A randomised controlled trial on effectiveness and feasibility of sport climbing in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Physical activity is of prime importance in non-pharmacological Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment. The current study examines the effectiveness and feasibility of sport climbing in PD patients in a single-centre, randomised controlled, semi-blind trial. A total of 48 PD patients without experience in climbing (average age 64 ± 8 years, Hoehn & Yahr stage 2–3) were assigned either to participate in a 12-week sport climbing course (SC) or to attend an unsupervised physical training group (UT). The primary outcome was the improvement of symptoms on the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (MDS-UPDRS-III). Sport climbing was associated with a significant reduction of the MDS-UPDRS-III (−12.9 points; 95% CI −15.9 to −9.8), while no significant improvement was to be found in the UT (−3.0 points; 95% CI −6.0 to 0.1). Bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor subscales significantly improved in SC, but not in the unsupervised control group. In terms of feasibility, the study showed a 99% adherence of participants to climbing sessions and a drop-out rate of only 8%. No adverse events occurred. This trial provides class III evidence that sport climbing is highly effective and feasible in mildly to moderately affected PD patients.

Climb up! Head up! Climbing improves posture in Parkinson's disease. A secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial

“…In our recent randomized controlled trial on sport climbing, 29 we proved that sport climbing is a safe, feasible and engaging activity for Parkinson's disease patients and is also highly effective in reducing motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. 29 The sport climbing trial included a pre-planned secondary analysis of the posture.…”

“…In our recent randomized controlled trial on sport climbing, 29 we proved that sport climbing is a safe, feasible and engaging activity for Parkinson's disease patients and is also highly effective in reducing motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. 29 The sport climbing trial included a pre-planned secondary analysis of the posture. We hypothesized that climbing improves posture due to its holistic effects on the musculoskeletal system: it strengthens the shoulder girdle and trunk muscles, increases hip and shoulder flexibility and forces the patient to recline the head repeatedly and stretch the torso and limbs.…”

“…The methods have been published in our recent publication. 29 In brief, this was a randomized semi-blind trial (unblinded patients, blinded assessors) of 12 weeks duration, investigating an intervention group, ‘sport climbing group’ and a control group, ‘unsupervised training group’. Using a table-generated permuted block randomization approach, we randomized the patients to one of two groups of equal sample size.…”

“…Top-rope climbing involves a ‘belayer’, that is, a person standing on the ground securing the rope holding the climber. 29 The participants were actively engaged throughout the whole 90 min, either as climbers or as belayers.…”

The Origin, Application and Mechanism of Therapeutic Climbing: A Narrative Review

“…It can also improve the physical health of children with cancer and intellectual disabilities [ 86 , 87 ], intensify movement and coordination for patients with cerebellar ataxia, and improve the quality of life and upper limb function for stroke patients by enhancing their balance and walking function [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. Furthermore, it can alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s patients by boosting their self-confidence and dynamic balance ability [ 91 , 92 ], and the static balance and gait can improve for patients with a spinal cord injury [ 93 ]. Overall, we found TC to be a potent treatment method for the improvement of physical fitness or disease rehabilitation of the abovementioned patients.…”