The present study investigated the effects of physical therapy treatment
on gait initiation in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thirteen patients
with PD were randomized into a treatment (n = 7) and control (n = 6) group.
Participants were assessed for their severity level, using the Modified Hoehn
and Yahr scale, and motor evaluation, using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease
Rating Scale (UPDRS), items III and IV. At pre- and post-assessments, gait
initiation was assessed using a gait mat, synchronized with a video camera.
The treatment group received a physical therapy training program based on
the TrainingBIG™ technique and task-specific concepts, three times per week
for four weeks. The control group received no physical therapy treatment.
From analysis of the pre- and post-assessment variables, only the treatment
group showed a significant decrease in preparatory phase time (p = 0.043)
and increase in step length (p = 0.018). In addition, the treatment group had a
significant increase in step length (p = .022) at post-assessment when compared
to the control group. The present findings demonstrated that physical therapy
treatment would be beneficial for patients with PD experiencing gait initiation
problems.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, Physical therapy, Gait initiation
INTRODUCTION
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a movement disorder disease, commonly found