Effects of whole-body vibration therapy on perception thresholds of type 2 diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial.
Kyeongjin Lee
PMID 28932013WHAT IT FOUND
Warm and cold pain thresholds did not change after 6 weeks of whole-body vibration; vibration detection thresholds improved in the vibration group.
Key findings
01Warm and cold pain thresholds did not show significant changes in either group.
02Vibration perception threshold improved significantly (p<0.05) in the whole-body vibration group but not in the control group.
03The pre-post change in vibration perception threshold differed significantly between groups (p<0.05).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The paper reported warm, cold, and vibration thresholds and did not label one as primary. Only sensory thresholds were measured; balance, gait, falls, and daily function were not outcomes. Participants had to stand independently, had at least one fall, and had a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 24 or higher, so results may not apply to people who cannot stand or have lower cognition. The sample was small and from one centre, with 59 analysed after one dropout. The authors stated they could not explain why temperature sensation did not change and that there were no comparable studies. Blinding was limited: the study was called single-blinded, and only the sensory tests were described as double-blinded.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that whole-body vibration improves diabetic neuropathy overall, balance, or falls. Only vibration detection threshold improved; warm and cold pain thresholds did not change, and the study did not measure balance, gait, or falls.