• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2022

Background: Low back and neck pain are two of the most common medical problems in the adult population. It is estimated that between 70% and 80% adults experience an episode of low back pain at least once during their lifetime. Objects: This study aimed to compare the effects of various stretching exercises and muscle energy techniques used for treatment of iliopsoas, quadratus lumborum, and hamstrings of patients with low back pain. Methods: A total of 52 subjects were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 17), the muscle energy technology group (METG, n = 19), and the stretching exercise group (SEG, n = 16). Interventions were performed twice a week for 4 weeks. Outcomes were measured before and after 4 weeks of treatment in the three groups, using the Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ), the Finger to Floor test (FTF), the Modified-Modified Schober Test (MMS), and the Trunk Flexion Range of Motion test. Results: This study showed significant reduction in the pre-test and post-test KODI, VAS, and FABQ scores in all the three groups (p < 0.05). The KODI, VAS, FABQ and FTF assessed in this study showed interactions between the groups and the measurement time point (p < 0.01). After intervention, the KODI, VAS, FABQ and FTF in the SEG and METG were significantly higher (p < 0.05), and there was no difference between the METG and SEG. MMS and HFROM test showed no difference between the three groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: KODI, VAS, FABQ and FTF showed significant improvement after basic physical therapy, muscle energy technique, and stretching exercise intervention. And there was no significant difference in the intervention effect between the muscle energy group and the stretching exercise group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2024

PURPOSE: This study compared the effect of the muscle energy technique (MET) and stretching technique on ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, balance, and gait ability of stroke patients with limited ankle dorsiflexion. METHODS: Forty-four post-stroke patients participated. The participants were randomized into the MET group (METG; n = 22) and the stretching group (STG; n = 22). The METG was subjected to the MET to relax the dorsiflexion, while the STG was subjected to the dorsiflexion stretching technique. Both groups completed standard neurological physical therapy for 30 min per session. The intervention was conducted five times a week over 3 weeks for a total of 15 times. All participants underwent ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion measurement and Berg Balance Scale score determination and completed a 10-m walking test and the timed up and go test before and after the intervention. RESULTS: After the 3-week intervention, both groups showed significant improvement after the intervention (p < .05). METG participants showed greater improvements in ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion and 10-m walking test results compared to STG participants (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Both interventions improved ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, balance, and gait ability in stroke patients with limited ankle dorsiflexion. Moreover, the MET was superior to ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion on the 10-m walking test.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.445-457
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• 2016

