Association of Calf Muscle Pump Stimulation With Sleep Quality in Adults.
Lynn M Baniak, Carolyn S Pierce, Kenneth J McLeod and 1 others
PMID 27686225WHAT IT FOUND
All 11 adults with poor sleep reported better sleep after using a vibrating calf pump for 4 weeks.
Scores improved on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and function. No control group, so the device cannot be shown to cause the change.
Key findings
01All 11 participants reported improved sleep quality after using the calf pump for 4 weeks.
02Every participant had a better sleep quality score, and the average change was large.
03Five of seven participants with impaired sleep-related function improved.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study had only 11 participants and no control group, so the changes cannot be attributed to the device. Participants were a convenience sample of community adults aged 40 to 65 years, and many were white, female, middle-aged and obese, so results may not apply to other groups. More than half were at high risk for sleep apnea, but sleep apnea was not diagnosed or measured objectively. No data were collected on other things participants may have done to improve sleep. The device had no internal monitor, so actual home use depended on self-report. Questionnaire measures were not evaluated for reliability in this sample because the sample was small. Many baseline sleep scores were normal or near normal, so it is unclear whether the changes would be clinically meaningful in other settings.
Declared interests
McLeod is a stakeholder in Sonostics, Inc., which produces the device featured in this study. Baniak, Pierce, and Chasens report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the calf pump improves sleep. Eleven adults with poor sleep had no control group, and the authors state that no causality can be presumed.