Weight Supported Treadmill Ambulation in a Patient with Severe Congestive Heart Failure: A Case Report

Abstract

We describe a 43-year old man with congestive heart failure (CHF) with markedly reduced ejection fraction and New York Heart Association Class 3 to 4 symptoms. After a 6-minute walk test showed a 140 m distance, he performed 6 weeks of walking sessions on a weight-supporting lower body positive pressure treadmill (LBPP). Unloading 40% of his body weight he was able to progressively increase the duration of the walking sessions, exhibited a post-session diuretic effect and dramatically increased his exercise capacity on a 6-minute walk test. He rated his satisfaction with the sessions as maximal. His functional class improved to class 2, remaining stable at 1-year follow-up. We conclude that repeated sessions of ambulation on a weight-supporting LBPP treadmill may benefit patients with CHF with reduced ejection fraction and poor functional capacity.