A new randomized clinical trial
provides definitive proof that exercise is a good thing for people with
Parkinson disease (PD). Researchers discovered physical exercise, including
treadmill, stretching and resistance exercises, was associated with improve
gait speed, muscle strength and fitness for individuals with PD.
Investigators say the study
findings add to the evidence regarding the value of interventions for PD beyond
medications and surgery. Exercise
offers an opportunity for patients to be active participants in their care. The
study is published in Online First by Archives of Neurology, a JAMA
Network publication.
Current pharmacological treatments
are often inadequate for preserving the ability to walk or retain mobility as
PD progresses. Accordingly, there is growing interest in the use of exercise to
improve mobility and function, write the study authors. Lisa M. Shulman, M.D.,
of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, and colleagues
conducted a randomized clinical trial of three types of physical exercise to
compare the effectiveness of treadmill, stretching and resistance exercises in
improving gait speed, strength and fitness for patients with Parkinson’s
Disease.
The study included 67 patients
with PD who had gait impairment and were randomly assigned to one of three
groups in the trial: a higher intensity treadmill exercise (30 minutes at 70
percent to 80 percent of heart rate reserve); a lower-intensity treadmill
exercise (50 minutes at 40 percent to 50 percent of heart rate reserve); and
stretching and resistance exercises (two sets of 10 repetitions on each leg on
three resistance machines).
Patients performed the exercises
three times a week for three months. After the training, researchers discovered
that all 3 exercise groups benefited from the intervention. “The effects of
exercise were seen across all three exercise groups. The lower-intensity
treadmill exercise resulted in the greatest improvement in gait speed. Both the
higher- and lower-intensity treadmill exercises improved cardiovascular
fitness. Only the stretching and resistance exercises improved muscle strength.
Therefore, exercise can improve gait speed, muscle strength and fitness for
patients with Parkinson disease,” the authors said.
According to the study results,
all three types of exercise improved distance on the 6-minute walk:
lower-intensity treadmill exercise (12 percent increase), stretching and
resistance exercises (9 percent increase) and higher-intensity treadmill
exercises (6 percent increase). Both types of treadmill training improved
cardiovascular fitness, whereas stretching and resistance had no effect. Only
stretching and resistance improved muscle strength (16 percent increase). “The
fact that the lower-intensity treadmill exercise is the most feasible exercise
for most patients with PD has important implications for clinical practice,”
state the authors. This activity can reduce disability and improve quality of
life, they said.
Source: Psych Central
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