Terrens (2020) Perceptions of aquatic physiotherapy and health-related quality of life among people with Parkinson’s disease

In short: This study asked 21 people with Parkinson’s disease about their experiences after a pilot program of aquatic physiotherapy, and measured their quality of life. Almost all participants found the program worthwhile; they reported better function, fewer falls and the value of the group, as well as practical barriers such as getting dressed safely, fatigue and transport.

About this study

Terrens and colleagues included 21 people with Parkinson’s disease who had taken part in a pilot trial of aquatic physiotherapy. Participants completed a survey about their experiences and the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) and Personal Well-being Index (PWI) to describe health-related quality of life. Focus groups explored their perceptions and attitudes and were analyzed with deductive coding.

Main findings

• 20 of the 21 participants (95%) felt that the aquatic program was worthwhile.
• Overall wellbeing (PWI mean 41.6) and health-related quality of life (PDQ-39 mean 31.0) were poor, and lower than Australian population norms.
• Reported enablers were an improvement in function, fewer falls and group socialization.
• Reported barriers were safety when getting dressed, fatigue and transport.

The authors conclude

The authors conclude that aquatic physiotherapy was well accepted: participants felt their function improved and felt safe in the water. Because quality of life in this group is lower than population norms, they call for further research on interventions to improve it.

Limitations

The study was small and based on participants of one pilot trial; quality of life was described, not compared before and after the program.

Source

Terrens AF, Soh SE, Morgan P. Perceptions of aquatic physiotherapy and health-related quality of life among people with Parkinson’s disease. Health Expectations. 2021 (published online 2020). doi: 10.1111/hex.13202. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.