The purpose of the study is to provide frame work of efficient diagnostic and treatment protocol for the people with malpositioned pelvic which causes imbalance of body. Study subjects were grouped as experimental, comparison and control group. Each group consisted of five men and five women randomly assigned. Experimental group was to be tested with Thompson Terminal Technique, its corrective effect and the effect of maintaining the treatment. There were 43.01%p difference in effectiveness of the applied technique between Thompson Terminal Technique and Muscle Energy Technique. It indicates that Thompson Terminal Technique is more effective in treating pelvic misalignment than Muscle Energy Technique. As a result, the use of chiropractic and resistance exercises is proven to be effective for treating the imbalance of body. Also, to maximize the effect of treatment, it is preferable to apply Muscle Energy Technique after applying the Thompson Terminal Technique.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.201-211
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of Muscle Energy Technique(MET) on the Hamstring flexibility of healthy adults by comparing stretching exercise. Methods : The subjects were consisted of healthy adults(54 male, 42 female). All subject randomly assigned to the Control group, Stretching group, MET group. stretching group received hamstring stretching for 75 seconds and MET group received Hamstring MET for 75 seconds. Then subject did the sit and reach test at before treatment, right after treatment and after 10 minutes treatment. Results : 1. Result of sit and reach test according to measurement time changed, three groups were all improved and significant difference(p<0.01) was observed among three groups. 2. Compared to before treatment and right after treatment result, MET group was more significant improved(p<0.01) than stretching group. 3. Compared to before treatment and after 10 minutes result, MET group was more significant improved(p<0.01) than stretching group. Conclusions : According to above results, improvement of hamstring flexibility, MET was more effect than stretching exercise.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical effects of Muscle Energy Technique(MET) for peripheral facial paralysis. Methods: 60 Patients were divided into two groups. Group A(n=30) received the treatment with existing Korean medicine. Group B(n=30) received the MET with existing Korean medicine. It was performed once a day, five time per a week for three weeks. we analyzed Yanagihara's score and House-Brackmann scale Results: A week after MET treatment, Yanagihara's score average of Group A is $7.17{\pm}6.34$. Yanagihara's score average of Group B is $8.84{\pm}5.22$. (p=0.72). Two weeks after MET, Yanagihara's score average of Group A is $12.39{\pm}4.94$. Yanagihara's score average of Group B is $15.12{\pm}3.20$. (p=0.04). Three weeks after MET, Yanagihara's score average of Group A is $17.11{\pm}5.31$. Yanagihara's score average of Group B is $22.78{\pm}3.67$. (p=0.01). A is $3.87{\pm}1.36$. House-Brackmann Scale average of Group B is $3.64{\pm}1.76$. (p=0.63). Two weeks after MET treatment, House-Brackmann Scale average of Group A is $3.20{\pm}0.97$. House-Brackmann Scale average of Group B is $3.02{\pm}1.03$. (p=0.05). Three weeks after MET, House-Brackmann Scale average of Group A is $2.84{\pm}1.12$. House-Brackmann Scale average of Group B is $2.23{\pm}0.78$. (p=0.04). Conclusion: MET treatment is effective for improve the symptoms of peripheral facial paralysis. Therefore, it will be used to peripheral facial paralysis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.190-196
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of muscle energy techniques (MET) of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles on Bell's palsy. Methods: In this retrospective study, we screened the medical records of patients with Bell's palsy who had received inpatient and outpatient treatment at the Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Korean Medicine Hospital Dong-Eui University between November 28, 2016 and April 30, 2017. A total of 34 out of 93 Bell's palsy patients met the inclusion criteria. The 34 patients were divided into two groups: Group A patients had undergone Korean-Western combination treatment and MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles; Group B patients had undergone Korean-Western combination treatment only. MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles had been performed three times a week during the inpatient period, and two to three times a week during the outpatient period. Yanagihara scores had been assessed at the first visit, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after the first visit. Results: Group A Yanagihara scores were significantly improved during each interval from the first visit to 4 weeks later. Group B Yanagihara scores were also significantly improved except during the first week. During every period, the improvements observed in Yanagihara score were significantly higher in Group A than in Group B. Conclusion: These results suggest that MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles may be effective treatment for Bell's palsy.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.171-188
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of this study is to analyze the actual investigation and classification of osteopathic manipulation by investigation of the various literature of the inside and outside of the country, and to present the application plan of osteopathy in chuna manual therapy for meridian sinew system. Methods : I referred to the domestic and foreign books about osteopathy and chiropractic. In order to investigate domestic dissertations, I searched 4 Korean medical databases and 4 Korean medical journals of osteopathy. Search terms used were osteopathy, osteopathic, fascia, proprioreceptor, mechanoreceptor, muscle spindle, golgi tendon organ, osteopathic manipulation technics. And I classified all the searched studies into principle and region and etc. In order to investigate foreign dissertations, I search 'NCBI pubmed'. Search terms used were osteopathy, osteopathic technique, osteopathic manipulative technique. Results : 1. Osteopathy do not regard the systems which compose the human body in individual territory, but regard whole. It is diagnosis, prevention and medicine which treats 2. Osteopathic manipulation techniques are classified into direct techniques, indirect techniques, and compound techniques. 3. Osteopathic manipulation techniques are classified into fascia, muscle, ligament-joint in applied region. 4. I could search clinical cases in domestic and foreign study. I found cases about myofascial release technique(MFR), postisometric relaxation(PIR), proprioceptive neuromuscular fascilitation(PNF), muscle energy technique(MET), joint mobilization in domestic studies, and strain-counterstrain technique(SCS), MET, AK in foreign studies. Conclusions : Osteopathic manipulation techniques can be used in diagnosis and treatment of meridian muscle theory, because osteopathy and the oriental medicine have many similarities in theoretical background. So osteopathic manipulation technique can be useful in oriental medicine treatment techniques.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review articles in order to establish optimal contraction intensity and duration in the performance of relaxation techniques for maximal increase in range of motion. Methods: The Cochrane, EBSCO, Embase, Medline, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were used to search articles from 1990 to January 2016. The search terms were "contract relax," "hold relax," "muscle energy technique (MET)," and "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching." Only experimental human studies (randomized controlled trials) that compared the effects of varying intensity and duration of isometric contraction were included. Non-English language and unpublished studies were excluded. Results: A total of 2,156 articles were initially identified, with only five eventually meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Three studies compared the effects of varying intensity in isometric contraction and two studies compared the effects of varying duration in isometric contraction with regard to range of motion (ROM). Two articles suggested that submaximal voluntary isometric contraction was more effective than maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in the improvement of ROM. One article showed that a longer contraction time led to greater increases in ROM. Conclusion: Submaximal voluntary isometric contraction was recommended during contract-relax exercises in healthy people. Lack of evidence makes it difficult to suggest the optimal duration of isometric contraction during relaxation techniques. For future research, high-quality evidence will be needed to establish the optimal contraction intensity for maximum improvement of ROM.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2022

