Jiyeon Yoon1, Jinse Park2, Kunbo Park3, Geunyeol Jo4, Haeyu Kim5, Wooyoung Jang6, Ji Sun Kim7, Jinyoung Youn8, Eung Seok Oh9, Hee-Tae Kim10, Chang Hong Youm11. 1. Department of Physical Therapy, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Neurology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jinsepark@gmail.com. 3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea. 4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Neurological Surgery, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea. 6. Department of Neurology, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, Republic of Korea. 7. Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 8. Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 9. Department of Neurology, Chungnam National University Hospital, College of Medicine, Daejun, Republic of Korea. 10. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 11. Department of Coaching, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recently, arm facilitation has been interested in gait rehabilitation. However, there have been few studies concerning arm facilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of increasing arm weights on gait pattern in patients with PD. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with PD were enrolled, and they underwent gait analysis using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Sandbags were applied to the distal forearms in all participants. We compared gait parameters including arm swing, pelvic motion, spatiotemporal data, and relative rotational angle between the weighted and unweighted gaits. RESULTS: The total arm-swing amplitude and pelvic rotation were significantly higher when walking with additional arm weights than without arm weights. Cadence, walking speed, stride length, and swing phase were significantly higher, whereas stride time, double-support time, and stance phase were significantly lower, when walking with additional arm weights than without arm weights. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that adding weights to the arm during walking may facilitate arm and pelvic movements, which results in changes to gait patterns. The therapeutic use of additional arm weights could be considered for gait rehabilitation in PD to improve gait impairment. SIGNIFICANCE: Arm-swing facilitation using weight load improved gait in Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE: Recently, arm facilitation has been interested in gait rehabilitation. However, there have been few studies concerning arm facilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of increasing arm weights on gait pattern in patients with PD. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with PD were enrolled, and they underwent gait analysis using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Sandbags were applied to the distal forearms in all participants. We compared gait parameters including arm swing, pelvic motion, spatiotemporal data, and relative rotational angle between the weighted and unweighted gaits. RESULTS: The total arm-swing amplitude and pelvic rotation were significantly higher when walking with additional arm weights than without arm weights. Cadence, walking speed, stride length, and swing phase were significantly higher, whereas stride time, double-support time, and stance phase were significantly lower, when walking with additional arm weights than without arm weights. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that adding weights to the arm during walking may facilitate arm and pelvic movements, which results in changes to gait patterns. The therapeutic use of additional arm weights could be considered for gait rehabilitation in PD to improve gait impairment. SIGNIFICANCE: Arm-swing facilitation using weight load improved gait in Parkinson's disease.