PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Prost, Evan L
AU  - Abbott, Carmen C
AU  - Dannecker, Erin A
AU  - Willis, Brad W
TI  - Novel walking pole gait pattern improves activity in an older adult with chronic low back pain
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2021-245807
DP  - 2021 Dec 01
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - e245807
VI  - 14
IP  - 12
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/14/12/e245807.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/14/12/e245807.full
SO  - BMJ Case Reports2021 Dec 01; 14
AB  - A 65-year-old woman with chronic low back pain participated in a 1-week community walking poles course. Although the participant received instruction in the standard Nordic walking method, she independently adopted a novel, modified, two-point gait pattern. Subsequently, her pain and activity tolerance using walking poles were monitored at 6 and 12 months. The participant ambulated two times the distance and reported lower ratings of perceived exertion and pain at 6-month and 12month follow-ups when walking with poles compared with walking without poles. This case highlights the potential effect of respecting patient preference within the clinical decision-making model. Doing so empowered a participant with chronic low back pain to adopt a novel, self-selected gait pattern and improve her short-term and long-term outcomes associated with chronic musculoskeletal disease.