Walking With Poles May Help People With Parkinson's Disease

Scientists have found that walking with special poles — called Nordic walking — can help people with Parkinson's disease feel and move better. Parkinson's disease is a brain condition that makes it very hard to control movement. Researchers looked at 21 different studies from around the world to reach this finding. The review was published in a science journal called npj Exercise Medicine and Health.

Nordic walking uses two poles, similar to ski poles, to help push the body forward while walking. It works both the arms and legs at the same time, giving the whole body a workout. Scientists wanted to know if this kind of exercise could help people with Parkinson's disease move more easily and feel better overall. They gathered data from hundreds of patients to find out.

The research team reviewed studies that included 706 people with Parkinson's disease from eight different countries. Most of the exercise programs lasted between four and 24 weeks. Participants went to two to six sessions per week, and each session lasted between 35 and 90 minutes. Most of the walking was done outdoors and with a trained instructor nearby.

One of the biggest findings was that Nordic walking helped people move better. After six to twelve weeks of exercise, many people scored lower on a test called the MDS-UPDRS III, which measures how badly Parkinson's disease affects movement. Lower scores on this test mean fewer movement problems. Six studies showed that people walked faster and more steadily after the program ended.

Nordic walking also helped people walk farther. On average, people could walk about 39 more meters in six minutes after completing the exercise program. That might not sound like a lot, but for someone with Parkinson's disease, walking farther can make a big difference in daily life. This improvement was found across four different studies.

Balance also got better for many people who tried Nordic walking. Scientists used something called the Berg Balance Scale to measure how steady people were on their feet. Three studies showed clear improvements in balance after Nordic walking. Better balance means a lower chance of falling, which is a serious worry for people with Parkinson's disease.

The exercise also helped with problems that are not related to movement, such as tiredness and sadness. Some people felt less tired and less depressed after finishing the program. Others showed signs of better thinking and memory. One study even found that people slept better after several weeks of Nordic walking.

Researchers compared Nordic walking to other types of exercise as well. Nordic walking worked better than regular walking for improving stride length and balance in some studies. However, a special therapy called LSVT BIG showed better results for movement scores than Nordic walking after 16 weeks. This means Nordic walking is helpful, but it may not be the best choice for every patient.

The studies came from many different countries, with Brazil contributing the most research, followed by Germany and the United States. Most of the research was published in the last ten years. Scientists said that more studies are still needed to fully understand who benefits most from Nordic walking and why.

Overall, the findings suggest that Nordic walking is a safe and useful exercise for many people with Parkinson's disease. It can be done outdoors, does not require special equipment beyond the poles, and works the whole body at once. Doctors and physical therapists may want to consider recommending it to their patients as part of a regular exercise routine.