showed significant differences in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, 10-meter walk test, and Timed Up-and-Go Test. Intergroup comparison showed that the differences in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, 10-meter walk test, and Timed Up-and-Go Test for the experimental group were significantly related to those for the control group. [Conclusion] Based on these results it was concluded that respiratory exercise effectively improves the pulmonary function, balance, and gait in patients with chronic stroke.

Professionals use foam rollers to improve range of motion (ROM). Recently, a vibrating foam roller (VFR) that combines the vibration function with a foam roller (FR) has been used. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effects of a VFR on the improvement of ROM in healthy individuals. A systematic literature search was carried out in five international databases: PubMed, Embase, PEDro, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Eight clinical studies, composed of six randomized controlled trials and two randomized crossover trials that involved 230 healthy participants were selected for analysis. Methodological quality was identified using the PEDro scale. The mean scores, 4.75±0.71, of the eight included studies, were classified as fair. The results demonstrated that the VFR achieved better gains than the FR in improving ROM (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.53; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.29–0.77; I2=55%). The VFR was more effective in improving the ROM than the FR in the hip and knee joints (hip: SMD, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.28–0.85; I2=0%; knee: SMD, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.42–1.30; I2=79%). The VFR may be an additional option to improve the ROM in healthy adults and athletes.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of pain scrambler therapy on the pain and quality of life of degenerative gonarthritis patients. [Subject and Methods] This study is a single case study. Pain scrambler therapy was applied for 40 minutes per session once a day for 15 days to a 62-year-old female patient diagnosed with degenerative gonarthritis. Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale and quality of life was measured using the short form-36 item after therapy. [Results] Decrease in pain and improved quality of life were evident after pain scrambler therapy. [Conclusion] Pain scrambler therapy had a potential to decrease pain and improve the quality of life in degenerative gonarthritis patients.

The Korean Society of Physical Therapy (KSPT) engages and inspires an international leadership in Asia on issues associated with physical therapy. As the leading journal for research in physical therapy and other fields related to rehabilitation science, KSPT publishes highly qualified scientific topic for clinicians and researchers, with the expressed purpose of improving therapeutic approaches for health and life quality of human. The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy (J Kor Phys Ther) is pubilished bimonthly from 1989, and it is open access journal, consequently, articles are free for all users to read and use. This journal is indexed in KCI (http://kci.go.kr), ScienceCentral (http://e-sciencecentral.org), Google Scholar (http:// scholar.google.com) and CrossRef (http://crossref.org). KSPT invites research papers and a limited number of reviews in the field of musculoskeletal, neurological, pediatric, geriatric, eletrophysiologic physical therapy. Although special research areas are emphasized for publication, articles dealing with other rehabilitation science will also be welcomed.

This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. Methods: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultrasonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. Results: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdominis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p< 0.05). No significant difference in the muscle thickness of both muscles was observed between the groups with the exception of the right abdominis (p> 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of transverse abdominis in core muscles.