One of the main motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) is worsening gait and balance. This represents limitations in daily life for patients, as well as an increased risk of falls. Various forms of exercise have positive effects on improving gait and balance, and consequently, quality of life. One of these forms of exercise can be table tennis playing.
This master's thesis explores the effects of table tennis playing on posture and gait in individuals with PD. Due to its characteristics, table tennis can be an effective form of exercise to improve the condition of PD.
Eleven PD patients were included in the table tennis experimental group, while six PD patients were included in the inactive control group. Participants met the criteria of the United Kingdom Brain Bank (Gibb and Lees, 1988). Measurements of static balance, dynamic balance, and gait parameters were conducted before and after the intervention in both groups. Patients in the experimental group participated in a 13-week table tennis playing program, exercising twice a week, with each session lasting 60 minutes. The control group maintained their usual lifestyle during this period.
Statistically significant positive changes in the experimental group were observed in walking speed and step length. The study suggests that table tennis could be a potentially effective form of exercise therapy to improve gait.
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