Objectives This case study aimed to investigate the effect of acupotomy and fascia chuna therapy on talipes cavus-type plantar fasciitis. Methods We classified the foot arch type using a podoscope and estimated the outcome by evaluating the numeric rating scale, pain disability index, and EuroQol-5-dimension measurement. Results After treatment, heel pain decreased and the quality-of-life score improved. Conclusions This study suggests that treatment with acupotomy and muscle energy techniques based on the foot arch type may be effective for plantar fasciitis. A limitation of this study is the small number of cases. Further clinical studies are required.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.313-326
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• 2015

Objective: The objective of this research is to quantitatively analyze muscle activities of arm and shoulder, according to direction in various types of one-handed manual material handling, based on surface electromyography. Background: Workers in industrial sites frequently carry out one-handed manual material handling using arm and shoulder muscles. Therefore, chronic load and accumulated fatigue occur to arm and shoulder muscles, which becomes a main cause of upper arm and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. The shoulder muscles have widely range of motion, and complex interactions take place among various muscles including rotator cuff muscles. In this regard, research on interactions among should muscles, according to such various dynamic motions, is required. Method: Ten male subjects in their 20s participated in this research. This research considered upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward and backward directions and fourteen muscles around arm and shoulder (biceps brachii and trapezius, etc.) as independent variables. The mean muscle activity was set as the dependent variable. This research extracted $4^{th}{\sim}7^{th}$ repetition signals according to ten times of repetitive muscle contraction, and analyzed the muscle activity concerned using the envelope detection technique. Results: The mean muscle activity of upward direction was analyzed highly statistically significant. The reason is that the effect of gravity works to arm and shoulder muscles. Also, it is conjectured that deformation of coracoacromial ligament was caused, and its contact pressure increased, due mainly to the shoulder flexion, and therefore load was analyzed high. Muscle activity was analyzed significantly low, according to concentric ballistic motion used in the concentric contraction phase by storing elastic energy in the eccentric contraction phase with a motion to bring the weight to the front of subject's body as to downward, leftward and backward directions. Because, elbow joint's flexion-extension motions mainly occurred, biceps brachii was analyzed high muscle activity as the prime mover. Conclusion: The information on the quantitative load of muscles can be applied to ergonomic work design for one-handed manual material handling to minimize muscle load. Application: This research has effectively identified muscle activity according to dynamic contraction by applying an envelope detection technique. The results can be used for ergonomic work design to minimize muscle load during the one-handed manual material handling, according to each direction. The research results are expected to be used for musculoskeletal disorder prevention and physiotherapy in the rehabilitation medical field, based on the muscle load of arm and shoulder in various directions.