Objective: Determine the immediate impact of performing partial squats using whole-body vibration (WBV) versus level surface on backward walking velocity in People with Parkinson Disease.

Background: Parkinson Disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that can affect gait and balance. For individuals with PD, difficulty with posterior movement patterns often increases their risk of falls. Further reducing their mobility due to fear of falling. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training has potential improvements in balance and gait, which could translate to enhanced motor skills required for activities such as walking backward.¹ WBV training has gained attention as a potential form of exercise with various proposed benefits, but more research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of WBV on backward walking in individuals with PD. Backward walking for individuals with PD is often more impaired and closely related to motor symptoms and fear of falling when compared to forward gait.²

Method: Twenty-six individuals with PD (Hoehn &Yahr I-IV, median age = 68.3, 13 females) participated in one session of squats on either WBV or level ground. Participants completed the 3 Meter Backward Walk Test (3MBWT) prior to and immediately following the intervention. Thirteen participants performed partial (“mini”) squats using WBV on a Galileo® S35 vibration platform in five 60-second sessions with a 1-minute seated rest break in between sessions for a total of 10 minutes. The control group completed the same sequence on level ground without WBV.

Results: Results from the two-way mixed ANOVA indicated the main effect of time was significant, with both control and intervention groups improving their 3MBWT scores (F(1,24)=4.388, p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant interaction between the intervention and time (F(1,24)<0.001, p=0.983) or the main effect of group (F(1,24)=0.691, p=0.414). Both the control and intervention groups yielded small effect sizes d=0.26 (9.5% change) and d=0.28 (10.8% change) respectively.

Conclusion: In individuals with PD, partial squats alone may drive improvements, with no added benefit from WBV.

References: 1. Dincher A, Schwarz M, Wydra G. Analysis of the Effects of Whole-Body Vibration in Parkinson Disease – Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PM R. 2019 Jun;11(6):640-653. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12094. Epub 2019 May 6. PMID: 30689308.
2. Kwon KY, Park S, Lee HM, Park YM, Kim J, Kim J, Koh SB. Backward Gait is Associated with Motor Symptoms and Fear of Falling in Patients with De Novo Parkinson’s Disease. J Clin Neurol. 2019 Oct;15(4):473-479. doi: 10.3988/jcn.2019.15.4.473. PMID: 31591835; PMCID: PMC6785475

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/immediate-impact-of-whole-body-vibration-on-backward-walking-in-individuals-with-parkinson-disease/