Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Upper Extremity Function and Grip Strength in Patients with Subacute Stroke: A Randomised Single-Blind Controlled Trial.
Jin-Young Ahn, Hyeongsu Kim, Chan-Bum Park
PMID 31065236WHAT IT FOUND
Adding whole-body vibration before task-oriented training improved upper extremity function and grip strength more than upper- and lower-cycle training, but both groups also had task-oriented and conventional therapy, so vibration alone is not proven.
Key findings
01Before treatment, the groups did not differ significantly in upper extremity motor function (MFT) scores (p = 0.22) or grip strength (p = 0.57).
02After treatment, both groups improved on upper extremity motor function (MFT) scores and grip strength.
03The WBV group improved more than the ULC group on MFT scores (p = 0.016) and grip strength (p = 0.023).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 60 patients from one rehabilitation centre in Korea were studied, so the result may not apply to other settings. The study lasted 4 weeks and had no follow-up after treatment, so long-term function and grip strength are unknown. All participants also received task-oriented training and conventional physical therapy, so the separate effect of WBV cannot be isolated. The article text gives p values but not the actual MFT scores or grip-strength changes, so the size of the improvement is unclear. The title says single-blind, but the article text does not say who was blinded.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that whole-body vibration alone caused the improvement. Both groups received task-oriented training and conventional physical therapy, and the study did not test vibration without those treatments.