Effect of treadmill-walking training with Deep Breathing Exercises on pulmonary functions in Patients with Parkinson's disease

Background/aim: Parkinsonism is a neurodegenerative disease affecting approximately 10 million patients worldwide and is considered the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer disease. The main motor complications of Parkinsonism disease are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, decreased pulmonary capacity and deterioration of muscle strength, balance and gait performance. Purpose of the study: This study was designed to investigate the effect of treadmill-walking training with deep breathing exercises on pulmonary functions in patient with Parkinsonism. Material and methods: The study is a randomized controlled trial performed on 20 Parkinsonism patients randomly distributed into two equal groups. Group (A) was the study group and consisted of 10 patients who received treadmill-walking training with deep breathing exercises and Group (B) was the control and consisted of 10 patients received only their medical treatment. The study group received three sessions per week for eight weeks. The primary outcome measures were pulmonary function tests (The forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC). Results: There was significant improvement in pulmonary functions in favor of the study group (A). Conclusion: As a conclusion, additional physical therapy program consisting of treadmill-walking training with pulmonary exercises to the medical treatment of Parkinson’s disease patients suggest potential benefits. Keywords: Deep breathing, Parkinson's disease, Pulmonary function test, Treadmill-walking training exercise