Effects of a physical therapy home-based exercise program for Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that causes loss of functional abilities andindependence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a physical therapist-supervised home-basedexercise program in patients with PD using the UPDRS scale. Materials and methods: Thirty-three PD patientsin the 1.5 to 3 Hoehn and Yahr stages participated in the trial. The patients and their relatives received abooklet with a 12-week home program, with a series of strengthening, stretching and flexibility exercises. Thepatients were trained by a physical therapist, and each session took 60 minutes, three times a week. Results:We classified our patients in four groups: Group 1 - patients under 60 years of age and less than five years ofPD; Group 2 - patients under 60 years of age and more than five years of PD; Group 3 - patients over 60 years ofage and less than five years of the disease; and Group 4 - patients over 60 years of age and more than five yearsof PD. Significant improvement was found in group 1 in mentation, activities of daily living and motor function(p > 0.05). Group 3 presented statistically significant differences in motor function subscale (p > 0.05) andGroup 4 showed no worsening in mentation subscale (p > 0.05). Group 2, however, presented no difference in all subscales (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Although not all patients improved their UPDRS scores, our data supportthe use of a home program as an alternative method of physical therapy treatment for PD patients.