The Effect of Whole Body Vibration Treatment on Balance and Gait in Patients with Stroke

Abstract

Introduction: In patients with neurological disorders Whole BodyVibration (WBV) has been reported to improve motor function. Ouraim was to assess the effects of WBV on both balance and walkingperformance in adult stroke patients.Methods: Forty three post-stroke patients were randomly divided intotwo groups. One would receive WBV therapy (WBV group) while thecontrol group would not. All patients participated in a conventionalrehabilitation program for three weeks while the vibration group alsoreceived WBV over the same period. Patients balance and walkingperformance were evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), TimedUp and Go Test (TUG) and computerized gait analysis. All evaluationswere performed before and after therapy.Results: The median (range) age of all patients was 51.00 (18–66) years.The groups numbered 26 and 17 patients for the WBV and controlgroups respectively. After intervention, significant improvements werefound in the WBV group for BBS score (p=0.004), TUG score (p=0.035),step length (p=0.004) and walking speed (p=0.031) when compared tothe controls.Conclusion: WBV is effective for the improvement of balance and gaitperformance in stroke patients.