Nordic Poles Immediately Improve Walking Distance in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

Abstract 

Objectives

To investigate the immediate effects of Nordic pole walking (NPW) on walking distance and cardiopulmonary workload in patients with intermittent claudication.

Methods

Using a standardised treadmill test (3.2kmh⁻¹ at 4% gradient), walking distance, cardiopulmonary responses, leg pain and perceived exertion during NPW were compared to responses evoked by normal walking in 20 patients with intermittent claudication. The distance to onset of claudication pain (claudication distance: CD) and to maximum walking distance (MWD), heart rate (HR), expired gas parameters, leg pain (Borg's CR-10 Scale) and perceived exertion (Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion: RPE Scale) were compared.

Results

CD increased significantly from a median (range) distance of 77m (28–503) to 130m (41–1080) and MWD increased significantly from 206m (81–1078) to 285m (107–1080) when patients used the Nordic poles (P=0.000). The level of leg pain at MWD was also significantly reduced during NPW (P=0.002). Perceived exertion at MWD did not increase despite an increase in cardiopulmonary work, as indicated by an increase in oxygen consumption (16.5%; P=0.000).

Conclusion

These results show that NPW immediately enables patients with intermittent claudication to walk further with less pain, despite a higher workload. NPW might also be a useful exercise strategy for improving the cardiovascular fitness of patients with intermittent claudication.

Keywords: Peripheral arterial disease, Intermittent claudication, Exercise therapy, Nordic pole walking, Cardiopulmonary workload