Influence of Nordic Walking andRespiratory Muscle Training in Patientswith Parkinson: Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To verify the impact of respiratory muscle training associated with Nordic walking training on lung function and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: 22 patients with PD were randomized into three groups: Respiratory Muscle Training (RMT; n=6), using Power breathe® linear resistor; the group that performed aerobic activity through Nordic Walking (NW; n=9) and the group associating the treatments: Nordic Walking plus Respiratory Muscle Training (RMT+NW; n=7). The variables analyzed were respiratory function, assessed by spirometry and manovacuometry, and quality of life assessed by the Parkinson Disease Questionary scale (PDQ-39). The intervention occurred over a period of 8 weeks, evaluated before and after treatment and subsequently the groups were compared to each other. Results: The analyzes showed significant intragroup results, with no statistical difference in the comparison between groups. In the respiratory function, there was a gain in expiratory muscle pressure (p=0.008) and forced vital capacity (p=0.011) for the RMT + NW group; gain of inspiratory muscle pressure (p=0.004) for the RMT group and improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (p=0.039) and in the range of 25%75% of forced expiratory flow (p=0.013) for the NW group. In the results obtained by PDQ-39, there was a positive reduction (p<0.05) in the total score before and after the treatment of each group. Conclusion: Physical therapy through respiratory muscle training associated with Nordic walking generated positive results for variables related to lung function and quality of life.