Lumbar braces, cast jackets and lumbar corsets are commonly prescribed for the relief of low back pain or the prevention of instability of lumbar or lumbosacral vertebrae. These devices have been presumed to achive their effect by (1) decreasing movement at the involved intervertebral joints, (2) shifting a portion of the load from the spine to the rest of the trunk by compressing the abdomen, (3) decreasing lumbar lordosis and therefore, mechanical stress on the spine and (4) providing sufficient support to allow relaxation of the muscles of the trunk. But it is doubtful that lumbar braces or corsets significantly decrease movement between lumbar vertebrae. To maintain the stability of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine, abdominal muscles and intrinsic muscles of the back play an important role. When these muscles weaken the lumbar lordosis becomes exaggerated possibly bringing about degenerative changes in the articular processes and approximation of the spinous processes. In severe cases results in the so-called kissing spine which causes low back pain. The pain may be relieved by use of lumbo-sacral corsets or knight braces, which diminish lordosis. However, there has been no scientific report on adequate types of braces, duration of use or muscle weakness resulting from its use as yet. The prupose of this study is to provide a theoretical braces for, planning adequate prevention and early treatment, so that labour loss from retirement or change of job due to low back pain could be minimized, permitting early return to employment and resumption of activities of daily living. In other words, this study concentrates on the indications for use and selection of which will produce optimum results in the treatment of patients with low back pain. The EMG was taken immediately after admission, and after 3 weeks of bed rest accompanied by pelvic traction with or without heating, and also it was taken after 6 weeks of use of brace. The results obtained from this study were as follows; 1. After bed rest the EMG activities were increased in back muscles, such as longissimus dorsi, multifidus and iliocostalis lumborum and in abdominal muscles of internus abdominis while decreased in rectus abdominis. 2. There has been no significant change after use of corset in acute cases while the muscle activities. were increased after use of lumbar corset in chronic cases. 3. Rectus abdominis was most senstively influenced by bed rest or use of brace both in acute and chronic cases. And it was the last to recover probably because it does not contract in ordinary alow walking. 4. Knight brace was considered to be preferable to lumbar corset in acute cases with evidence of weakness in abdominal muscles by EMG. 5. There was no difference between bed rest and use of brace in patients who had radiculopathy with functional difficulties or not.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Muscles ; Activities of Daily Living ; Animals ; Back Muscles ; Bed Rest ; Braces ; Employment ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Joints ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Radiculopathy ; Rectus Abdominis ; Relaxation ; Retirement ; Spine ; Stress, Mechanical ; Traction ; Walking

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Humans ; Love*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyze industrial workers' stresses from physical symptoms, PWI, JCQ and tasks in classification of Sasang constitutions. METHOD: Data were collected from industrial workers in J Province from May 2003 to June 2003. Questionnaires were distributed and collected on the day of their physical examination. Collected data were analysed through chi2-test. RESULT: Health-related characteristics showed that most of smokers and drinkers were Taeumins and this result was statistically significant. Physical symptoms related to constitutions indicated that GI and neurologic symptoms are significantly more frequent in Soeumin. The percentage of subjects with moderate risk was high in order of Soyangin, Taeumin and Soeumin while the percentage of subjects with high risk was high in order of Soeumin, Taeumin and Soyangin. CONCLUSION: Through this study, Lee Jae Ma's theory was be confirmed compatible with disease characteristics. However, research with more various subjects and variables needs to be made.
Classification ; Constitution and Bylaws* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Ovarian Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship among self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement and predictor of the self-achievements in elders. METHODS: A total of 294 subjects aged between 60 and 92 were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from May to June, 2008. Collected data were analysed by the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. RESULTS: Self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement were positively correlated. The most significant predictor of self-achievement in elders were self-management and self-esteem. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that self-achievement is influenced by self-management and self-esteem and needed for aged well.
Self Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We describe a case of typical cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis occuring in 10-year-old male. He had recurrent subcutaneous nodules, fever, pancytopenia and abnormal liver function tests since 5 months of his age, and recently showed hemorrhagic diathesis. The histologic picture showed lobular histiocytic panniculitis with "bean bag" cytophagic cells.
Child ; Fever ; Hemorrhagic Disorders ; Humans ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Pancytopenia ; Panniculitis*

