Aquatic Exercise and Outcomes for People with Parkinson’s Disease (PwP)

Aquatic Exercise and Outcomes for People with Parkinson’s Disease (PwP)

Purpose:

Case study to determine if a four-week aquatic exercise program has an impact on outcomes related to mobility, strength, and quality of life.

Methodology:

Participants were recruited from a 55 and better community located within Fairfax County, Virginia. The participants were required to sign an informed consent form and agree to pre/post testing.

Participant Demographics:

Two Male participants

Greater than 60 years of age

Both residents of the Atrium community in Fairfax County, Virginia

Cleared by physician to participate

Program Structure:

Meet weekly for four weeks with 45-minute aquatic exercise sessions

Pre-test and post-test performance assessments

Participants instructed to perform additional aquatic walking for 30 minutes or more per week

Standardized tests conducted:

PDQ-39 questionnaire

Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale

Timed Up & Go (TUG)

30 second Chair Stand (30SCS)

Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)

Arm Curl Test (ACT)

Results:

Participant 1 (P1) improved scores in TUG and ABC Scale.

(TUG is an objective test and determines fall risk, which a lower score indicates a reduced risk. ABC Scale is a subjective test, which the participant rates their level of confidence to perform a variety of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). A higher score indicates a greater confidence in performing ADLs and IADLs without losing one’s balance or becoming unsteady.)

P1 Pre-test scores: PDQ-39- 45 ABC- 28.125% TUG- 23.57s 30SCS- 6 MFIS- 42 ACT- L16 & R19 P1 Post-test scores: PDQ-39- 69 ABC- 45% TUG- 15.5s 30SCS- 4 MFIS- 53 ACT- L19 & R18

Participant 2 (P2) improved scores in PDQ-39, TUG, MFIS, and 30 second chair stand. PDQ-39 measures difficulties across 8 dimensions of daily living including relationships, social situations and communication for people with Parkinson’s (PwP)—lower score indicates less difficulties with various tasks. MFIS subjective measure of fatigue during the past 4 weeks at time of assessment—higher scores indicate greater self-reporting of fatigue. The 30 second chair stand test is an objective measure of leg strength, endurance, and ability to transfer from sitting to standing lower scores indicates an increased fall risk.

P2 Pre-test scores: PDQ-39- 98 ABC- 26.875% TUG- 18.78s 30SCS- 8 MFIS- 63 ACT- L22 & R20 P2 Post-test scores: PDQ-39- 90 ABC- 21.25% TUG- 11.82s 30SCS- 12 MFIS- 50 ACT- L22 & R19 Findings:

These improvements are very promising for PwP. Aquatic exercise indicates benefits for PwP based on the improved scores during this short four-week case study. Therefore, aquatic exercise programming should be considered for individuals with PD looking for improvements in mobility, balance, and quality of life.

Future Application:

My goal with this case study is to determine the benefits for aquatic exercise for PwP after a four-week program. I intend to provide this program to other PwP in northern Virginia.