GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Coleen Martinez, a graduate student in the College of Health and Human Performance, presented her research on “Low-Intensity Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Vascular Disease” on Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at Neuro Noons.
Martinez, who is specializing in adapted physical activity, spoke about her ongoing research regarding the effects of low-intensity cardiovascular exercise on individuals who suffer from peripheral vascular disease to a crowd of approximately 50 students, professors, physical therapists and other health professionals in the Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy building.
Martinez began with a power point presentation of her research poster that recently won an award at UF’s 3rd Annual Women’s Health Research Day. Martinez said one complication people with PVD suffer from is that walking for any length of time is difficult, if not impossible.
Martinez explained the current exercise prescription directs patients to walk as long as possible at maximal pain threshold. Once the patient cannot walk anymore, they are allowed to rest and then must reengage in this painful activity.
However, Martinez is recommending a remarkably different strategy. She encourages individuals to walk on a treadmill for a continuous period of 30-50 minutes at a pain free level, thus increasing the amount of continuous training time. Results showed superior improvements compared to comparable studies for all areas measured including total distance walked, total time walked and velocity during the period of three months.
Martinez proceeded to describe the program’scurrent emphasis and plans for future expansion. Collaboration is currently underway with a physical therapy clinic in California that plans to implement this pain-free exercise therapy with its patients.
Martinez said she wants to increase the program’s expansion within the local Gainesville community as well.
“The benefit of speaking to this target audience of physical therapists is that these are the people who are can take this practical knowledge and put it to use when they prescribe therapy for their patients,” Martinez said. “They are the ones who can spread the word in their community of professionals and expand this program throughout Gainesville.”
Martinez’s research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Christine Stopka, professor in HHP. This project is an extension of the research Stopka originated while conducting her dissertation in 1981 at the University of Virginia and has since conducted at the University of Florida since 1991. Stopka understands the implications of this longitudinal research.
“This is a logical, no pain solution to the barriers produced by the current exercise prescription,” Stopka said. “Further, there are increased gains in all areas: distance, speed and duration, with less risk than walking the patients at the higher, maximal pain intensities.”
Neuro Noons 2005 is sponsored by the Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, and the Neuromuscular Rehabilitation & Plasticity Training Grant. Each event consists of two presentations from researchers in various health-related fields at UF with lunch being served in between. The lecture series is being held once a week throughout the summer from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy building.