Effectiveness of a rehabilitation program involving functional proprioceptive stimulation for postural control and motor recovery among stroke patients: a double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

There was no planned follow-up after the 4-week intervention. All patients received the same conventional rehabilitation. Only patients aged 18 to 65, 2 to 6 months after stroke, able to maintain an upright position without assistance or with a walker, with Abbreviated Mental Test Score greater than 6, and without severe comorbidities or lower-limb Ashworth level 4 were included. Patients outside those criteria were not studied. The study was done in one tertiary care rehabilitation centre. Several balance measures did not show a between-group difference, including Trunk Impairment Scale and centre-of-gravity path length.

Do not conclude that focal vibration alone caused the improvement. Every participant also received individual physiotherapy, standing practice and daily-activity training, and the sham group improved on several outcomes. The study also had no follow-up after the 4-week intervention.