Effects of nordic walking exercise on gait, motor/non-motor symptoms, and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Cathy C Harro, Michael J Shoemaker, Cassandra M Coatney and 7 others
PMID 36311206WHAT IT FOUND
Twelve people with Parkinson's disease improved their walking endurance and motor symptoms after six weeks of Nordic walking.
These gains were still present three months later when they continued exercising on their own, and no falls occurred during the study.
Key findings
01Walking endurance (6-minute walk test) improved significantly after training and the improvement was retained at 3-month follow-up.
02Motor symptoms on the MDS-UPDRS scale improved significantly after training and were maintained at follow-up.
03Serum BDNF levels increased significantly at the 3-month follow-up compared to baseline and post-training.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size (n=12) and no control group, so it cannot prove that Nordic walking caused the improvements. The study was underpowered to detect changes in some spatiotemporal gait parameters like stride variability. Assessors were not blinded to the time points for most measures, although the MDS-UPDRS motor exam was scored by a blinded rater. The Fitbit device used to track steps had setup errors (missing height/weight/step length data), which reduced the accuracy of distance and active time estimates. Functional balance measures were not assessed, so the direct effect on fall risk could not be analyzed.
Declared interests
The funders played no role in the design, conduct, or reporting of this study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the improvements in walking endurance and motor symptoms as definitive proof of efficacy. This was a small pilot study without a control group, so the observed changes could be due to other factors such as natural variation, placebo effects, or concurrent activities.