Effects of arm swing on walking abilities in healthy adults restricted in the Wernicke-Mann’s limb position

Abstract

[Purpose] Arm swing is seldom considered while designing clinical rehabilitation protocols for hemiplegic patients with upper or lower extremity disabilities, likely due to the unclear role that arm swinging plays in the ability to walk. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of arm swinging on walking abilities. [Participants and Methods] The study enrolled 20 healthy adults who performed a 10 m walking test with normal gait, single-arm restricted gait, both-arms restricted gait, and maximum arm-swing gait with one arm fixed in the Wernicke-Mann’s position. The walking time, number of steps taken, and pelvic fluctuation were measured for the four gaits. A fixed-trunk type arm sling was used for maintaining the Wernicke-Mann’s position. [Results] Velocity and stride length decreased significantly while walking with the single-arm restricted gait and both-arms restricted gait in comparison to normal gait. The maximum arm-swing gait showed no significant differences from normal gait in terms of cadence, velocity, and stride. Pelvic fluctuations also had no significant differences among all gaits. [Conclusion] Restricting movement of one or both arms limited the walking speed and stride; however, in Wernicke-Mann’s limb position, if the arm is intentionally swung, the walking speed and stride resembled that of normal gait.