Abstract
One of the predominant effects of PD is alteration of motor skills, which leads to compromised posture and physical balance. Aquatic physical therapy, performed in a heated pool, can serve as one of intervention alternatives for PD carriers. Aim: To analyze the effects of the Halliwick Concept hydrotherapy in acquisition of motor skills in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Methods: A clinical, qualitative method was used to evaluate 7 volunteers (59.85 ± 7.92 years of age, both male and female), who were in II and III stages of PD according to the Hoehn & Yar Scale. The participants were evaluated in the start and end of the interventions phase, and then the evaluation was conducted interventions in a heated pool (32˚C - 34˚C) twice a week, each session lasting approximately 30 minutes, totaling 10 sessions. The Halliwick Principles’ 3phase 10-point methods were used for acquisition of aquatic motor skills. Results: They indicate an improvement in their ability to float in prone and supine positions (P = 0.04 * ) and longitudinal rotation in the bipedal position. Conclusion: The activation of motor control improved the motor skills of the participants.
Highlights
The process of aging in the human includes psychological, emotional, social and biological alterations, which can be quite apparent and obvious throughout the body [1]
Among the analyzed functional aquatic motor skills related to balance, we highlight the buoyancy in the prone position (P= 0.04*) and supine (P = 0.04*) (Figure 1) to rotations: sagittal (P = 0.133), combined (P = 0.073), longitudinal to the right (P = 0.041*), longitudinal to the left (P = 0.041*), transversal-supine/prone (P = 0.248) and transversal-prone/supine (P = 0.248); striding: forward (P = 0.108), backward (P = 0.108), hops (P = 0.067) and lateral (P = 0.043*) (Figure 2)
Even though aquatic exercise has been shown to be an effective strategy for reducing postural instability, to our knowledge, very few interventions have been performed in this environment with patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (PD)
Summary
The process of aging in the human includes psychological, emotional, social and biological alterations, which can be quite apparent and obvious throughout the body [1]. The knowledge about the possible factors in the physiopathology of PD demands an inevitable investigation of the pertinent questions about natural aging of the human being These investigations can lead to further development of a repertoire of preventive physiotherapeutic methods by the intervention team for PD patients. With the clinical diagnosis of PD, the individual may show an alteration in postural reactions such as straightening, balance, protective extension, difficulty in corporal rotation and reduced muscular strength [3] Such symptoms are accentuated when the patient is subjected to situations of stress, fatigue or pressure, which can exacerbate the freezing phenomenon and postural compromise, leading to a sudden loss of balance [4]
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