The Effect of Vibration Therapy on Walking Endurance in Children and Young People With Cerebral Palsy: Do Age and Gross Motor Function Classification System Matter?
Deborah Telford, Renuka M Vesey, Paul L Hofman and 1 others
PMID 33543094WHAT IT FOUND
Children and young people with cerebral palsy walked 12% further on average after 20 weeks of vibration therapy.
Those with limited mobility (GMFCS levels III and IV) saw the largest percentage gains, increasing by 40% and 57% respectively. Age did not significantly change the absolute benefit.
Key findings
01Participants walked significantly further on the 6-minute walk test after the intervention, with an average improvement of 12%.
02Relative improvement was greatest for those with more severe motor impairment, with GMFCS level IV participants improving by 57% compared to 10% for level II.
03There were no significant differences in absolute or percentage improvement between the different age groups tested.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group, so it is impossible to know if the improvement was due to the vibration therapy, natural growth, or other factors. There was no follow-up after the 20-week intervention, so it is unknown if the benefits were sustained. The sample did not include children at GMFCS level I or V, preschoolers, or adults, limiting generalizability to those groups. Compliance varied significantly, with older adolescents having lower adherence than younger children.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume vibration therapy is the sole cause of improvement. Because there was no control group, the gains in walking distance could be partly due to natural development or other concurrent activities. Additionally, the benefits were not tracked after the therapy stopped, so long-term maintenance is unknown.