Article

Intermittent claudication can seriously limit an individual's walking capacity.
Walking programs are known to improve this limitation but could be limited by a
person's ability to carry his or her own full body weight to perform the walking.
We theorized that decreasing body weight, through mechanical unloading, might
allow longer pain-free walking, thus potentially accelerating exercise training.
This case report describes the effect of partial body weight support (PBWS) on
walking time in a patient with claudication. A 60-year-old male with calf pain
that prevented him from walking long distances or walking quickly was studied.
The patient completed three treadmill walking tests (0%, 25%, and 50% PBWS) until
claudication pain stopped him or 15 minutes elapsed. The participant walked 4:31
minutes at 0% PBWS with a pain rating of 3/4. He walked the full 15 minutes under
each support condition with the same or less claudication pain (3/4 for 25% PBWS,
2/4 for 50% PBWS).
This case reports the successful use of PBWS treadmill
training for increasing walking time in an individual with intermittent
claudication. If this finding holds true for a larger sample, PBWS may be a way
for these individuals to participate in exercise training programs with less pain.

Langue : ANGLAIS