Effects of Manual Therapy on Parkinson's Gait: A Systematic Review.

Manual therapy (MT) is commonly used in rehabilitation to deal with motor impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, is MT an efficient method to improve gait in PD? To answer the question, a systematic review of clinical controlled trials was conducted. Estimates of effect sizes (reported as standard mean difference (SMD)) with their respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were reported for each outcome when sufficient data were available.

Effects of experimentally induced cervical spine mobility alteration on the postural organisation of gait initiation.

Gait initiation (GI), the transient period between quiet standing and locomotion, is a functional task classically used in the literature to investigate postural control. This study aimed to investigate the influence of an experimentally-induced alteration of cervical spine mobility (CSM) on GI postural organisation. Fifteen healthy young adults initiated gait on a force-plate in (1) two test conditions, where participants wore a neck orthosis that passively simulated low and high levels of CSM alteration; (2) one control condition, where participants wore no orthosis; and (3) one placebo condition, where participants wore a cervical bandage that did not limit CSM.

Acute effects of short-term stretching of the triceps surae on ankle mobility and gait initiation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Ankle mobility is known to be of uttermost importance to generate propulsive forces and control balance during gait initiation. Impaired mobility of the postural chain occurs with normal ageing and is exacerbated in patients with Parkinson's disease. This study questions whether short-term stretching session applied to the triceps surae improves ankle mobility and, consequently, dynamical postural control in patients with Parkinson's disease performing gait initiation.

Effects of stretching exercises on human gait: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Stretching is commonly used in physical therapy as a rehabilitation tool to improve range of motion and motor function. However, is stretching an efficient method to improve gait, and if so, for which patient category? A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials with meta-analysis was conducted using relevant databases. Every patient category and every type of stretching programs were included without multicomponent programs.

Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on the Postural Organization of Gait Initiation in Young Adults and Elderly: A Randomized Sham Intervention Study.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a training method that exposes the entire body to mechanical oscillations while standing erect or seated on a vibrating platform. This method is nowadays commonly used by clinicians to improve specific motor outcomes in various sub-populations such as elderly and young healthy adults, either sedentary or well-trained. The present study investigated the effects of acute WBV application on the balance control mechanisms during gait initiation (GI) in young healthy adults and elderly.

Long-Term Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Human Gait: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Whole-body vibration is commonly used in physical medicine and neuro-rehabilitation as a clinical prevention and rehabilitation tool. The goal of this systematic review is to assess the long-term effects of whole-body vibration training on gait in different populations of patients. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, Sage and in study references for articles published prior to 7 December 2018.

Anticipatory Postural Adjustments During Gait Initiation in Stroke Patients.

Prior to gait initiation (GI), anticipatory postural adjustments (GI-APA) are activated in order to reorganize posture, favorably for gait. In healthy subjects, the center of pressure (CoP) is displaced backward during GI-APA, bilaterally by reducing soleus activities and activating the tibialis anterior (TA) muscles, and laterally in the direction of the leading leg, by activating hip abductors. In post-stroke hemiparetic patients, TA, soleus and hip abductor activities are impaired on the paretic side.