Polestriding Intervention Improves Gait and Axial Symptoms in Mild to Moderate Parkinson Disease.
Narayanan Krishnamurthi, Holly Shill, Darolyn O'Donnell and 4 others
PMID 27984031WHAT IT FOUND
After 12 weeks of supervised polestriding, 17 people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease walked faster and had longer steps, and some walking and balance severity scores were lower; some remained lower at follow-up, while overall rating and questionnaire scores showed no clear change.
Key findings
01Step length, stride length, gait speed and step time variability improved from pre-intervention to post-intervention.
02Hoehn and Yahr, UPDRS motor, UPDRS axial and UPDRS gait and balance scores were lower after intervention, with Hoehn and Yahr and UPDRS gait and balance lower at follow-up.
03No significant changes were seen in UPDRS Part I, Part II, total UPDRS, or PDQ-39 total score or sub-components.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study followed one group and had no comparison group, so change over time, practice, or other factors cannot be ruled out. Only 17 people were enrolled, and 16 completed the intervention. Participants and the clinical rater were not blinded, which could influence subjective ratings. The paper did not include balance tests such as Timed Up and Go or Berg Balance, so balance effects are inferred from UPDRS items. Intervention sessions were in the medication-on state, while evaluations were in the medication-off state, so the study could not assess combined polestriding and medication effects. Some subjects reduced antiparkinsonian medication during the study period. Distance walked during sessions was calculated using pre-intervention step length, so actual distance may have been underestimated by about 9%. Only people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease, without dementia, severe fluctuations, or freezing that caused falls, were included. The Results section reports no significant change in total UPDRS, while the Discussion states a mean decrease of 3 in total UPDRS.
Declared interests
The article text does not include a conflicts of interest or funding statement. The journal metadata lists NIH extramural research support. The study used Exerstrider poles and an Exerstrider instructional video.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that polestriding alone is proven to improve Parkinson disease. The programme also included supervised warm-up and cool-down stretching, there was no comparison group, and total UPDRS and PDQ-39 scores showed no clear change.