Physiotherapy interventions for balance impairments in Parkinson's disease: evidence from a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #Physiotherapy
- #Parkinson's Disease
- #Meta-Analysis
- Balance impairments in Parkinson's disease are a major disabling symptom and respond poorly to medication.
- Physiotherapy (PT) is effective for improving balance in Parkinson's disease, with moderate improvements observed (SMD = 0.56).
- Balance-specific training within physiotherapy showed the greatest effect (SMD = 0.64).
- The meta-analysis included 30 studies with 2,932 participants, covering multiple balance outcome measures.
- No clear linear dose-response relationship was found between training volume and effect size.
- Subgroup analyses confirmed benefits across tools like Mini-BESTest, Berg Balance Scale, and Timed Up and Go.
- The findings support personalized, balance-focused rehabilitation but highlight the need for clearer intervention protocols.