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Effect of uphill and downhill walking on walking performance in geriatric patients using a wheeled walker
Effect of uphill and downhill walking on walking performance in geriatric patients using a wheeled walker
- Source :
- Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie. 50:483-487
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Wheeled walkers are recommended to improve walking performance in older persons and to encourage and assist participation in daily life. Nevertheless, using a wheeled walker can cause serious problems in the natural environment. This study aimed to compare uphill and downhill walking with walking level in geriatric patients using a wheeled walker. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of using a wheeled walker with respect to dual tasking when walking level. A total of 20 geriatric patients (median age 84.5 years) walked 10 m at their habitual pace along a level surface, uphill and downhill, with and without a standard wheeled walker. Gait speed, stride length and cadence were assessed by wearable sensors and the walk ratio was calculated. When using a wheeled walker while walking level the walk ratio improved (0.58 m/[steps/min] versus 0.57 m/[steps/min], p = 0.023) but gait speed decreased (1.07 m/s versus 1.12 m/s, p = 0.020) when compared to not using a wheeled walker. With respect to the walk ratio, uphill and downhill walking with a wheeled walker decreased walking performance when compared to level walking (0.54 m/[steps/min] versus 0.58 m/[steps/min], p = 0.023 and 0.55 m/[steps/min] versus 0.58 m/[steps/min], p = 0.001, respectively). At the same time, gait speed decreased (0.079 m/s versus 1.07 m/s, p < 0.0001) or was unaffected. The use of a wheeled walker improved the quality of level walking but the performance of uphill and downhill walking was worse compared to walking level when using a wheeled walker.
- Subjects :
- Male
030506 rehabilitation
medicine.medical_specialty
Health (social science)
Power walking
Injury control
Accident prevention
Poison control
Health Promotion
Walking
Walkers
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Homes for the Aged
Humans
Medicine
Disabled Persons
Exercise
Aged
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Aged, 80 and over
business.industry
musculoskeletal, neural, and ocular physiology
Stride length
Nursing Homes
Gait speed
Issues, ethics and legal aspects
Physical therapy
Female
Geriatrics and Gerontology
0305 other medical science
business
Cadence
human activities
Gerontology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Dual tasking
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14351269 and 09486704
- Volume :
- 50
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9ba9ac5054e1d85bdc0025c946d28bd3
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-016-1156-4