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the state of recognition and experience of love, sex knowledge and self-esteem targeting girls who attended middle and high schools. METHOD: Data was collected from 391 girls of middle and high schools from Aug. 2004 to Nov. 2004. The collected data was analysed through t-test, and ANOVA. RESULT: The average age of the girls of this study was 16.9 years, and 31.6% of them discussed sex with their parents. The girls' experiences with love were hand-holding(80.8%) the most, and shoulder to shoulder(68.5%), arm in arm(67.8%), hugging(57.0%) and kissing(37.9%) in sequence, while coitus and pregnancy appeared in 0.8% of the cases. The score of sex knowledge was 68.8 and self-esteem was 74.4. Self-esteem was related to age and discussing sex with their parents. CONCLUSION: As the results above show, the majority of girl-students were mostly knowledgable about friendship and love expressions. At school and home, society's support and encouragement are required so that sex education at a young age and a positive self-concept may be formed.
Arm ; Coitus ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Love* ; Parents ; Pregnancy ; Sex Education ; Shoulder

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the effects of self-foot reflexology on urinary incontinence symptoms, vaginal contraction and daily life discomfort of middle-aged women. METHOD: A quasi-experimental design was used. The subject were 39 middle-aged women with urinary incontinence, who were composed of 18 women in the experimental group, while 21 were in the control group. In the experimental group, self-foot reflexology was applied for 30 minutes, three times a week for 4 weeks. The obtained data were analyzed by using the Mann-Whitney U test of SPSS. RESULT: 1. Frequency(U=78.00, P=.001), amount(U=65.00, p=.001) and the situation score(U=81.00, P=.002)of urinary incontinence were reduced significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 2. Maximum pressure(U=33.50, p=.000), mean pressure(U=38.00 p=.000) of vaginal contraction were improved significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 3. Daily life discomfort in the experimental group was reduced whereas that of the control group was increased(U=63.00, p=.000) significantly. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that self-foot reflexology is an effective method for reducing urinary incontinence symptoms and daily life discomfort and for increasing pressure of vaginal contraction of middle-aged women. Therefore self-foot reflexology can be considered as a independent nursing intervention for urinary incontinence.
Female ; Humans ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Urinary Incontinence*

BACKGROUND: Angioleiomyoma of the skin is a rare smooth muscle tumor and may develop anywhere in the body. Comprehensive clinicopathological analysis of angioleiomyomas developed in Korean has not been reported in domestic dermatological journals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics of angioleiomyoma and the relationship between the tumor and the nerve with immunohistochemical stains. METHODS: Fifty nine cases of angioleiomyoma were reappraised from the files of the pathology of Seoul National University, Green Cross Reference Laboratory Center and Korea Veterans Hospital. Brief clinical histories of all cases were examined and microscopic findings in 35 cases were classified according to subtypes. Paraffin blocks were recut and stained in 16 cases for desmin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 1. Male to female ratio was 1:1.27. 2. The age of the patients was mostly over 20 years and the mean age was 51 years in men and 40 years in women. 3. Tumors occurred most frequently in the lower extremity(38 cases), and followed by upper extremity(18 cases), head(2 cases), and trunk(1 case). Women had predominance of the legs in location site and men showed equal distribution in the lower and upper extremities.
Actins ; Angiomyoma* ; Coloring Agents ; Desmin ; Female ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Paraffin ; Pathology ; S100 Proteins ; Seoul ; Skin ; Smooth Muscle Tumor ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: The study was to explore the level of low back pain and characteristic factors influencing low back pain (LBP) and mental health during pregnancy. METHODS: The subjects were a total of 383 healthy pregnant women in S City and K-Do. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: 82.5% of the pregnant women answered the existence of LBP and 19.7% of them had high LBP. The preferred method of controlling LBP was 'Just endure' (42.3%). There were significant differences in pregnancy level (p < .05) and discomfort condition related to pregnancy (p < .01) according to low back pain. There were significant differences in pain intensity according to mental health. The correlation between pain level and pregnancy weeks (p < .001) and BMI in previous pregnancy (p < .001) was significant. The correlation between mental health and age was significant (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The majority of the pregnant women experienced LBP during pregnancy. However, they were not offered the best method of controlling the pain. Thus, for preventing LBP during pregnancy, we recommend regular exercises and BMI control.
Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Mental Health* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women*