Effects of a combined physical training protocol on postural balance in Parkinson’s disease
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v86.119856Keywords:
Dementia, exercise, gait, Parkinson disease, postureAbstract
Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with motor impairments, including balance and walking difficulties, which can increase the risk of falls.
Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in postural balance after a combined physical training program in people with PD.
Methodology: An exploratory, quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pre-post design without a control group. Forty-five records of people treated in 2024 at a Family Health Center in La Florida, Chile, were reviewed, of which 13 participants aged 55 to 85 met the selection criteria and completed an eight-week program, with two sessions per week of approximately 50 minutes. The intervention included exercises for sit-to-stand transitions, single-leg support, and treadmill walking. Dynamic balance was evaluated using the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) before and after the intervention.
Results: Statistically significant changes were observed in anticipatory capacity (p = .023), dynamic gait (p = .002), and the total Mini-BESTest score (p = .002), while no statistically significant changes were seen in reactive postural control (p = .084) or sensory orientation (p = .131). Conclusions: The findings suggest favorable changes in specific components of postural control after eight weeks of training; however, due to the design without a control group and the small sample size, these results should be considered preliminary and do not allow for establishing causality.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sebastián Andrés Astorga Verdugo, Valentin Aliaga, Soledad Gonzalez Silva, Aldo Rodrigo Martínez Araya, Reinaldo Saez Selaive, H´éctor Brito Castillo, Caroline Zamorano Sanchez
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