BACKGROUND Surface instability is a common addition to traditional rehabilitation and strength exercises with the aim of increasing muscle activity, increasing exercise difficulty and improving joint proprioception. The aim of the current study was to determine if performing upper body closed kinetic chain exercises on a labile surface (Swiss ball) influences myoelectric amplitude when compared...

OBJECTIVE Based on individual cases of treatment, we were interested in whether the effects of a special kind of qigong, the "White Ball" exercises, can be objectified by physically measurable parameters and psychological scores. METHODS We performed a preliminary prospective controlled interventional study with the waiting list design. In the qigong group eight children were included. They r...

Introduction Resistance training is commonly recognized as an essential component to a rehabilitative treatment plan. Modifications of various exercises are made on the belief that different types of support surfaces and joint positions can influence muscle recruitment levels. One modification to traditional exercises is the addition of an unstable support surface (exercise balls, wobble boards...

OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of two different hand exercises on hand strength and vascular maturation in patients who underwent arteriovenous fistula surgery. METHODS We recruited 18 patients who had chronic kidney disease and had undergone arteriovenous fistula surgery for hemodialysis. After the surgery, 10 subjects performed hand-squeezing exercise with GD Grip, and other 8 subjects use...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of trunk exercises performed using the physio ball as against the plinth, on trunk control and functional balance in patients with acute stroke. DESIGN An observer-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS Thirty patients with acute stroke (mean post-stroke duration 12 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2-34) days) who had the first onset of unilateral ...

[Purpose] This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the balance exercises with a Swiss ball on static and dynamic balance abilities in elderly (≥65 years) subjects. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty elderly subjects with no relevant orthopedic history of a back condition were selected for trunk stabilization exercises with a Swiss ball (Thera-Band, USA). The subjects performed these t...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of a birth ball exercise programme conducted by physiotherapists on pain relief, psychological care, and facilitation of the labour process at a labour ward in a regional hospital. DESIGN Case series with before-after comparisons. SETTING Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS Chinese women admitted to the labour ward for spontaneous vaginal delive...

A skilled golfer hitting a drive can accelerate his club head from zero to 120 miles per hour in the quarter of a second before making contact with the ball. As a result, the ball leaves the tee with a typical speed of 175 miles per hour and at an angle of 11◦ to the ground. From that moment the golfer no longer exercises control. The trajectory of the ball is determined by the laws of physics....

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trunk stabilization exercise on the muscle EMG activations related to core stability. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen elderly people in a geriatric hospital performed trunk stabilization exercises with a Swiss ball for 20 minutes five times per week for 8 weeks. Trunk muscle activations were measured using electromyography bef...