Physical therapy
IN PHOTO: 22-year-old Errol Samuels from Queens, New York, who lost the use of his legs in 2012 after a roof collapsed onto him at an off-campus house party near where he was attending college in upstate New York, walks with a ReWalk electric powered exoskeletal suit during a therapy session with Alexandra Voigt, a clinical research coordinator and therapist, at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City March 26, 2014. Made by the Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies, ReWalk is a computer controlled device that powers the hips and knees to help those with lower limb disabilities and paralysis to walk upright using crutches. Allan Kozlowski, assistant professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hospital, where patients like Samuels are enrolled in his clinical trials of the ReWalk and another exoskeleton, the Ekso (Ekso Bionics) hopes machines like these will soon offer victims of paralysis new hope for a dramatically improved quality of life and mobility. The ReWalk is currently only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in rehabilitation facilities like at Mount Sinai, as they weigh whether to approve the device for home use as it already is in Europe. Picture taken March 26, 2014. Reuters/Mike Segar

A new study found that people who have peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, suffering from poor leg circulation can improve and preserve their mobility with home exercise encouraged by group sessions. The new findings suggest that PAD patients do not necessarily require supervision, but experts believe that at-home exercises can be beneficial, said the lead researcher.

Researchers did note in the May 20 published research that doing treadmill exercises with supervision can improve the ability to walk among patients suffering from PAD. “I would say it works better than any other medication or other therapy by a long shot,” said Mary McDermott, lead author of the study, in a report from Reuters.

However, researchers also observed that most people will not participate in the supervised exercise. They wrote that poor compliance to the rehabilitation programme is probably due to the added expense of joining an exercise facility.

In the year-long study, the team recruited 194 PAD patients from Chicago area, ages 65 years and above. A group of patients were randomly assigned to weekly group sessions supervised with a facilitator, and this went on for the first six months. Another group, the control group, attended weekly meetings studying different health topics.

The exercise group were encouraged to walk on their own, either on a treadmill or a stroll around the neighbourhood. This walking session was observed at least five days a week, with 15 minutes of walk per day gradually increasing to 50 minutes per day.

During the remaining six months, the exercise group no longer attended sessions but only received follow-up phone calls from the facilitator. Researchers found that nearly 83 percent of patients from the exercise group regained their mobility, as opposed to the 36.4 percent from the control group, reported Science Daily.

McDermott notes that PAD patients have a significantly higher risk for mobility loss compared to those who don’t have PAD. McDermott said in a report from Science Daily that patients should realise that there is hope for home-based exercise when it comes to regaining mobility. She also said that healthcare professionals should acknowledge that the exercises can be beneficial for their patients with PAD.

To report problems or leave feedback on this article, email: wendylemeric@gmail.com.

RELATED STORIES