OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study of the Thoracic Spinal Exercise Program was to evaluate its effects on VDT workers. These effects were found to include a decrease thoracic kyphosis, increase thoracic spine mobility and decrease in the VAS (visual analog scale). These measures provide a means of assessing the muscle endurance and muscle strength of the subjects. METHODS This study was conducted during the period from July 1 to August 31, 2003, and involved 58 VDT workers belonging to a company located in Seoul who were working seated in front of a computer for most of the day. After applying the thoracic exercise program, we examined the changes in the of thoracic kyphosis angle, spinal length (C7-S3), TFED (thoracic flexibility in the extension direction), MEBH (maximal elevation with both hands in the overhead direction) and CE (chest expansion). RESULTS Obtained f om this study are as follows. 1. A significant reduction in the VAS was observed in the exercise group (pre-exercise 5.90 +/- 0.88 points, post-exercise 4.23+/- 0.82 points), as compared with the control group (pre-exercise 6.00+/-0.90 points, post-exercise 5.93+/-0.81 points). 2. A significant reduction in thoracic kyphosis (pre-exercise 36.97+/-7.49, post-exercise 31.83 +/-5.90) and a significant increase in thoracic flexibility in the extension direction (pre-exercise 7 . 4 7+/-2.30, post-exercise 11.77+/-3.65) were observed in the exercise group. The thoracic kyphosis angle showed a significant reduction in the exercise group, as compared to the control group. The thoracic flexibility in the extension direction showed a significant increase in the exercise group, as compared to the control group. 3. There was a significant increase in the spinal length in the exercise group (pre-exercise 494 +/-27.66 mm, post-exercise 518.60+/-27.95 mm). CONCLUSIONS The Thoracic Spinal Exercise Program results in an increase in thoracic spine mobility and a decrease in pain. In practical terms, the effects of the exercise program are good health and posture.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Immediate Effects of Thoracic Mobility Exercises on the Thoracic Range of Motion and Chest Expansion in Healthy Adults Gi-Ppeum Choi, Jun-Ho Seo, Da-Eun Kim, So-Yeong Kim Journal of The Korean Society of Physical Medicine.2024; 19(3): 73. CrossRef
The Effect of Combination of Passive Stretching Exercises and Elastic Taping on Upper Trapezius Muscle Tone Min-Gi Choi, Jae-Hoon Chung, Ji-Hyeon Kim, Seung-Jae Kang, Young-Min Kim, Seung-Jung Na, Hyeon-Ji An, Min-Sik Oh, Chang-Min Oh, Seung-Ah Lee, Ah-Ra Lee, Hye-Ji Chang, Yun-Ji Choi, Su-An Heo, Su-Bin Min, Han-Suk Lee Journal of The Korean Society of Physical Medicine.2023; 18(4): 97. CrossRef
The effect of a course of selected corrective exercises on posture, scapula-humeral rhythm and performance of adolescent volleyball players with upper cross syndrome Morteza Homayounnia Firouzjah, Ebrahim Mohammad Ali Nasab Firouzjah, Zahra Ebrahimi BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Effects of Thoracic Spine Mobility Exercise on Symptom Improvement and Scapular Position in Patient with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome Moon-Young Choi, Doo-Hwan Kong, Jin-Seong Kim, Suk-Hwan Jang The Korean Journal of Sports Medicine.2022; 40(1): 12. CrossRef
Effect of Exercise Using an Automatic Spine Extension Device on Thoracic Kyphotic and Extension Angles Ju-hyeon Kim, Seon-mi Park, Hyang-hee Sin, Ho-jeong Choi, Yaoyao Liu, Won-gyu Yoo Physical Therapy Korea.2022; 29(3): 235. CrossRef
The Study of Muscle Fatigue and Risks of Musculoskeletal System Disorders from Text Inputting on a Smartphone Kyung Ko, Hee-Soo Kim, Ji-Hea Woo Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.2013; 32(3): 273. CrossRef
The Effect of Stabilization Exercises Combined with Taping Therapy on Pain and Function of Patients with Myofascial Pain Syndrome Jung-Ho Lee, Min-Sik Yong, Bong-Jun Kong, Jin-Sang Kim Journal of Physical Therapy Science.2012; 24(12): 1283. CrossRef