Ann Rehabil Med, 2017; 41(2): 273-278, PMID: 28503461

Immediate Effect of a Single Session of Whole Body Vibration on Spasticity in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Year: 2017

Park C, Park ES, Choi JY, Cho Y, Rha DW
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immediate effect of a single session of whole body vibration (WBV) on lower extremity spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Seventeen children with spastic CP were included. A single session of WBV was administered: 10-minute WBV, 1-minute rest, and 10-minute WBV. The effects of WBV were clinically assessed with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS) before and immediately, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4 hours after WBV. RESULTS: Spasticity of the ankle plantarflexor, as assessed by MAS and MTS scores, was reduced after WBV. Post-hoc analysis demonstrated that, compared to baseline, the MAS significantly improved for a period of 1 hour after WBV, and the R1 and R2-R1 of the MTS significantly improved for a period of 2 hours after WBV. CONCLUSION: A single session of WBV improves spasticity of ankle plantarflexors for 1-2 hours in children with CP. Future studies are needed to test whether WBV is an effective preparation before physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Keywords: Vibration, Muscle spasticity, Cerebral palsy, CP, MAS, MTS, GMFCS
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More information: Original Article