What types of patients can benefit from Nordic walking?
Dumit: Nordic walking poles can be used in myriad ways to address a number of physical therapy interventions and diagnoses. The poles provide stability and a lower-extremity unloading effect that is beneficial in the later stages of hip, knee and ankle rehabilitation. Because it engages the core during gait (you can feel the abdominals contracting at heel strike/pole plant and the latissimus dorsi/lumbar paraspinals at toe off/push-off), it is also advantageous for lumbar rehabilitation. I especially like to use them with patients who have axial flexion collapse postures (think osteoporosis) as the poles encourage neutral thoracic and head postures. McLeod: Much of my experience has been with people diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome. The majority of these clients can walk safely with little or no walking aids. Beyond its usefulness as a modality in therapy, a patient who can walk relatively safely without aids and is able to swing their arms with control can benefit from using Nordi
