Aquatic obstacle training improves freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease patients: a randomized controlled trial

Our aim was to evaluate the effect of aquatic obstacle training on balance parameters in comparison with a traditional aquatic therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease.

A randomized single-blind controlled trial.

Outpatients in the rehabilitation department.

A total of 46 patients with Parkinson's disease in Hoehn-Yahr stage 2-3.

Participants were randomly assigned to (1) aquatic therapy or (2) obstacle aquatic therapy. All participants undertook aquatic therapy for 30 minutes, five times per week for six weeks.

The Freezing of Gait Questionnaire, Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go test and Berg Balance Scale were assessed at baseline, posttreatment and at six-month follow-up.

Both groups of patients had improved primary outcomes after the training program. A between-group comparison of the changes revealed that obstacle aquatic therapy was significantly higher for the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (after treatment: 8.7 ± 3.3 vs 6.2 ± 2.1, P = 0.004; posttest: 7.7 ± 3.1 vs 5.3 ± 2.0, P = 0.003) and Timed Up and Go test (after treatment: 17.1 ± 2.9 vs 13.8 ± 1.9, P < 0.001; posttest: 16.3 ± 2.8 vs 12.9 ± 1.4, P < 0.001).

Obstacle aquatic therapy in this protocol seems to be more effective than traditional protocols for gait and balance in patients with Parkinson's disease, and the effect lasts for six months.