EFFECTS OF ROUTINE PHYSICAL THERAPY WITH AND WITHOUT HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING ON BALANCE, QUALITY OF LIFE AND FUNCTION IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease, is a degenerative neurological disorder, may have an adverse effect on movement, balance, and coordination. Physical therapy, a frequent Parkinson's disease treatment, tries to improve the patient's balance, gait, and general quality of life. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a kind of exercise that involves periods of intensive activity followed by periods of relaxation. In helping people with Parkinson's disease improve their balance and lower their risk of collapsing, HIIT may be more beneficial than traditional physical therapy. However, further study is needed to validate these results and determine the best amount and style of physical therapy for Parkinson's disease patients.

Objective(s): The objective of this study was to determine the effects of routine physical therapy with and without high intensity interval training on balance, quality of life and function in Parkinson’s disease patients.

Methodology: A randomized clinical trial was carried out by the Department of Physical Therapy at the Link Medical Centre in Lahore. The research included 62 Parkinson's disease patients from the department of physical therapy who were separated into two treatment groups. The most successful way for identifying the severity of a disease was revealed to be a mix of questionnaires, interviews, and exams. The questionnaires collected a variety of demographic information. Data was collected using the 6-minute walk test and the Parkinson's disease questionnaire, and the functional level in basic daily activities was assessed using the Barthel index scale. Furthermore, the Berg balance scale was utilised to assess the balance of Parkinson's disease patients.

Result: The Tests of Normality, both the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and the Shapiro-Wilk, were conducted on all variables for both the Conventional and HIIT groups. For the Conventional Group, the p-values of these tests ranged from 0.046 to 0.289, and for the HIIT Group, they ranged from 0.087 to 0.781. All p-values were greater than the commonly used significance level of 0.05, indicating that we failed to reject the null hypothesis that the data follows a normal distribution for each test within both groups. Therefore, all data in this study can be considered as parametric, justifying the use of parametric statistical tests for further analysis

Conclusion(s): The study concluded that between-group comparisons reveal HIIT to be significantly more effective than routine physical therapy in enhancing balance and potentially mitigating fall risks for Parkinson's disease patients. Although both modalities improved quality of life and function, the distinctive advantages of HIIT are noteworthy. Continued research is crucial to pinpoint optimal physical therapy strategies for this group, but the current insights highlight the value of high-intensity approaches.