The study involved 19 patients from the Hospital das Clínicas of the USP Faculty of Medicine and evaluated body balance and resistance training.
Among the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, one of the main ones is freezing of gait, a condition in which there is a sudden loss of the ability to move the feet, increasing the risk of falls. Recently, a survey conducted by the School of Education and Sports (EEFE) of University of Sao Paulo (USP) have offered a new approach to this symptom, revealing that training that challenges the body’s balance can minimize its severity.
The study, conducted by Caroline Ribeiro de Souza and led by Professor Luis Augusto Teixeira, involved 19 patients from Hospital das Clínicas (HC) from the USP Faculty of Medicine, who were divided into two groups: while one performed balance training based on perturbations, the other followed a muscular resistance training protocol.
In the balance group, participants were exposed to disturbances via a moving platform, which moved from left to right (translational movement) and also tilted (rotational movement). 128 movements were performed per session, for a total of 1,024 at the end of the study. In the resistance group, patients performed exercises on strength machines (chest bench, rowing machine and leg press, for example), with the goal of strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower extremities.
Results
To evaluate the results, both groups underwent a new session on the platform 30 days after the end of the training sessions. During this session, participants performed specific movements, including raising their arms and slightly lifting one leg, which simulated near-fall situations.
The results revealed that both perturbation-based balance training and resistance training contributed to the reduction of gait freezing. However, participants who underwent balance training demonstrated a more stable response to perturbationsand performance was maintained even after a month without performing the exercises.
“The persistence of the results demonstrates that this can be an effective option as a therapeutic resource to prevent falls in everyday life. Another point to highlight is the use of specific movement analysis to evaluate postural stability, since it is an easy method to apply, even in clinical practice”, underlined researcher Caroline Ribeiro in an interview with USP Journal.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
