Effects of Group Physical Therapy on Walking Speed in Patients With Parkinson Disease

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurologic disorder characterized by motor impairments which alter the walking capacity, and lead to reduced walking speed, decreased stride length and increased double support time. Physical therapy interventions are an important part of the non-pharmacological treatment for Parkinson disease. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a different outcome regarding improvement of walking speed, when applying a physical therapy program in an individual or in a group manner. A prospective, observational, cohort type study on 60 patients with Parkinson disease was carried out between November 2014 - July 2017, in the Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county, Romania. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, and were prescribed either individual (1 patient and 1 physical therapist) or group physical therapy (6 patients and 1 physical therapist). Treatment protocol included 10 sessions of physical therapy, in the same room setting and performed the same routine of exercises, except for the 3 breaks during the sessions in the group therapy for informal socialization. Walking speed was measured by two validated instruments, the 6-minute walk test and the 10-meter walk test, before and after treatment. Patients with PD could benefit more from a group physical therapy program, as gait speed increased significantly. The group approach facilitates interactions and is cost-effective, as it requires only one therapist and more patients.