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Efficacy of walking aids on self‐paced outdoor walking in individuals with COPD : A randomized cross‐over trial
Author(s) -
Vaes Anouk W.,
Meijer Kenneth,
Delbressine Jeannet M.,
Wiechert Jozé,
Willems Paul,
Wouters Emiel F.M.,
Franssen Frits M.E.,
Spruit Martijn A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/resp.12570
Subject(s) - medicine , copd , stride , physical therapy , preferred walking speed , pulmonary disease , test (biology) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , paleontology , biology
Abstract Background and objective Walking aids, such as rollator or draisine, improve mobility and functional exercise performance in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) during an indoor 6‐min walk test. However, this test does not reflect everyday walking, which is the most frequently reported problematic activity of daily life in individuals with COPD . To date, efficacy of walking aids during self‐paced outdoor walking remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to determine the efficacy of a rollator and draisine on self‐paced outdoor walking in individuals with COPD . Methods Fifteen individuals with COPD (68% men; age: 63 ± 8 years; forced expiratory volume in 1 s: 40 ± 14% predicted) performed three self‐paced outdoor walking tests on two consecutive days: test 1 unaided, and tests 2 and 3 with rollator or draisine in random order. Participants had to walk as long as possible at their own pace. The test ended when participants needed to stop, with a maximum duration of 30 min. Results The use of rollator resulted in the highest walk distance and time ( P < 0.05 vs unaided and draisine). Furthermore, individuals with COPD walked significantly further and longer during an unaided test compared with a draisine aided test ( P < 0.05). Moreover, use of draisine resulted in a significantly higher walking speed, fewer strides, greater stride length, and higher step and stride variability ( P < 0.05 vs unaided and rollator). Conclusion To conclude, a rollator improves the self‐paced outdoor walk distance and time in individuals with moderate and advanced COPD and a poor functional exercise capacity, whereas the use of a draisine had a detrimental effect compared with unaided walking.